Recent Scientific papers

(Policy Briefs/Fact Sheets & Special Reports)

• McLellan, S. L.; Chariton, A.; Codello, A.; McClary-Gutierrez, J. S.; Schussman, M. K.; Marzinelli, E. M.; O’Neil, J. M.; Schott, E. J.; Bowen, J. L.; Vineis, J. H.; Maignien, L.; Lemonnier, C.; Perennou, M.; Gibb, K. S.; Zhou, G.-J.; Leung, K. M. Y.; Kirs, M.; Griffith, J. F.; Steele, J. A.; Swearer, S. E.; O’Brien, A. L.; Song, D.; Liang, S.; Li, J.; Airoldi, L.; Mancuso, F. P.; Salomon, P. S.; Silva-Lima, A. W.; Pereira, R. C.; Boehm, A. B.; Lim, E. W. X.; Wuertz, S.; Fernández, E.; Teira, E.; Liao, M.-L.; Dong, Y.-W.; Steinberg, P. D., 2024 Universal Microbial Indicators Provide Surveillance of Sewage Contamination in Harbours Worldwide. Nat Water
• Bratburd, J. R., & McLellan, S. L., 2024. Waterborne Diseases. In B. S. Levy & J. A. Patz (Eds.), Climate Change and Public Health (2nd ed., pp. 133–152). Oxford University PressNew York.
• Fogarty, E. C., Schechter, M. S., Lolans, K., Sheahan, M. L., Veseli, I., Moore, R. M., Kiefl, E., Moody, T., Rice, P. A., Yu, M. K., Mimee, M., Chang, E. B., Ruscheweyh, H.-J., Sunagawa, S., Mclellan, S. L., Willis, A. D., Comstock, L. E., & Eren, A. M., 2024. A cryptic plasmid is among the most numerous genetic elements in the human gut. Cell, 187(5), 1206-1222.e16.
• Hamidi, S. A., Bravo, H., McLellan, S. L., & Lorenz, D., 2024. Modeling climate change effects on transport and fate of pathogens in an urban coastal area of Lake Michigan. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 15(3), 1333–1348.
• Keshaviah, A., Huff, I., Hu, X. C., Guidry, V., Christensen, A., Berkowitz, S., Reckling, S., Noble, R. T., Clerkin, T., Blackwood, D., McLellan, S. L., Roguet, A., & Musse, I., 2023. Separating signal from noise in wastewater data: An algorithm to identify community-level COVID-19 surges in real time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(31), e2216021120.
• Lenaker, P. L., Pronschinske, M. A., Corsi, S. R., Stokdyk, J. P., Olds, H. T., Dila, D. K., & McLellan, S. L.,2024. A multi-marker assessment of sewage contamination in streams using human-associated indicator bacteria, human-specific viruses, and pharmaceuticals. Science of The Total Environment, 930, 172505.
• Lenaker, P.L., Corsi, S.R., De Cicco, L.A., Olds, H.T., Dila, D.K., Danz, M.E., McLellan, S.L., Rutter, T.D., 2023. Modeled predictions of human-associated and fecal-indicator bacteria concentrations and loadings in the Menomonee River, Wisconsin using in-situ optical sensors. PLoS ONE 18, e0286851.
• Committee on Community Wastewater-based Infectious Disease Surveillance, Water Science and Technology Board, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Health and Medicine Division, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2023. Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
• Rumball, N.A., Alm, E.W., McLellan, S.L., 2023. Genetic Determinants of Escherichia coli Survival in Beach Sand. Appl Environ Microbiol 89, e01423-22.
• Hoar, C., McClary-Gutierrez, J., Wolfe, M.K., Bivins, A., Bibby, K., Silverman, A.I., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Looking Forward: The Role of Academic Researchers in Building Sustainable Wastewater Surveillance Programs. Environ Health Perspect 130, 125002.
• Meyers, B.C., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Influence of Nutrients and the Native Community on E. coli Survival in the Beach Environment. Appl Environ Microbiol e01043-22.
• Roguet, A., Newton, R.J., Eren, A.M., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Guts of the Urban Ecosystem: Microbial Ecology of Sewer Infrastructure. mSystems 7, e00118-22.
• Passante, E.K., Dechant, L.E., Paradis, C.J., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Halophilic bacteria in a Lake Michigan drainage basin as potential biological indicators of chloride-impacted freshwaters. Science of The Total Environment 846, 157458.
• Dila, D.K., Koster, E.R., McClary-Guterriez, J., Khazaei, B., Bravo, H.R., Bootsma, M.J., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Assessment of Regional and Local Sources of Contamination at Urban Beaches Using Hydrodynamic Models and Field-Based Monitoring. ACS EST Water 2, 1715–1724.
