The research article I selected for research example number five is an article I found in the Armacost library database. The article from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 71, number 4. The title of the article is “Microbial Water Quality and Influences of Fecal Accumulation from a Dog Exercise Area.” Animal wastes such as contamination from animal agriculture have been known to cause outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Dogs and other animals are potential sources of waterborne diseases. Frequently used dogs parks with a lot of dog fecal matter could potentially contaminate surface waters. The authors examined the effects of areas with a large amount of fecal material in a popular dog exercise park. The dog exercise area is located in the Burke Creek recreational area in State Line Nevada adjacent to Lake Tahoe. The public drinking water supply is approximately 200 meters from the creek outlet. Over a period of fourteen months. The authors analyzed water samples from the creek for E. coli and collected feces from areas to estimate the amount of fecal accumulation. Over the fourteen-month period an estimated total of over 100 pounds of fecal material had accumulated in the area. The method of study consisted of mapping the area with constant collection of fecal material and water sampling. The goal of the study was to discover any trends in and to find any correlation between the amount of fecal material and E. coli in the surface waters.  The authors found that there was no correlation between the amount of fecal material accumulated and the amount of E. coli found in the water. It appeared that during a good portion of the year the E. coli bacteria did not survive long enough to enter the surface water. The authors also conclude that it would still be beneficial to educate dog owners and to encourage to pick up after their dogs. This would prevent increasing the potential risk of contaminating surface waters from fecal material.

Garfield, L., & Walker, M. (2008). “Microbial water quality and influences of fecal accumulation from a dog exercise area”. Journal of environmental health, 71(4), 24.