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Sewage
Kinds of Sewage Terms modified by Sewage Selected AbstractsCocirculation of and coinfections with hepatitis A virus subgenotypes IIIA and IB in patients from Pune, western IndiaHEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007Shobha Chitambar Aim:, During the 1990s, a changing pattern of epidemiology of hepatitis A was reported in different populations of India. The present study was undertaken to investigate the molecular epidemiology of hepatitis A virus (HAV) strains over a period of 10 years. Methods:, Stool/serum samples were collected from hepatitis A patients clinically presenting acute viral hepatitis and hepatic encephalopathy. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect HAV-RNA. HAV genomes were examined by sequencing PCR products of VP1/2A junction (168 bp) and RNA polymerase (116 bp) regions. Results:, Subgenotype IIIA and IB were detected in 74.2% and 9.7% of specimens, respectively, while 16.1% of patients had mixed infections. Sewage samples also showed presence of both IIIA (9/10) and IB (1/10) subgenotypes. RNA polymerase region showed two clusters constituting 51.6% and 19.4% strains closer to Nor21 and HM175 strains, respectively, in clinical specimens. Three isolates appeared as discordant subgenotypes in VP1/2A and RNA polymerase regions. Conclusion:, The data revealed cocirculation of and coinfection with subgenotypes IIIA and IB, with predominance of IIIA and genetic heterogeneity of HAV strains in western India. [source] Quantitative RT-PCR for the enumeration of noroviruses (Norwalk-like viruses) in water and sewageLETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004M.A. Laverick Abstract Aims:, Aims of investigation: (i) develop a quantitative RT-PCR for noroviruses and (ii) evaluate it on environmental samples. Methods and Results:, Noroviruses in environmental water samples were concentrated by adsorption/elution/flocculation. Sewage was processed by clarification and protein flocculation. Norovirus-specific cDNA produced by primer-directed reverse transcription of extracted RNA was amplified by LightCycler® and accumulation of product monitored by observation of fluorescence induced by the incorporation of SYBR Green. Absolute quantitation of product was achieved by construction of standard curves using quantitative standards produced by cloning a modified sequence of the 3,-region of the forward norovirus primer. Reaction specificity was confirmed by analysis of product melting curves. Conclusions:, Sewage was found to contain up to 1·8 × 106 norovirus cDNA copies per 100 ml and effluent contained up to 1·7 × 106 copies per 10 l. Marine bathing water and recreational river waters also contained noroviruses. Sample inhibition was detected to varying degrees in most sample types. Significance and Impact of the Study:, The study will enable quantitative comparisons be made of samples from different locations and treatment processes, and inform the debate on the revision of the EU Bathing Water Directive; it will have important implications for the analysis of samples derived from different aquatic matrices, and from foods. [source] Three-Dimensional Optimization of Urban Drainage SystemsCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2000A. Freire Diogo A global mathematical model for simultaneously obtaining the optimal layout and design of urban drainage systems for foul sewage and stormwater is presented. The model can handle every kind of network, including parallel storm and foul sewers. It selects the optimal location for pumping systems and outfalls or wastewater treatment plants (defining the natural and artificial drainage basins), and it allows the presence of special structures and existing subsystems for optimal remodeling or expansion. It is possible to identify two basic optimization levels: in the first level, the generation and transformation of general layouts (consisting of forests of trees) until a convergence criterion is reached, and in the second level, the design and evaluation of each forest. The global strategy adopted combines and develops a sequence of optimal design and plan layout subproblems. Dynamic programming is used as a very powerful technique, alongside simulated annealing and genetic algorithms, in this discrete combinatorial optimization problem of huge dimension. [source] Human sewage identified as likely source of white pox disease of the threatened Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmataENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Kathryn Patterson Sutherland Summary Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, has been decimated in recent years, resulting in the listing of this species as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act. A major contributing factor in the decline of this iconic species is white pox disease. In 2002, we identified the faecal enterobacterium, Serratia marcescens, as an etiological agent for white pox. During outbreaks in 2003 a unique strain of S. marcescens was identified in both human sewage and white pox lesions. This strain (PDR60) was also identified from corallivorious snails (Coralliophila abbreviata), reef water, and two non-acroporid coral species, Siderastrea siderea and Solenastrea bournoni. Identification of PDR60 in sewage, diseased Acropora palmata and other reef invertebrates within a discrete time frame suggests a causal link between white pox and sewage contamination on reefs and supports the conclusion that humans are a likely source of this disease. [source] Human enteric viruses in groundwater indicate offshore transport of human sewage to coral reefs of the Upper Florida KeysENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010J. Carrie Futch Summary To address the issue of human sewage reaching corals along the main reef of the Florida Keys, samples were collected from surface water, groundwater and coral [surface mucopolysaccharide layers (SML)] along a 10 km transect near Key Largo, FL. Samples were collected semi-annually between July 2003 and September 2005 and processed for faecal indicator bacteria (faecal coliform bacteria, enterococci and Clostridium perfringens) and human-specific enteric