Sediment pH, not the bacterial diversity, determines Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival in estuarine sediments

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is recognized as a hazardous microorganism in the environment. Its longer survival might contribute to higher contamination risk. In this study, E. coli O157:H7 survival in estuarine sediments collected from south Hangzhou Bay was investigated. The survival time of E. coli O157:H7 in estuarine sediments increased with the distance to the water-land junction. Sediment pH was the most important factor in regulating E. coli O157:H7 survival in estuarine sediments. In addition, sediment nutrients and texture also played significant roles in the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the sediments. On the other hand, bacterial diversity as determined by the alpha-diversity index had no significant effect on E. coli O157:H7 survival. However, specific families of bacteria were closely associated with E. coli O157:H7 survival in the sediments. Remarkably, some potential bacterial groups, e.g., the Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfarculaceae families, which are mainly involved in the sulfur cycle, showed significant negative correlation with the E. coli O157:H7 survival in the sediments. On the whole, abiotic factors showed greater effects on E. coli O157:H7 survival in the test sediments than the bacterial community. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of E. coli O157:H7 survival and regulatory factors in estuarine sediments, establishing foundation for the prevention of pathogen contamination.