Assessing biological stability in a porous groundwater aquifer of a riverbank filtration system: combining traditional cultivation-based and emerging cultivation-independent in situ and predictive methods

Abstract Riverbank filtration systems are important drinking water resources. Aquifers of riverbank subjected to considerable dynamics concerning the quantity and quality infiltrating water. The microbiological is mainly jeopardized by faecal contamination main river. Besides, can be impacted growth natural water-borne bacteria due input nutrients resulting in proliferation opportunistic pathogens, impairment odour taste or bio-corrosion. occurrence such phenomena indicates a biological instability. For highly dynamic systems, it thus high relevance assess stability groundwater resource. In present study, we applied holistic, two-tiered concept situ predictive methods biostability aquifer bank system Danube River. We traditional cultivation-based selected cultivation-independent methods—including cultivation on yeast extract R2A agar, determination total cell counts via fluorescence microscopy flow cytometry, leucine incorporation 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing—at critical control points along infiltration path from river abstraction well. concentration organic hydrological variability were controlling factors driving body. Wells situated at greater distance displayed significantly lower dissolved carbon concentrations dampened influence comparison well next Apparent discrepancies between used indicated different indicator function approaches. complex recommend this new holistic for assessing combining as parameters using methods.