viruses (enterovirus RNA and adenovirus DNA) by (RT)-nested polymerase chain reaction. Faecal indicator bacteria concentrations were generally higher nearshore and in the coral SML. Enteric viruses were evenly distributed across the transect stations. Adenoviruses were detected in 37 of 75 samples collected (49.3%) whereas enteroviruses were only found in 8 of 75 samples (10.7%). Both viruses were detected twice as frequently in coral compared with surface water or groundwater. Offshore, viruses were most likely to be found in groundwater, especially during the wet summer season. These data suggest that polluted groundwater may be moving to the outer reef environment in the Florida Keys. [source] Ultra-trace analysis of multiple endocrine-disrupting chemicals in municipal and bleached kraft mill effluents using gas chromatography,high-resolution mass spectrometryENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2008Michael G. Ikonomou Abstract A comprehensive gas chromatographic,high-resolution mass spectrometric (GC-HRMS),based method was developed that permitted the simultaneous determination of 30 estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and related compounds, including surfactants, biogenic and synthetic steroids, fecal sterols, phytoestrogens, and plasticizers, in wastewater. Features of the method include low sample volume (,40 ml), optimized Florisil® cleanup to minimize matrix interferences and optimized analyte derivatization to improve sensitivity via GC-HRMS. Detection limits were in the low- to mid-ng/L range, and recoveries were greater than 60% for most target analytes. This new method allows for high throughput analysis of many organic wastewater contaminants in a complex matrix with relative standard deviation of less than 15% for most measurable compounds. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by examining wastewater samples from different origins. Compounds such as di(2-ethylhex-yl)phthalate, cholesterol, cholestanol, and other cholesterol derivatives were measured in much higher concentrations in untreated sewage and were reduced substantially in concentration by the treatment process. However, steroidal compounds, particularly estrone (E1), 17,-estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), as well as plant sterols (except stigmastanol), were greater in the treated municipal wastewater versus the untreated effluent. Plant and fungi sterols, stigmastanol and ergosterol, were found largely associated with bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) as compared to the municipal effluents. [source] Linear alkylbenzenes in muscle tissues of white croaker near a large ocean outfall in southern California, USAENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2001Charles R. Phillips Abstract Muscle tissues of a bottom-dwelling marine fish, white croaker (Genyonemus lineatus), collected near a large wastewater outfall in southern California, USA, were analyzed for long-chain linear alkylbenzenes (LABs). Total LABs (summed concentrations of C11 through C14 isomers) were highest (166,748 ng g,1 wet wt) in individuals collected in the immediate vicinity of the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD; Fountain Valley, CA, USA) outfall diffuser, whereas relatively lower concentrations occurred in fish from mid-shelf and inshore locations at distances of 2.5 and 5 km, respectively, from the outfall. Fish tissue LAB concentrations were roughly proportional to sediment LAB concentrations at the respective collection sites. The extent of LAB degradation, as determined by ratios of internal to external C12 isomers, did not appear to relate to LAB concentrations or sampling location. Tissue DDT and PCB concentrations were not significantly correlated with LABs and, thus, did not appear to relate to recent exposures to sewage residues from the OCSD discharge. Measurements of LAB concentrations in fish tissues may be widely applicable as a monitoring tool for interpreting exposures to sewage discharges. [source] Response of bacterioplankton community structures to hydrological conditions and anthropogenic pollution in contrasting subtropical environmentsFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Rui Zhang Abstract Bacterioplankton community structures under contrasting subtropical marine environments (Hong Kong waters) were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and subsequent sequencing of predominant bands for samples collected bimonthly from 2004 to 2006 at five stations. Generally, bacterial abundance was significantly higher in the summer than in the winter. The general seasonal variations of the bacterial community structure, as indicated by cluster analysis of the DGGE pattern, were best correlated with temperature at most stations, except for the station close to a sewage discharge outfall, which was best explained by pollution-indicating parameters (e.g. biochemical oxygen demand). Anthropogenic pollutions appear to have affected the presence and the intensity of DGGE bands at the stations receiving discharge of primarily treated sewage. The relative abundance of major bacterial species, calculated by the relative intensity of DGGE bands after PCR amplification, also indicated the effects of hydrological or seasonal variations and sewage discharges. For the first time, a systematic molecular fingerprinting analysis of the bacterioplankton community composition was carried out along the environmental and pollution gradient in a subtropical marine environment, and it suggests that hydrological conditions and anthropogenic pollutions altered the total bacterial community as well as the dominant bacterial groups. [source] Exploring the diversity of bacterial communities in sediments of urban mangrove forestsFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Newton C. Marcial Gomes Abstract Municipal sewage, urban runoff and accidental oil spills are common sources of pollutants in urban mangrove forests and may have drastic effects on the microbial communities inhabiting the sediment. However, studies on microbial communities in the sediment of urban mangroves are largely lacking. In this study, we explored the diversity of bacterial communities in