Microbial pathogens within aquifers

Microbial pathogen contamination of aquifers and the possible spread of infectious diseases is a serious problem with significance for global public health. Considering human population growth and increasing demands for safe drinking water, there is a need to manage groundwater resources effectively. This book is targeted at professionals, academics and students interested in the microbial characterization of aquifers. It supplies fundamental facts on hydrogeology and groundwater contamination. The main focus is on sampling methodologies; detection of bacterial, protozoan, viral and other microbial pathogens; microbial modeling and transport; DNA fingerprinting and other microbial characterization approaches; and microbial risk assessment groundwater applications.