Brighton scientists to pioneer DNA-based 'forensic' tool to trace sources of water pollution

Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the three-year project brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts to create and test a first-of-its-kind tool which can trace the sources of pollution in UK water bodies, including rivers, lakes, and streams used for drinking water supply and for recreational activities.

By using advanced DNA sequencing technology, scientists can search the samples for bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria and are naturally found in the human gut and shed in our faeces.

The new portable diagnostic technology will enable scientists to collect and analyse water samples both in the field and in the laboratory. This will be a major improvement on the traditional water testing technology which relies on culturing bacteria in laboratories, a process that is slow and fails to reveal the presence of human contamination.

Dr Sarah Purnell

Professor James Ebdon

Currently, no river in England meets the 'good chemical status' set by the Water Framework Directive, the internationally recognised standard which regulates the quality of water bodies across Europe. Pollutants found in sewage and industrial discharges or produced by agricultural and wild animals continue to impact water purity, leaving only 16% of English rivers classified as being of 'good ecological status.'

Led by researchers at University of Brighton Centre for Environment and Society, the £950,000-project will allow scientists and regulators to rapidly, accurately and cost-effectively trace human contamination to its source, helping target interventions, improve the ecological health of freshwater systems, and reduce risks to public health.

Dr Sarah Purnell, Environmental Microbiologist at the University of Brighton, said: “This project aims to significantly improve how we monitor water quality. By using advanced DNA sequencing and bacteriophage diagnostics, we aim to deliver a tool that can quickly and accurately identify human faecal pollution. This will help regulators and communities make decisions to protect water resources and public health.”

Professor James Ebdon, Co-Investigator at the University of Brighton’s Environment and Public Health Research Group, added: “This project is particularly exciting as it gives us an opportunity to use the latest biomolecular tools to advance an area of water quality management known as Microbial Source Tracking (MST) that our researchers have been trying to resolve for the past 25 years.”

Once developed, the technology will be implemented and tested by experts at the Environment Agency and the University of Sheffield on the River Wharfe in Yorkshire, home to England’s first inland designated bathing site at Ilkley, which has faced water quality challenges linked to sewage and runoff.

By giving regulators and industry the means to trace pollution to its source, this Brighton-led collaboration could play a critical role transforming the robustness of UK water management and ensuring safer rivers for recreation and drinking water for the entire population.

The tool will be developed together with partners from the University of Bath and University of Sheffield, working alongside the Environment Agency and other regional water service providers.