the sediment of three urban mangroves located in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Analysis of sediment samples by means of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene fragments suggested that the overall bacterial diversity was not significantly affected by the different levels of hydrocarbon pollution at each sampling site. However, DGGE and sequence analyses provided evidences that each mangrove sediment displayed a specific structure bacterial community. Although primer sets for Pseudomonas, alphaproteobacterial and actinobacterial groups also amplified ribotypes belonging to taxa not intended to be enriched, sequence analyses of dominant DGGE bands revealed ribotypes related to Alteromonadales, Burkholderiales, Pseudomonadales, Rhodobacterales and Rhodocyclales. Members of these groups were often shown to be involved in aerobic or anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbon pollutants. Many of these sequences were only detected in the sampling sites with high levels of anthropogenic inputs of hydrocarbons. Many dominant DGGE ribotypes showed low levels of sequence identity to known sequences, indicating a large untapped bacterial diversity in mangrove ecosystems. [source] Silver (Ag+) reduces denitrification and induces enrichment of novel nirK genotypes in soilFEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2007Ingela Noredal Throbäck Abstract The use of silver ions in industry to prevent microbial growth is increasing and silver is a new and an overlooked heavy-metal contaminant in sewage sludge-amended soil. The denitrifying community was the model used to assess the dose-dependent effects of silver ions on microorganisms overtime in soil microcosms. Silver caused a sigmoid dose-dependent reduction in denitrification activity, and no recovery was observed during 90 days. Dentrifiers with nirK, which encodes the copper nitrite reductase, were targeted to estimate abundance and community composition for some of the concentrations. The nirK copy number decreased by the highest addition (100 mg Ag kg,1 soil), but the nirK diversity increased. Treatment-specific sequences not clustering with any deposited nirK sequences were found, indicating that silver induces enrichment of novel nirK denitrifiers. [source] Comparison of frog assemblages between urban and non-urban habitats in the upper Blue Mountains of AustraliaFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2008ALAN LANE Summary 1. World wide, and in Australia, many frog populations have declined over the last two decades. The present study was undertaken to determine whether urbanization has affected frog diversity and abundance. 2. Five urban sites were paired with non-urban sites. Urban sites were in Katoomba and Blackheath, and were subject to physical environmental disturbance and impacted by storm water pollution due to urban runoff. Non-urban sites were in the Blue Mountains National Park and were effectively subject to no human impact. 3. Water quality at urban sites was typical of sites polluted with sewage, while non-urban sites exhibited water quality typical of ,pristine' natural bushland streams. 4. Six species were found at urban sites (Litoria peronii, Litoria dentata, Litoria verreauxii, Limnodynastes dumerilii, Limnodynastes peronii, Crinia signifera), with up to four species present at a site. Only one species (C. signifera) was recorded at non-urban sites, and frogs were absent from most non-urban sites. 5. The situation in non-urban sites mirrors the trend of decline observed in other montane regions. Surprisingly, frog abundance and diversity were higher in urban habitats, running counter to this trend. 6. We hypothesize that the salts, detergents and other chemicals in urban wastewaters provide frogs with a level of protection against disease, particularly chytridiomycosis. [source] Effects of stream restoration and wastewater treatment plant effluent on fish communities in urban streamsFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 10 2006ROBERT M. NORTHINGTON Summary 1. Fish community characteristics, resource availability and resource use were assessed in three headwater urban streams in Piedmont North Carolina, U.S.A. Three site types were examined on each stream; two urban (restored and unrestored) and a forested site downstream of urbanisation, which was impacted by effluent from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Stream basal resources, aquatic macroinvertebrates, terrestrial macroinvertebrates and fish were collected at each site. 2. The WWTPs affected isotope signatures in the biota. Basal resource, aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish ,15N showed significant enrichments in the downstream sites, although ,13C signatures were not greatly influenced by the WWTP. Fish were clearly deriving a significant part of their nutrition from sewage effluent-derived sources. There was a trend towards lower richness and abundance of fish at sewage-influenced sites compared with urban restored sites, although the difference was not significant. 3. Restored stream sites had significantly higher fish richness and a trend towards greater abundance compared with unrestored sites. Although significant differences did not exist between urban restored and unrestored areas for aquatic and terrestrial macroinvertebrate abundances and biotic indices of stream health, there appeared to be a trend towards improvements in restored sites for these parameters. Additional surveys of these sites on a regular basis, along with maintenance of restored features are vital to understanding and maximising restoration effectiveness. 