Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Leri, Alessandra C.
• Fassihi, G. Eliana
• Lundquist, Matthew J.
• Khan, Marjan
• Arguin, Mariette L.

Titel

Vertical stratification and seasonality of fecal indicator bacteria in New York City playground sandboxes

Ist Teil von

• Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, 2024-03, Vol.273, p.116152-116152, Article 116152

Ort / Verlag

Netherlands: Elsevier Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2024

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek - Frei zugängliche E-Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Sandboxes in public play spaces afford a crucial opportunity for urban children to engage in naturalistic play that fosters development of cognitive, social, and motor skills. As open pits, sandboxes in New York City public playgrounds are potentially exposed to fecal inputs from various sources, including wild and domestic animals. A longitudinal study of thirteen sandboxes located in public playgrounds on the east side of Manhattan reveals ubiquity of the fecal indicator bacteria enterococci and Escherichia coli through all seasons. The highest concentrations of bacteria occur in surface sand (n = 42; mean enterococci 230 MPN/g and E. coli 182 MPN/g dry weight), with significantly lower levels at depths below the surface (n = 35; mean enterococci 21 MPN/g and E. coli 12 MPN/g dry weight), a stratification consistent with fecal loading at the surface. Generalized linear mixed models indicate that sand depth (surface vs. underlayers) is the most influential variable affecting bacterial levels (P <0.001 for both enterococci and E. coli), followed by sampling season (P <0.001 for both). Bacterial concentrations do not vary significantly as a function of playground location or ZIP code within the study area. Children’s exposure while playing in sandboxes likely reaches 105 enterococci and 104E. coli in a typical play period. Microbial source tracking to identify fecal hosts reveals dog, bird, and human biomarkers in low concentrations. Open sandbox microcosms installed at ground level in the urban environment of Manhattan are fouled by enterococci and E. coli within two weeks, while adjacent closed microcosms exhibit no fecal contamination over a 33-day sampling period. Collectively, our results indicate that increasing the frequency of sand refills and covering sandboxes during times of disuse would be straightforward management strategies to mitigate fecal contamination in playground sandboxes. [Display omitted] •Fecal indicator bacteria are ubiquitous in playground sand in New York City.•Enterococci and E. coli are significantly higher in surface sand than in underlayers.•Enterococci and E. coli vary significantly by season but not by location.•Open sand microcosms are fouled rapidly; closed microcosms remain uncontaminated.•Canine and avian biomarkers are present in sand, despite prohibition of dogs in playgrounds.