• Schussman, M.K., Roguet, A., Schmoldt, A., Dinan, B., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Wastewater surveillance using ddPCR accurately tracked Omicron emergence due to altered N1 probe binding efficiency. Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol. 10.1039.D2EW00194B.
• Schussman, M.K., McLellan, S.L., 2022. Effect of Time and Temperature on SARS-CoV-2 in Municipal Wastewater Conveyance Systems. Water 14, 1373.
• Williams, N.L.R., Siboni, N., McLellan, S.L., Potts, J., Scanes, P., Johnson, C., James, M., McCann, V., Seymour, J.R., 2022. Rainfall leads to elevated levels of antibiotic resistance genes within seawater at an Australian beach. Environmental Pollution 307, 119456.
• Kim, S., Kennedy, L.C., Wolfe, M.K., Criddle, C.S., Duong, D.H., Topol, A., White, B.J., Kantor, R.S., Nelson, K.L., Steele, J.A., Langlois, K., Griffith, J.F., Zimmer-Faust, A.G., McLellan, S.L., Schussman, M.K., et al., 2022. SARS-CoV-2 RNA is enriched by orders of magnitude in primary settled solids relative to liquid wastewater at publicly owned treatment works. Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol. 10.1039.D1EW00826A.
• Feng, S., Roguet, A., McClary-Gutierrez, J.S., Newton, R.J., Kloczko, N., Meiman, J.G., McLellan, S.L., 2021. Evaluation of Sampling, Analysis, and Normalization Methods for SARS-CoV-2 Concentrations in Wastewater to Assess COVID-19 Burdens in Wisconsin Communities. ACS EST Water 1, 1955–1965.
• McClary-Gutierrez JS, Mattioli MC, Marcenac P, Silverman AI, Boehm AB, Bibby K, Balliet M, III FL de los R, Gerrity D, Griffith JF, et al. 2021. SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance for Public Health Action: Connecting Perspectives from Wastewater Researchers and Public Health Officials During a Global Pandemic. PREPRINT Emerg Infect Dis 27:1–21.
• McClary-Gutierrez JS, Mattioli MC, Marcenac P, Silverman AI, Boehm AB, Bibby K, Balliet M, III FL de los R, Gerrity D, Griffith JF, et al. 2021. SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance for Public Health Action. Emerg Infect Dis. 27(9):1-8. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2709.210753
• Rumball NA, Mayer HC, McLellan SL. 2021. Selective Survival of Escherichia coli Phylotypes in Freshwater Beach Sand. Appl Environ Microbiol 87:e02473-20
• Roguet A, Esen O, Eren AM, Newton R, and McLellan S. 2020. FORENSIC: an Online Platform for Fecal Source Identification. mSystems 5 (2):e00869-19
• Feng S, Warish A, McLellan SL. 2020. Ecological and Technical Mechanisms for Cross-Reaction of Human Fecal Indicators with Animal Hosts. Appl Environ Microbiol 86:e02319-19.
• Feng S, McLellan SL. 2019. Highly Specific Sewage-Derived Bacteroides Quantitative PCR Assays Target Sewage-Polluted Waters. Appl Environ Microbiol 85:e02696-18.
• McLellan SL, Roguet A. 2019. The unexpected habitat in sewer pipes for the propagation of microbial communities and their imprint on urban waters. Current Opinion in Biotech 57:34–41
• Roguet A, Eren AM, Newton RJ, and McLellan SL. 2018. Fecal source identification using random forest. Microbiome 6:185.
• Dila DK, Corsi SR, Lenaker PL, Baldwin AK, Bootsma MJ, and McLellan SL. 2018. Patterns of Host-Associated Fecal Indicators Driven by Hydrology, Precipitation, and Land Use Attributes in Great Lakes Watersheds. Env Science and Tech 52:11500−11509.
• Feng S, Bootsma MJ, McLellan SL. 2018. Human-Associated Lachnospiraceae Genetic Markers Improve Detection of Fecal Pollution Sources in Urban Waters. Appl Environ Microbiol 84:e00309-18.
• Olds HT, Corsi SR, Dila DK, Halmo KM, Bootsma MJ, and McLellan SL. 2018. High levels of sewage contamination released from urban areas after storm events: A quantitative survey with sewage specific bacterial indicators. PLoS MED 15(7): e1002614.
• McLellan SL, Sauer EP, Corsi SR, Bootsma MJ, Boehm AB, Spencer SK and Borchardt MA. 2018. Sewage loading and microbial risk in urban waters of the Great Lakes.. Elem Sci Anth 6: 46.
• Bravo HR, McLellan SL, Klump JV, Hamidi SA, and Talarczyk D. 2017. Modeling the fecal coliform footprint in a Lake Michigan urban coastal area. Environ Model Software 95:401-419.
• Cloutier DD, McLellan SL. 2017. Distribution and differential survival of traditional and alternative indicators of fecal pollution at freshwater beaches. Appl Environ Microbiol 83: e02881-16.