4. A pattern of enriched ,13C in fish in restored and unrestored streams in conjunction with enriched ,13C of terrestrial invertebrates at these sites suggests that these terrestrial subsidies are important to the fish, a conclusion also supported by isotope cross plots. Furthermore, enriched ,13C observed for terrestrial invertebrates is consistent with some utilisation of the invasive C4 plants that occur in the urban riparian areas. [source] Effects of sequential depositional basins on lake response to urban and agricultural pollution: a palaeoecological analysis of the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, CanadaFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000Aruna S. Dixit 1. Palaeolimnological analyses of fossil diatoms and pigments were conducted in four lakes of the Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada, to quantify the effect of upstream depositional basins on lake response to urban and agricultural human activities. Pasqua, Echo, Mission and Katepwa lakes exhibit similar modern limnological characteristics, lie sequentially downstream from urban point sources of growth-limiting nitrogen (N), yet drain similarly large areas of farmland (38,40 × 103 km2). 2. Analyses indicated that all lakes were naturally productive, contained eutrophic diatoms (i.e. Stephanodiscus niagarae, S. hantzchii, S. parvus and Aulacoseira granulata), and supported blooms of colonial (as myxoxanthophyll) and potentially toxic N-fixing cyanobacteria (aphanizophyll), even prior to the onset of European settlement (ca. 1890) and urban development (ca. 1930). 3. The onset of agricultural practices ca. 1890 had only modest effects on algal communities in the Qu'Appelle lakes, with subtle increases in eutrophic diatom species (Pasqua, Mission and Katepwa lakes) and 25,50% increases in pigment-inferred algal abundance (Echo, Mission and Katepwa lakes). 4. Despite naturally high production, total algal abundance (,-carotene) in upstream Pasqua Lake increased by more than 350% after intense urbanization beginning ca. 1930, while eutrophic diatoms became more common and cyanobacteria populations increased ten-fold. Principal components analysis (PCA) explained 64% of diatom variance, and identified three eras corresponding to baseline, pre-agricultural communities (1776,1890), an era of high production (ca. 1925,1960) and recent variable community composition following tertiary treatment of urban sewage (ca. 1977,1990). 5. Analyses of three downstream lakes demonstrated that urban impacts following 1930 remained evident in fossil profiles of ,-carotene and myxoxanthophyll, but that large blooms of N-fixing cyanobacteria were restricted to the past 25 years at downstream Mission and Katepwa lakes. Similarly, PCA showed that fossil diatom assemblages exhibited little directional variation until the 1970s. 6. Together, these analyses support the hypothesis that upstream lakes were effective at reducing the impacts of point-source urban nutrients on downstream lakes. In contrast, diffuse agricultural activities had only limited impacts on water quality and these were less well ameliorated by upstream basins. [source] Ground Water Recharge and Chemical Contaminants: Challenges in Communicating the Connections and Collisions of Two Disparate WorldsGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 2 2004Christian G. Daughton Our knowledge base regarding the presence and significance of chemicals foreign to the subsurface environment is large and growing , the papers in this volume serving as testament. However, complex questions with few answers surround the unknowns regarding the potential for environmental or human health effects from trace levels of xenobiotics in ground water, especially ground water augmented with treated waste water. Public acceptance for direct or indirect ground water recharge using treated municipal waste water (especially sewage) spans the spectrum from unquestioned embrace to outright rejection. In this paper, I detour around the issues most commonly discussed regarding ground water recharge and instead focus on some of the less-recognized issues,those that emanate from the mysteries created at the many literal and virtual interfaces involved with the subsurface world. My major objective is to catalyze discussion that advances our understanding of the barriers to public acceptance of waste water reuse with its ultimate culmination in direct reuse for drinking. I pose what could be a key question as to whether much of the public's frustration or ambivalence in its decision-making process for accepting, or rejecting, water reuse (for various purposes including personal use) emanates from fundamental inaccuracies, misrepresentation, or oversimplification of what water is and how it functions in the environment,just exactly what the water cycle is. These questions suggest it might behoove us to revisit some very elementary aspects of our science and how we are conveying them to the public. [source] The performance of constructed wetlands for, wastewater treatment: a case study of Splash wetland in Nairobi KenyaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 17 2001Daniel Muasya Nzengy'a Abstract The performance of a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment was examined for four months (December 1995 to March 1996). The study area, hereby referred to as the Splash wetland, is approximately 0·5 ha, and is located in the southern part of Nairobi city. Splash wetland continuously receives domestic sewage from two busy restaurants. Treated wastewater is recycled for re-use for various purposes in the restaurants. Both wet and dry season data were analysed with a view of determining the impact of seasonal variation on the system performance. The physical and chemical properties of water were measured at a common intake and at series of seven other points established along the wetland gradient and at the outlet where the water is collected and pumped for re-use at the restaurants. The physico-chemical characteristics of the wastewater changed significantly as the wastewater flowed through the respective wetland cells. A comparison of wastewater influent versus the effluent from the wetland revealed the system's apparent success in water treatment, especially in pH modification, removal of suspended solids, organic load and nutrients mean influent pH = 5·7 ± 0·5, mean effluent pH 7·7 ± 0·3; mean influent BOD5 = 1603·0 ± 397·6 mg/l, mean effluent BOD5 = 15·1 ± 2·5 mg/l; mean influent COD = 3749·8 ± 206·8 mg/l, mean effluent COD = 95·6 ± 7·2 mg/l; mean influent TSS = 195·4 ± 58·7 mg/l, mean effluent TSS = 4·7 ± 1·9 mg/l. As the wastewater flowed through the wetland system dissolved free and saline ammonia, NH4+, decreased from 14·6 ± 4·1 mg/l to undetectable levels at the outlet. Dissolved oxygen increased progressively through the wetland system. Analysis of the data available did not reveal temporal variation in the system's performance. However, significant spatial variation was evident as the wetland removed most of the common pollutants and considerably improved the quality of the water, making it safe for re-use at the restaurants. