Sunlight Inactivation of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Bacteriophages from Waste Stabilization Pond Effluent in Fresh and Saline Waters

ABSTRACT Sunlight inactivation in fresh (river) water of fecal coliforms, enterococci, Escherichia coli, somatic coliphages, and F-RNA phages from waste stabilization pond (WSP) effluent was compared. Ten experiments were conducted outdoors in 300-liter chambers, held at 14°C (mean river water temperature). Sunlight inactivation (k S) rates, as a function of cumulative global solar radiation (insolation), were all more than 10 times higher than the corresponding dark inactivation (k D) rates in enclosed (control) chambers. The overall k S ranking (from greatest to least inactivation) was as follows: enterococci > fecal coliforms ≥ E. coli > somatic coliphages > F-RNA phages. In winter, fecal coliform and enterococci inactivation rates were similar but, in summer, enterococci were inactivated far more rapidly. In four experiments that included freshwater-raw sewage mixtures, enterococci survived longer than fecal coliforms (a pattern opposite to that observed with the WSP effluent), but there was little difference in phage inactivation between effluents. In two experiments which included simulated estuarine water and seawater, sunlight inactivation of all of the indicators increased with increasing salinity. Inactivation rates in freshwater, as seen under different optical filters, decreased with the increase in the spectral cutoff (50% light transmission) wavelength. The enterococci and F-RNA phages were inactivated by a wide range of wavelengths, suggesting photooxidative damage. Inactivation of fecal coliforms and somatic coliphages was mainly by shorter (UV-B) wavelengths, a result consistent with photobiological damage. Fecal coliform repair mechanisms appear to be activated in WSPs, and the surviving cells exhibit greater sunlight resistance in natural waters than those from raw sewage. In contrast, enterococci appear to suffer photooxidative damage in WSPs, rendering them susceptible to further photooxidative damage after discharge. This suggests that they are unsuitable as indicators of WSP effluent discharges to natural waters. Although somatic coliphages are more sunlight resistant than the other indicators in seawater, F-RNA phages are the most resistant in freshwater, where they may thus better represent enteric virus survival.

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Sunlight inactivation of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica, compared with Escherichia coli, in seawater and river water

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2007.031 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 357-365 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Lester Sinton ◽

Carollyn Hall ◽

Robin Braithwaite

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

River Water ◽

Campylobacter Jejuni ◽

Salmonella Enterica ◽

Global Solar Radiation ◽

High Susceptibility ◽

E Coli ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

Photooxidative Damage

The inactivation of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica, compared with Escherichia coli, was determined in 100 l chambers of seawater and river water located at an outdoor site. The chambers (paired with dark controls) were seeded with waste stabilization pond effluent and laboratory-cultured pathogens, and exposed to sunlight in summer and winter experiments. All sunlight inactivation (kS) rates, as a function of cumulative global solar radiation (insolation), were far higher than the corresponding dark (kD) rates, with a ranking (and average kS rates for seawater and river water, respectively) of: C. jejuni (3.23; 2.34)>S. enterica (0.51; 0.37)>E. coli (0.34; 0.26). All the T90 (time to 90% inactivation) values were higher in winter than in summer, but there was far greater similarity between the summer and winter S90 (insolation needed for 90% inactivation) values. The rapid inactivation of C. jejuni was attributed to a high susceptibility to photooxidative damage. The results suggest that, in sunlight-exposed waters, E. coli will be a more conservative indicator for C. jejuni than for S. enterica, and C. jejuni transmission as a pathogenic agent is less likely than for S. enterica.

