Aaron D Firnstahl
Aaron is a Hydrologic Technician at the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
Education and Certifications
B.S. 2009, Geology and Geophysics; B.S. History; Certificate, European Studies; Certificate, Classical Studies; University of Wisconsin-Madison
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 16
Human Bacteroides and total coliforms as indicators of recent combined sewer overflows and rain events in urban creeks
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are a known source of human fecal pollution and human pathogens in urban water bodies, which may present a significant public health threat. To monitor human fecal contamination in water, bacterial fecal indicator organisms (FIOs) are traditionally used. However, because FIOs are not specific to human sources and do not correlate with human pathogens, alternative fe
Authors
Shannon McGinnis, Susan K. Spencer, Aaron Firnstahl, Joel P. Stokdyk, Mark A. Borchardt, David McCarthy, Heather Murphy
Quantitative microbial risk assessment for spray irrigation of dairy manure based on an empirical fate and transport model
BACKGROUND: Spray irrigation for land-applying livestock manure is increasing in the United States as farms become larger and economies of scale make manure irrigation affordable. Human health risks from exposure to zoonotic pathogens aerosolized during manure irrigation are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to a) estimate human health risks due to aerosolized zoonotic pathogens downwind of
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Susan K. Spencer, Joel P. Stokdyk, Burney A Kieke, Rebecca A Larson, Aaron Firnstahl, Ana M Rule, Mark A. Borchardt
Avian influenza virus RNA in groundwater wells supplying poultry farms affected by the 2015 influenza outbreak
During the 2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
(HPAI) on poultry farms in the midwestern United States, concern was raised
about the potential for HPAI to contaminate groundwater. Our study objective was to evaluate the occurrence of HPAI in the groundwater supply wells on 13 outbreak-affected poultry farms in Iowa and Wisconsin. We sampled 20 wells, six waste-storage lagoons,
Authors
Mark A. Borchardt, Susan K. Spencer, Laura E. Hubbard, Aaron Firnstahl, Joel P. Stokdyk, Dana W. Kolpin
Determining the 95% limit of detection for waterborne pathogen analyses from primary concentration to qPCR
The limit of detection (LOD) for qPCR-based analyses is not consistently defined or determined in studies on waterborne pathogens. Moreover, the LODs reported often reflect the qPCR assay alone rather than the entire sample process. Our objective was to develop an approach to determine the 95% LOD (lowest concentration at which 95% of positive samples are detected) for the entire process of waterb
Authors
Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron Firnstahl, Susan K. Spencer, Tucker R Burch, Mark A. Borchardt
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 16
Human Bacteroides and total coliforms as indicators of recent combined sewer overflows and rain events in urban creeks
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are a known source of human fecal pollution and human pathogens in urban water bodies, which may present a significant public health threat. To monitor human fecal contamination in water, bacterial fecal indicator organisms (FIOs) are traditionally used. However, because FIOs are not specific to human sources and do not correlate with human pathogens, alternative fe
Authors
Shannon McGinnis, Susan K. Spencer, Aaron Firnstahl, Joel P. Stokdyk, Mark A. Borchardt, David McCarthy, Heather Murphy
Quantitative microbial risk assessment for spray irrigation of dairy manure based on an empirical fate and transport model
BACKGROUND: Spray irrigation for land-applying livestock manure is increasing in the United States as farms become larger and economies of scale make manure irrigation affordable. Human health risks from exposure to zoonotic pathogens aerosolized during manure irrigation are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to a) estimate human health risks due to aerosolized zoonotic pathogens downwind of
Authors
Tucker R. Burch, Susan K. Spencer, Joel P. Stokdyk, Burney A Kieke, Rebecca A Larson, Aaron Firnstahl, Ana M Rule, Mark A. Borchardt
Avian influenza virus RNA in groundwater wells supplying poultry farms affected by the 2015 influenza outbreak
During the 2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
(HPAI) on poultry farms in the midwestern United States, concern was raised
about the potential for HPAI to contaminate groundwater. Our study objective was to evaluate the occurrence of HPAI in the groundwater supply wells on 13 outbreak-affected poultry farms in Iowa and Wisconsin. We sampled 20 wells, six waste-storage lagoons,
Authors
Mark A. Borchardt, Susan K. Spencer, Laura E. Hubbard, Aaron Firnstahl, Joel P. Stokdyk, Dana W. Kolpin
Determining the 95% limit of detection for waterborne pathogen analyses from primary concentration to qPCR
The limit of detection (LOD) for qPCR-based analyses is not consistently defined or determined in studies on waterborne pathogens. Moreover, the LODs reported often reflect the qPCR assay alone rather than the entire sample process. Our objective was to develop an approach to determine the 95% LOD (lowest concentration at which 95% of positive samples are detected) for the entire process of waterb
Authors
Joel P. Stokdyk, Aaron Firnstahl, Susan K. Spencer, Tucker R Burch, Mark A. Borchardt