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Birds, wildlife and domestic animals are contributing to the contamination of Australian waterways at previously unrecognised levels.
The development by CSIRO Oceanography of new biomarker techniques which chemically trace sewage has come up with some interesting findings.
The studies, in New South Wales and Tasmania, are part of a broader program monitoring Australia's marine environment.
The biomarker studies have been undertaken by Rhys Leeming and Peter Nichols, of CSIRO Oceanography, in collaboration with the CSIRO Division of Water Resources and Australian Water Technologies in Sydney.
The technique involves the use of organic compounds called faecal sterol biomarkers to determine the source and amounts of faecal matter found in waterways derived from birds, wildlife and humans. Importantly, they provide for scientists what is the equivalent, for police, of a fingerprint.
The New South Wales study - for the Wyong Shire Council - was the first time the technique had been applied where there was a likelihood of pollution from multiple sources in both urban and rural catchments.
The Wyong study found that in Lake Tuggerah as much as 80 per cent of faecal pollution after rain was from sea birds.
The second highest contributor was domestic animals at around 15 per cent.
The remainder of the faecal contamination was from rural catchments (sheep, cows and horses and native animals such as kangaroos).
In this study, human faecal contamination was either negligible or below detection.
Rhys Leeming says the same technique is soon to be applied to the Yarra River in a collaborative study with the Victorian Environment Protection Authority.
Previous samples taken in some Melbourne creeks and from stormwater drains had shown the presence of human sewage but the new technique will distinguish between different sources of faecal pollution .
Rhys Leeming says benefits of the technique will be potentially better management of sewage and stormwater systems by municipal councils and water authorities.
For further information please contact:
Rhys Leeming
Peter Nichols
Tel: 002-325279 (B) or 002 31 0435
Fax: 002-325123
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