In-situ calibration of passive samplers for monitoring host-associated fecal markers in an urban river

Abstract

Passive sampling in aquatic environments has shown promise as a time- and cost-efficient method with improved sensitivity for detecting microbial pollution in dynamic and variable conditions. However, quantitative descriptions of its field performance have been scarce, impeding its broader application in environmental settings. The performance of two membrane-based passive samplers (Torpedo and MSTFlow) in quantifying human (Carjivirus, Pepper Mild Mottle Virus [PMMoV], Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus [ToBRFV]) and avian (Helicobacter spp. GFD marker) fecal pollution markers in an urban riverine environment over a 72-h deployment was evaluated using a first-order kinetic model to characterize their microbial adsorption characteristics. Results were compared with those from parallel composite and time-weighted auto-sampling. Accumulation in passive samplers exhibited an initial lag phase (0 to 8 h for viruses) and reached equilibrium within 16 h of initial deployment, except for GFD. Sampling rates were highest for PMMoV (6.29 and 5.11 mL/h) for MSTFlow and Torpedo samplers respectively, followed by Carjivirus (4.63 and 3.63 mL/h), ToBRFV (2.17 and 1.22 mL/h) and GFD (0.68 mL/h in Torpedo sampler). At equilibrium, both sampler configurations accumulated more than 22-170 times the amount of target gene copies in each mL of grab water samples depending on sampler and virus. These findings highlight passive sampling as a promising, sensitive, cost-effective, and low-maintenance alternative for continuous microbial water quality monitoring in aquatic environments. Overall, this study advances the understanding of passive sampling kinetics and supports broader adoption of passive samplers for tracking fecal pollution in environmental waters.