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Case study on evaluation of the performance of waste stabilization pond system of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Water Practice & Technology ◽

10.2166/wpt.2013.011 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 95-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Bhawana Goyal ◽

Devendra Mohan

Keyword(s):

Sewage Treatment ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Permissible Limit ◽

Fecal Coliforms ◽

E Coli ◽

Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Microbiological Parameters

The objective of this study is to find out physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of influent and effluent generated by the sewage treatment plant of Jodhpur city. The treatment plant was constructed in the year 2003–2004 and based on waste stabilization pond (WSP) system. The treatment capacity of the plant is 45 ML/d. Relationship between different physico-chemical and microbiological parameters were studied. After the treatment of wastewater in WSP, average removal of BOD, COD, TSS and TKN were 84.1, 53.4, 79.7 and 61.7% respectively. Average removal of Total Coliforms (TC), Fecal Coliforms (FC), E. coli and Fecal Streptococci (FS) were 2.79 logs, 2.47 logs, 1.65 logs and 1.58 logs respectively. Maximum efficiency of fecal bacteria removal was found during the summers (2.7 to 4.0 log units) and minimum in winters (1 to 1.8 log unit). Further correlation of temperature, pH and biological oxygen demand with TC, FC, E. coli and FS were studied. Among all these parameters temperature shows highest correlation with microbiological parameters as follows: TC (−0.85), FC (−0.62), E. coli (−0.65) and FS (−0.75). High ambient temperature, long photoperiod and high intensity of light can be considered as the major factor for the removal of fecal indicators during the sewage treatment. After treatment pH, BOD, COD, TSS and TKN were found within the permissible limit of Central Pollution Control Board, India. The observed values of fecal indicator organisms are higher than the permissible limit of World Health Organization (WHO). There are no maturation ponds in the treatment plant; construction of maturation ponds will provide better removal of fecal coliforms.

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Sludge accumulation, properties and degradation in a waste stabilization pond in Mexico

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2000.0650 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 42 (10-11) ◽

pp. 231-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

K. L. Nelson ◽

B. C. Jiménez

Keyword(s):

Accumulation Rate ◽

Fecal Coliforms ◽

Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Helminth Eggs ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

Sludge Accumulation

The sludge layer in a primary, facultative wastewater stabilization pond in Texcoco, Mexico was studied. Five sludge cores were taken in the pond, near the entrance, middle, exit, and at the midpoint about 5 m from each side. Each core was stratified into four subsamples and analyzed. Temperature, pH, ORP, and %VS decreased with depth (age) in the sludge layer, whereas ammonia and TS concentrations increased. The concentrations of fecal coliforms and viable helminth eggs also decreased with depth in the sludge layer, but significant concentrations of both organisms were still present in the oldest sludge, which is estimated to be over seven years old (average). From a sludge depth survey it was found that the majority of the sludge accumulated near the inlet of the pond. The average net sludge accumulation rate was estimated to be 24 mm/yr.

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Sunlight Inactivation of Fecal Bacteriophages and Bacteria in Sewage-Polluted Seawater

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.65.8.3605-3613.1999 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 65 (8) ◽

pp. 3605-3613 ◽

Cited By ~ 159

Author(s):

Lester W. Sinton ◽

Rochelle K. Finlay ◽

Philippa A. Lynch

Keyword(s):

Light Transmission ◽

Optical Filters ◽

Global Solar Radiation ◽

Fecal Coliforms ◽

Cutoff Wavelength ◽

Somatic Coliphages ◽

Temperature Range ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

Viral Indicators

ABSTRACT Sunlight inactivation rates of somatic coliphages, F-specific RNA bacteriophages (F-RNA phages), and fecal coliforms were compared in seven summer and three winter survival experiments. Experiments were conducted outdoors, using 300-liter 2% (vol/vol) sewage-seawater mixtures held in open-top chambers. Dark inactivation rates (kD s), measured from exponential survival curves in enclosed (control) chambers, were higher in summer (temperature range: 14 to 20°C) than in winter (temperature range: 8 to 10°C). Winter kD s were highest for fecal coliforms and lowest for F-RNA phages but were the same or similar for all three indicators in summer. Sunlight inactivation rates (kS ), as a function of cumulative global solar radiation (insolation), were all higher than thekD s with a consistentkS ranking (from greatest to least) as follows: fecal coliforms, F-RNA phages, and somatic coliphages. Phage inactivation was exponential, but bacterial curves typically exhibited a shoulder. Phages from raw sewage exhibitedkS s similar to those from waste stabilization pond effluent, but raw sewage fecal coliforms were inactivated faster than pond effluent fecal coliforms. In an experiment which included F-DNA phages and Bacteroides fragilis phages, thekS ranking (from greatest to least) was as follows: fecal coliforms, F-RNA phages, B. fragilis phages, F-DNA phages, and somatic coliphages. In a 2-day experiment which included enterococci, the initial concentration ranking (from greatest to least: fecal coliforms, enterococci, F-RNA phages, and somatic coliphages) was reversed during sunlight exposure, with only the phages remaining detectable by the end of day 2. Inactivation rates under different optical filters decreased with the increase in spectral cutoff wavelength (50% light transmission) and indicated that F-RNA phages and fecal coliforms are more susceptible than somatic coliphages to longer solar wavelengths, which predominate in seawater. The consistently superior survival of somatic coliphages in our experiments suggests that they warrant further consideration as fecal, and possibly viral, indicators in marine waters.

