Fredonia biologists locate e-coli source

In a study undertaken last summer, Biology Professor Ted Lee and graduate student Damian Salerno identified the sources of bacterial contamination in Cassadaga Lake. Dr. Lee has received another grant to continue the research next summer.

Mr. Salerno is shown at left sampling the lake.

County Health Commissioner Edwin Miner said the County Health Department asked for the study because of high bacteria counts at the Cassadaga Lakes beaches during 2004, which was a very rainy summer.

Dr. Lee and Mr. Salerno collected over 500 different bacterial samples from the lake, 300 of which were determined to be E. coli and compared their genetic profiles with those of E. coli from geese, humans, dogs and deer. Mr. Salerno isolated DNA from all of the identified E. coli strains, which allowed them to determine the source of the contamination.

The data indicate that the highest percentage of E. coli samples isolated from the lake in 2005 were from geese. Dogs and humans were also identified as potential sources of the E. coli in the lake. Deer did not appear to be responsible for any of the lake's E. coli. The data are still being analyzed at SUNY Fredonia and additional information will be available in the future.

Dr. Lee credited Mr. Salerno for his excellent work. "It takes a lot of effort and work to get a new research project going and Damian was very dedicated to ensuring the project went well," he said.