Environmental DNA application to detect and quantify fecal contamination in tidal creek ecosystems

Human and animal waste are prominent anthropogenic contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. These contaminants can come from various sources, including septic system failures, agricultural runoff, stormwater, and groundwater leaching of manure applied to agricultural lands. In this study we developed an environmental DNA (eDNA) source-tracking method using quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays, targeting the 16S rRNA gene of the chicken mitochondrial genome and the NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5) gene of the human mitochondrial genome, as well as metabarcoding analysis of the mammalian mitochondrial 16S rRNA genes.