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Influence of pH, Oxygen, and Humic Substances on Ability of Sunlight To Damage Fecal Coliforms in Waste Stabilization Pond Water

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.58.4.1335-1343.1992 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 1335-1343 ◽

Cited By ~ 150

Author(s):

Thomas P. Curtis ◽

D. Duncan Mara ◽

Salomao A. Silva

Keyword(s):

Humic Substances ◽

Pond Water ◽

Fecal Coliforms ◽

Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

Influence Of Ph

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Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from waste stabilization pond effluents using aerated blast-furnace-slag filters

Future Energy, Environment and Materials ◽

10.2495/feem130861 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Hamdan ◽

D.D. Mara

Keyword(s):

Blast Furnace ◽

Blast Furnace Slag ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

Furnace Slag

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Sewage Treatment by Waste Stabilization Pond Systems

Journal of Energy and Natural Resource Management ◽

10.26796/jenrm.v3i1.52 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 7-14

Author(s):

J. Kenneth, R. S. Suglo

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Oxygen Demand ◽

Wastewater Management ◽

Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Quality Guidelines ◽

Waste Stabilization ◽

High Reduction ◽

Wastewater Samples

Sewage generated in Ghana is commonly discharged into the environment without any form of treatment to reduce the degree ofcontamination and mitigate potential public health and environmental issues. Although some attempts have been made in someparts of Ghana to utilize the waste stabilization pond (WSP) system to treat domestic sewage, the ponds often fail to achievetheir purpose due to lack of basic maintenance and supervision. To assess the utility of the WSP system for treating sewage,wastewater samples were collected from the raw sewage, anaerobic, facultative and maturation ponds of WSPs at Obuasi inGhana, and analyzed for physicochemical and microbiological contaminants. The results show that the final pond effluent meetsrecommended microbiological and chemical quality guidelines. The waste stabilization pond system demonstrates high removalefficiencies of wastewater contaminants. The biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, nitrate and faecal coliformsreduction efficiencies of 97.3%, 97.6%, 83.3% and 99.94% respectively are highly significant, and compare well with reportedremoval efficiencies in the literature. Additionally, the ponds have high reduction efficiencies for heavy metals and pathogenicmicroorganisms. The wastewater treatment system complies with standard wastewater management practices, and provides auseful method for treating and disposing wastewater in Ghana.

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Rotavirus removal in experimental waste stabilization pond systems with different geometries and configurations

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1995.0497 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 31 (12) ◽

pp. 285-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. I. Oragui ◽

H. Arridge ◽

D. D. Mara ◽

H. W. Pearson ◽

S. A. Silva

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Perfringens ◽

Slow Process ◽

Faecal Coliforms ◽

Waste Stabilization Ponds ◽

Stabilization Pond ◽

Waste Stabilization Pond ◽

Stabilization Ponds ◽

Waste Stabilization

Rotavirus removal in waste stabilization ponds is a relatively slow process: in a series of ten ponds (a 1-d anaerobic pond followed by nine 2-d ponds) its numbers were reduced from 1.4 × 105 per litre to zero, and in an “innovative” series (a 1-day anaerobic pond, 3-d facultative pond, 3.8-d, 3-d and 5-d maturation ponds) from 5.1 × 104 per litre to <5 per litre. Faecal coliforms were better indicators of rotaviruses than was Clostridium perfringens .

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