Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil

There is little scientific data available on the survival patterns of pathogenic microorganisms introduced into the soil through the broad acre application of biosolids. This study was conducted to investigate the decay rates of Escherichia coli in agricultural soil amended with biosolids during two...

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Main Authors: Schwarz, Karen, Sidhu, J., Pritchard, Deborah, Toze, S., Li, Y.
Other Authors: Diane Wiesner
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Australian Water Association 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44097
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author Schwarz, Karen
Sidhu, J.
Pritchard, Deborah
Toze, S.
Li, Y.
author2 Diane Wiesner
author_facet Diane Wiesner
Schwarz, Karen
Sidhu, J.
Pritchard, Deborah
Toze, S.
Li, Y.
author_sort Schwarz, Karen
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description There is little scientific data available on the survival patterns of pathogenic microorganisms introduced into the soil through the broad acre application of biosolids. This study was conducted to investigate the decay rates of Escherichia coli in agricultural soil amended with biosolids during two different growing seasons in a dry temperature cropping region in Western Australia.Biosolids-amended and unamended soil were inoculated with E. coli (ACM 1803), inserted into sentinel chambers and placed into the topsoil (0-10 cm) of a wheat crop. Biosolids were applied to designated biosolids plots, according to normal district practice, and E. coli numbers within the sentinel chambers were monitored over time. E. coli numbers in biosolids-amended soil reached detection limits (>10 cfu/mL) within 6 to 7 months. The decay patterns of E. coli, by treatment difference (biosolids-amended or unamended), linear and quadratic relationships of sampling time, and their interactions were highly significant. The T90 or time taken for a 90% reduction in numbers in the biosolids-amended soil was estimated to be 74, 143, 183 days (2006) and 173, 211 days (2008) as compared with 188 days (2006) and 156, 242 days (2008) in the unamended soil. This research provides scientific data on the survival times of E. coli in agricultural soil, with and without biosolids and can thus be helpful to public health policy.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-440972017-01-30T15:12:04Z Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil Schwarz, Karen Sidhu, J. Pritchard, Deborah Toze, S. Li, Y. Diane Wiesner E. coli agriculture enteric pathogens Biosolids There is little scientific data available on the survival patterns of pathogenic microorganisms introduced into the soil through the broad acre application of biosolids. This study was conducted to investigate the decay rates of Escherichia coli in agricultural soil amended with biosolids during two different growing seasons in a dry temperature cropping region in Western Australia.Biosolids-amended and unamended soil were inoculated with E. coli (ACM 1803), inserted into sentinel chambers and placed into the topsoil (0-10 cm) of a wheat crop. Biosolids were applied to designated biosolids plots, according to normal district practice, and E. coli numbers within the sentinel chambers were monitored over time. E. coli numbers in biosolids-amended soil reached detection limits (>10 cfu/mL) within 6 to 7 months. The decay patterns of E. coli, by treatment difference (biosolids-amended or unamended), linear and quadratic relationships of sampling time, and their interactions were highly significant. The T90 or time taken for a 90% reduction in numbers in the biosolids-amended soil was estimated to be 74, 143, 183 days (2006) and 173, 211 days (2008) as compared with 188 days (2006) and 156, 242 days (2008) in the unamended soil. This research provides scientific data on the survival times of E. coli in agricultural soil, with and without biosolids and can thus be helpful to public health policy. 2010 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44097 Australian Water Association fulltext
spellingShingle E. coli
agriculture
enteric pathogens
Biosolids
Schwarz, Karen
Sidhu, J.
Pritchard, Deborah
Toze, S.
Li, Y.
Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil
title Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil
title_full Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil
title_fullStr Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil
title_full_unstemmed Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil
title_short Decay of Escherichia Coli in Biosolids Applied to Agricultural Soil
title_sort decay of escherichia coli in biosolids applied to agricultural soil
topic E. coli
agriculture
enteric pathogens
Biosolids
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44097