Click to see the complete list of McLellan Lab publications

Policy Briefs & Fact Sheets (Links will download PDFs)

Milwaukee AOC Beach Closures:
Beach Closure Decision Tree Policy Brief – from Beach Closings Management Actions Project

Milwaukee AOC Beach Remediation Fact Sheet:
Bradford and South Shore beach remediation assessment – from Beach Closings Management Actions Project

Milwaukee River Plume Fact Sheet:
2018-2020 Milwaukee River Plume Study – Main findings from the study

South Shore Beach Fact Sheet:
Improving beach health – Actions to improve a chronically contaminated beach

TMDLs Policy Brief:
Source-specific fecal indicators – Emphasize human health risks in water quality monitoring

Optical Sensor Policy Brief:
Human sources of fecal pollution to Lake Michigan – Widespread but hard to track

Wisconsin Climate Change Briefs:

• More storms expected for warmer Wisconsin – Weather “dice” loaded to increase odds of intense storms
• Improving sewer infrastructure should reduce rain-related disease risk – Extreme rainfall leads to waterborne disease
• Kids most vulnerable to rain-related disease – Acute diarrhea is the greatest concern for both urban and rural kids
• Well water vulnerable to rain-related disease – Waterborne disease risks expected for non-disinfected drinking water systems
• Water main breaks expose the public to waterborne disease risk – Distribution systems contaminated after treatment
• Wisconsin climate to feel more southerly – Planners must anticipate local climate change to reassess their assumptions

Policy solutions:

• Stormwater risks could rival sewage overflows – More research is needed to characterize the health risks of stormwater vs. overflows
• Long-term epidemiological studies needed to better assess rain-related disease risks – Sharing data should give a better sense of waterborne disease incidence
• Incentives for residential lateral replacement can improve health – Pipe systems less vulnerable to rain-related disease risk also provide long-term returns
• Proactive surveillance and alert systems can mitigate rain-related disease risks – Pathogen tracking and public communication recommended

Climate briefs were compiled by the Center for Water Policy at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. Contact: thiela@uwm.edu

Special Reports (Links will download PDFs)

U.S. HHS – CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report’s

Wastewater Surveillance Data as a Complement to Emergency Department Visit Data for Tracking Incidence of Influenza A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus — Wisconsin

Area of Concern Beaches in Milwaukee

Final Report: Beach Closings Management Actions Project Assessments

Addendum to Final Report

Milwaukee River Plume Study

Determining Sediment and Bacterial Sources and Linkages to Inform and Evaluate Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation

Wastewater Detection

Detection of Wastewater Contamination – Knowledge Development Forum – 2019

Beach Reports

Russell Avenue Final Report – March 2016
South Shore Beach Fact Sheet – July 2016
Jane Harrison’s report: Improving water quality at Great Lakes beaches via research and engagement – Sea Grant 2016
Bradford Beach Standing Water Investigation – March 2012

Coupled Human and Natural Systems

Unraveling the complexity of socioeconomic and natural systems: The case of Lake Michigan Nearshore

Stormwater Reports

2008-2012 Greater Milwaukee Watersheds Stormwater Report
2008-2012 Greater Milwaukee Watersheds Stormwater Report (Appendix A – Maps and Locations)
2008-2012 Greater Milwaukee Watersheds Stormwater Report (Appendix B – Indicator Bacteria Data)
Pathogens in Urban Stormwater 2006-2009 Technical Report

NOAA/SARP Climate Change Report

Climate Change Risks and Impacts on Urban Coastal Water Resources in the Great Lakes (2013 Final Report)
Milwaukee Climate Change Risk Modeling – Tetra Tech Report (2013)
Milwaukee Climate Change Risk Modeling – Summary Statistics – Tetra Tech Report (2013)
Milwaukee Climate Change Risk Modeling – CO2 Response – Tetra Tech Report (2013)

2011 Climate Change Report

Impact of Climate Change on CSOs and SSOs in Milwaukee Watersheds (2011)