Author: Ralf Buckley, Director, International Centre for Ecotourism Research. Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract: Mountain streams are an icon for purity, but many are polluted. In backcountry parks the main contaminants are protozoa such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Blastocystis, and bacteria such as Plesiomonas and pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (Buckley et al., Water Res. 32: 1862, Ambio 27: 253, Ambio in press). Human wastes are the main source, and human waste disposal is a major management issue for mountain parks worldwide. Examples include toilet paper trails on Mt Everest, blue bags on Mt Rainier, poo tubes on Mt Kosciuszko, and more.