Abstract
A virological analyses of a sewage treatment plant which provided chlorinated, activated sludge treated sewage effluent to irrigate a complete two-year crop of sugarcane was made. The raw, the activated sludge treated and the chlorinated sewage effluent, as well as streams and a harbor receiving sewage effluents were concentrated by either the polymer two-phase, PE-60, Al(OH)3, protamine sulfate, or cellulose membrane method and assayed for human enteric viruses. Viruses were recovered from 100% (11/11) of the raw sewages tested at concentrations ranging from 27 to 19 000 PFU l−1 while 76% (13/17) of the activated sludge treated effluent was positive at concentrations ranging from 7 to 5222 PFU l−1. After chlorination, 58% (31/53) of the samples was positive for virus at concentrations ranging from 2 to 750 PFU l−1. Human enteroviruses were also isolated from shallow flowing streams at distances up to 3 mi (5 km) from the closest known sewage effluent discharge point and from a harbor approximately 0.5 mi (0.8 km) from the point of sewage discharge entering the harbor. The viruses most often isolated were echovirus 7, coxsackievirus B-4, B-5 and poliovirus 1, 2, and 3. These results indicate that although activated sludge treatment plus chlorination remove approximately 90% of the virus from the raw sewage, the final treated sewage effluent, which is normally discharged into a stream and in this experimental study to irrigate sugarcane, still contains a significant concentration of infectious viruses. Furthermore, the recovery of enteroviruses from waterways at points distant from the sewage treatment plants indicates that sewage-borne viruses persist in natural water environment. The significance of enteric viruses in waters accessible to the public and used for irrigation purposes remains to be determined.
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Fujioka, R.S., Loh, P.C. Recycling of water for irrigation: Persistence of enteroviruses in sewage effluent and natural waters receiving the effluent. Water Air Soil Pollut 9, 213–226 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280708
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280708