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modeling an industrial energy system: Perspectives on regional heat cooperationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 9 2008S. Klugman Abstract Through energy efficiency measures, it is possible to reduce heat surplus in the pulp and paper industry. Yet pulp and paper mills situated in countries with a heat demand for residential and commercial buildings for the major part of the year are potential heat suppliers. However, striving to utilize the heat within the mills for efficient energy use could conflict with the delivery of excess heat to a district heating system. As part of a project to optimize a regional energy system, a sulfate pulp mill situated in central Sweden is analyzed, focusing on providing heat and electricity to the mill and its surrounding energy systems. An energy system optimization method based on mixed integer linear programming is used for studying energy system measures on an aggregated level. An extended system, where the mill is integrated in a regional heat market (HM), is evaluated in parallel with the present system. The use of either hot sewage or a heat pump for heat deliveries is analyzed along with process integration measures. The benefits of adding a condensing unit to the back-pressure steam turbine are also investigated. The results show that the use of hot sewage or a heat pump for heat deliveries is beneficial only in combination with extended heat deliveries to an HM. Process integration measures are beneficial and even increase the benefit of selling more heat for district heating. Adding a condensing turbine unit is most beneficial in combination with extended heat deliveries and process integration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Anthropogenic impacts on lake and stream ecosystems, and approaches to restorationJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2007MARTIN SØNDERGAARD Summary 1Freshwater ecosystems have long been affected by numerous types of human interventions that have a negative impact on their water quality and ecological state. Fortunately, in most western countries the input of sewage to freshwater systems has been reduced, but hydromorphological alterations, eutrophication-related turbidity and loss of biodiversity remain major problems in many parts of the world. Such impacts prevent the achievement of a high or good ecological state, as defined by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) or other standards. 2This paper synthesizes and links the findings presented in the seven papers of this special profile, focusing on the effects of anthropogenic stressors on freshwater ecosystems and on how to maintain and restore ecological quality. The papers cover a broad range of research areas and methods, but are all centred on the relationship between dispersal barriers, the connectivity of waterways and the restoration of rivers and lakes. 3The construction of dams and reservoirs disturbs the natural functioning of many streams and rivers and shore-line development around lakes may reduce habitat complexity. New methods demonstrate how reservoirs may have a severe impact on the distribution and connectivity of fish populations, and new techniques illustrate the potential of using graph theory and connectivity models to illustrate the ecological implications. Hydromorphologically degraded rivers and streams can be restored by addition of wood debris, but ,passive' restoration via natural wood recruitment may be preferable. The most cost-effective way to restore streams may also include information campaigns to farmers on best management practices. Removal of zooplanktivorous fish often has marked positive effects on trophic structure in lakes, but there is a tendency to return to turbid conditions after 8,10 years or less unless fish removal is repeated. 4Synthesis and applications. Development of new methods, as well as derivation of more general conclusions from reviewing the effects of previous restoration efforts, are crucial to achieve progress in applied freshwater research. The papers contained in this Special Profile contribute on both counts, as well as illustrating the importance of well-designed research projects and monitoring programmes to record the effects of the interventions. Such efforts are vital if we are to improve our knowledge of freshwater systems and to elaborate the best and most cost-effective recommendations. They may also help in achieving a good ecological state or potential in water bodies by 2015, as demanded by the European WFD. [source] Assessment of norovirus contamination in environmental samples from Florianópolis City, Southern BrazilJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010M. Victoria Abstract Aims:, To assess norovirus (NoV) contamination in aquatic ecosystems in the city of Florianópolis, in Southern Brazil, to provide epidemiological data that can support actions for environmental contamination control. Methods and Results:, An adsorption,elution method, followed by ultrafiltration, was performed to concentrate the viruses. NoV were detected using semi-nested PCR and quantified by real-time PCR. From June 2007 to May 2008, NoV were detected in 23% (22/94) of the samples analysed, including seawater, drinking water, superficial water (creek and brackish lagoon) and treated sewage. The mean viral loads for genogroups (G)I and GII in treated sewage samples were 297 and 440 genomic copies (gc) l,1, respectively, whereas creek water samples contained 2603 and 1361 gc l,1, respectively. Six samples were sequenced: two samples were GII.4, two were GII.2 and two were GI.3. Conclusions:, NoV were detected in all water types analysed, demonstrating the widespread contamination of this geographical area with several cocirculating strains belonging to GI and GII. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This study demonstrates the environmental spread of NoV in environmental waters and highlights the potential hazard for human health following the consumption of or contact with these waters, which could result in waterborne or foodborne acute gastroenteritis. [source] Identification of a Brevibacterium marker gene specific to poultry litter and development of a quantitative PCR assayJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010J.L. Weidhaas Abstract Aim:, To identify a DNA sequence specific to a bacterium found in poultry litter that was indicative of faecal contamination by poultry sources. Methods and Results:, Faecally contaminated poultry litter and soils were used as source material for the development of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method targeting the 16S rRNA gene of a Brevibacterium sp. The identified sequence had 98% nucleotide identity to the 16S rRNA gene of Brevibacterium avium. The qPCR method was tested on 17 soiled litter samples; 40 chicken faecal samples; and 116 nontarget faecal samples from cattle, swine, ducks, geese, and human sewage collected across the United States. The 571-bp product was detected in 76% of poultry-associated samples, but not in 93% of faecal samples from other sources. Marker concentrations were 107,109 gene copies per gram in soiled litter, up to 105 gene copies per gram in spread-site soils, and 107 gene copies per litre in field run-off water. Results were corroborated by a blinded study conducted by a second laboratory. Conclusion:, The poultry-specific PCR product is a useful marker gene for assessing the impact of faecal contamination as a result of land-applied poultry litter. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This study describes the first quantitative, sensitive and specific microbial source tracking method for the detection of poultry litter contamination. [source] Occurrence and distribution of culturable enteroviruses in wastewater and surface waters of north-eastern SpainJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008A. Costán-Longares Abstract Aims:, Update information regarding occurrence and levels of culturable enteroviruses in several types of surface polluted waters in north-eastern Spain and determine the proportion of the different species and serotypes. Methods and Results:, The best procedures on hand in our laboratory for concentrating and quantifying culturable enteroviruses from different water sample types were used. Sequencing was used for typing the virus isolates. Geometric means of enteroviruses densities expressed in plaque forming units per litre were 968 in raw sewage, 12·51 in secondary effluents, 0·017 in tertiary effluents, 0·4 in river water and 0·36 in seawater. Enterovirus densities in wastewater revealed certain seasonality with a maximum at the end of spring , beginning of the summer. Coxsackievirus B, and amid them serotype CB4, were the most abundant species and serotypes detected. Conclusions:, Densities of enteroviruses in different north-eastern Spain surface waters are similar to those present in industrialized countries with temperate climate. No wild polioviruses were detected. Distribution of species showed a clear prevalence of coxsackieviruses. Significance and Impact of the Study:, Information regarding enteroviruses in this geographical area provides valuable information to estimate the risk of enteroviruses transmission through water and for complementing clinical epidemiological data. [source] Quantitative analysis of human enteric adenoviruses in aquatic environmentsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007E. Haramoto Abstract Aims:, The aim of this study was to determine human adenoviruses (HuAdVs) in aquatic environments by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods and Results:, In order to describe the ratio of enteric serotypes to the total HuAdVs, the primer set specific for the enteric serotypes 40 and 41 was used in parallel with the universal primer set for all 51 serotypes of HuAdVs. The enteric serotypes of HuAdVs were detected at the concentration of 7·3,1500 PCR-detection units (PDU) per ml in raw sewage (n = 17), 0·00060,4·1 PDU ml,1 in secondary-treated sewage before chlorination (n = 17), 0·0018,7·0 PDU ml,1 in river water (n = 36), and 0·032,6·1 PDU ml,1 in seawater (n = 18). The concentration of HuAdVs, determined by the universal primer set, was equivalent to that of enteric serotypes in almost all the samples tested. Conclusions:, Enteric serotypes were predominant among all serotypes of HuAdVs in the aquatic environments. Significance and Impact of the Study:, The abundance of enteric serotypes of HuAdVs should be more emphasized than other serotypes in order to assess the risk of their infection via water. [source] Direct comparison of four bacterial source tracking methods and use of composite data setsJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007E.A. Casarez Abstract Aims:, Four bacterial source tracking (BST) methods, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), automated ribotyping using HindIII, Kirby-Bauer antibiotic resistance analysis (KB-ARA) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were directly compared using the same collection of Escherichia coli isolates. The data sets from each BST method and from composite methods were compared for library accuracy and their ability to identify water isolates. Methods and Results:, Potential sources of faecal pollution were identified by watershed sanitary surveys. Domestic sewage and faecal samples from pets, cattle, avian livestock, other nonavian livestock, avian wildlife and nonavian wildlife sources were collected for isolation of E. coli. A total of 2275 E. coli isolates from 813 source samples were screened using ERIC-PCR to exclude clones and to maximize library diversity, resulting in 883 isolates from 745 samples selected for the library. The selected isolates were further analysed using automated ribotyping with HindIII, KB-ARA and PFGE. A total of 555 E. coli isolates obtained from 412 water samples were analysed by the four BST methods. A composite data set of the four BST methods gave the highest rates of correct classification (RCCs) with the fewest unidentified isolates than any single method alone. RCCs for the four-method composite data set and a seven-way split of source classes ranged from 22% for avian livestock to 83% for domestic sewage. Two-method composite data sets were also found to be better than individual methods, having RCCs similar to the four-method composite and identification of the same major sources of faecal pollution. Conclusions:, The use of BST composite data sets may be more beneficial than the use of single methods. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This is one of the first comprehensive comparisons using composite data from several BST methods. While the four-method approach provided the most desirable BST results, the use of two-method composite data sets may yield comparable BST results while providing for cost, labour and time savings. [source] Influence of anode pretreatment on its microbial colonizationJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2007J.L. Liu Abstract Aims:, To assess the influence of chemical treatment of the anode of a marine sediment biofuel cell (MSBFC) on the microbial diversity of the anode biofilm. Methods and Results:, A MSBFC was equipped with two graphite plate anodes, one pretreated by electrochemical oxidation in sulfuric acid and the other untreated. After 6 weeks of operation, 16S rRNA clone libraries were constructed from each anode biofilm. The pretreated anode exhibited a fourfold depletion in , -proteobacteria, a fourfold enrichment in , -proteobacteria, a sixfold increase in sulfate reducers, a fivefold enrichment in unclassified micro-organisms, and 6% of the colonies were sulfur oxidizers while none were detected on the untreated anode. Conclusion:, Anode pretreatment significantly affects the anode-colonized microbial communities of MSBFCs. Significance and Impact of the Study:, The MSBFC is one of a new class of microbial fuel cells in which the anode is spontaneously colonized by a subset of micro-organisms indigenous to a complex anaerobic mixture (such as sewage and food processing effluents). These micro-organisms utilize the anode as an oxidant, catalysing power generation by oxidizing fuel in the mixture and reducing the anode. This study reveals that pretreatment of the anode can greatly affect the composition of the microbial colony of such fuel cells. [source] Which are the polyphosphate accumulating organisms in full-scale activated sludge enhanced biological phosphate removal systems in Australia?JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006M. Beer Abstract Aims:, To see if the compositions of the microbial communities in full scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal activated sludge systems were the same as those from laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors fed a synthetic sewage. Methods:, Biomass samples taken from nine full scale enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) activated sludge plants in the eastern states of Australia were analysed for their populations of polyphosphate (polyP)-accumulating organisms (PAO) using semi-quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in combination with DAPI (4,-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining for polyP. Results:, Very few betaproteobacterial Rhodocyclus related organisms could be detected by FISH in most of the plants examined, and even where present, not all these cells even within a single cluster, stained positively for polyP with DAPI. In some plants in samples from aerobic reactors the Actinobacteria dominated populations containing polyP. Conclusions:, The PAO populations in full-scale EBPR systems often differ to those seen in laboratory scale reactors fed artificial sewage, and Rhodocyclus related organisms, dominating these latter communities may not be as important in full-scale systems. Instead Actinobacteria may be the major PAO. Significance and Impact of the Study:, These findings illustrate how little is still known about the microbial ecology of EBPR processes and that more emphasis should now be placed on analysis of full-scale plants if microbiological methods are to be applied to monitoring their performances. [source] Occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in raw and treated sewage and river water in north-eastern SpainJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2005M. Montemayor Abstract Aims:, To determine the occurrence and levels of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in wastewater and surface waters in north-eastern Spain. Methods and Results:, Samples from five sewage treatment plants were taken monthly and quarterly during 2003. In addition, water was collected monthly from the River Llobregat (NE Spain) during the period from 2001 to 2003. All samples were analysed by filtration on cellulose acetate filters or through EnvirocheckTM using EPA method 1623, followed by immunomagnetic separation and examination by laser scanning cytometry. All raw sewage, secondary effluent and river water samples tested were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Of the tertiary sewage effluents tested, 71% were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The proportion of viable oocysts varied according to the sample. Conclusions:, Two clear maxima were observed during spring and autumn in raw sewage, showing a seasonal distribution and a correlation with the number of cryptosporidiosis cases and rainfall events. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This study provides the first data on the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in natural waters in north-eastern Spain. [source] Detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae from environmental water samples by an enrichment broth cultivation,pit-stop semi-nested PCR procedureJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000J. Theron A pit-stop semi-nested PCR assay for the detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae in environmental water samples was developed and its performance evaluated. The PCR technique amplifies sequences within the cholera toxin operon specific for toxigenic V. cholerae. The PCR procedure coupled with an enrichment culture detected as few as four V. cholerae organisms in pure culture. Treated sewage, surface, ground and drinking water samples were seeded with V. cholerae and following enrichment, a detection limit of as few as 1 V. cholerae cfu ml,1 was obtained with amplification reactions from crude bacterial lysates. The proposed method, which includes a combination of enrichment, rapid sample preparation and a pit-stop semi-nested PCR, could be applicable in the rapid detection of toxigenic V. cholerae in environmental water samples. [source] Performance of the hydrolyzation film bed and biological aerated filter (HFB,BAF) combined system for the treatment of low-concentration domestic sewage in south ChinaJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Xiao Ling Abstract The performance of the hydrolyzation film bed and biological aerated filter (HFB,BAF) combined system in pilot scale (with a daily treatment quantity of 600,1300 m3 d,1), operated for 234 days, for low-strength domestic sewage was assessed using different amounts of aeration, reflux ratios and hydraulic loading rates (HLR). In steady state it was found that the average removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand at 5 days (BOD5) were 82.0% and 82.2% and the average effluent concentrations were 15.8 mg L,1 and 9.4 mg L,1 respectively as the HFB was running at an HLR of 1.25,1.77 m3 m,2 h,1 and the BAF was running at an HLR of 1.56,2.21 m3 m,2 h,1. In general, the removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) fluctuated with the HLR, gas,water ratio and reflux ratio, so the ratio of gas to water should be controlled from 2:1 to 3:1 and the reflux ratio should be as high as possible. The effluent concentration of TN was 10.4 mg L,1 and the TN removal averaged 34.3% when the gas,water ratio was greater than 3:1 and the reflux ratio was 0.5. The effluent concentration and removal efficiency of NH4+ -N averaged respectively 2.3 mg L,1 and 78.5%. The overall reduction of total phosphorus (TP) was 30% and the average effluent concentration was 0.95 mg L,1. The removal efficiency of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) reached 83.8% and the average effluent concentration was almost 0.9 mg L,1. The effluent concentration and removal efficiency of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were 0.0654 µ g L,1 and 37.05% respectively when the influent concentration was 0.1039 µ g L,1. The excess sludge containing water (volume 15 m3) was discharged once every 3 months. The power consumption of aeration was 0.06,0.09 kWh of sewage treated. The results show that the HFB,BAF combined technology is suitable for the treatment of low-concentration municipal sewage in south China. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Biodegradability of slaughterhouse wastewater with high blood content under anaerobic and aerobic conditionsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Rodrigo del Pozo Abstract In this work, the biodegradability of wastewater from a slaughterhouse located in Ke,an, Turkey, was studied under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. A very high total COD content of 7230,mg,dm,3 was found, due to an inefficient blood recovery system. Low BOD5/COD ratio, high organic nitrogen and soluble COD contents, were in accordance with a high blood content. A respirometry test for COD fractionation showed a very low readily biodegradable fraction (SS) of 2%, a rapidly hydrolysable fraction (SH) of 51%, a slowly hydrolysable fraction (XS) of 33% and an inert fraction of 6%. Kinetic analysis revealed that hydrolysis rates were much slower than these of domestic sewage. The results underlined the need for an anaerobic stage prior to aerobic treatment. Tests with an anaerobic batch reactor indicated efficient COD degradation, up to around 80% removal. Further anaerobic degradation of the remaining COD was much slower and resulted in the build up of inert COD compounds generated as part of the metabolic activities in the anaerobic reactor. Accordingly, it is suggested that an appropriate combination of anaerobic and aerobic reactors would have to limit anaerobic degradation to around 80% of the tCOD and an effluent concentration above 1000,mg,dm,3, for the optimum operation of the following aerobic stage. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Bacteriophages: biology and historyJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2001Richard Sharp Abstract Bacteriophages were initially considered to offer the key to the control of bacterial infections; early studies, however, proved largely unsuccessful. In the 1940s and 1950s, pioneering studies into the structure and physiology of host/phage interactions laid the basis for the development of molecular biology and a spectrum of new biotechnologically-based industries. Bacteriophages able to infect most procaryotic groups of organisms have been isolated, and are readily isolated from soil, water, and sewage and most environments colonised by bacteria. Ecologically, phages are as varied and as versatile as their hosts with some able to survive extremes of temperature (up to 95,°C) and extremes of pH as low as pH 1. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Naturally occurring bacteraemia in American lobsters, Homarus americanus Milne-Edwards, in Long Island SoundJOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 1 2008S L Bartlett Abstract The health status of the American lobster, Homarus americanus Milne-Edwards, in Long Island Sound (LIS) has been in decline, with seasonal mortality events occurring since 1998. In order to assess the potential effects of environmental conditions on lobster health via haemolymph analysis, lobsters collected from various sites in LIS were examined and sampled while concurrent environmental data (water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen) were recorded. The pH of the haemolymph of each lobster was tested, followed by a collection of haemolymph for serum biochemistry analysis and bacterial culture. This report focuses on the results of the bacterial sampling. The majority of bacteria cultured were opportunistic pathogens commonly found in the environment, including some that are associated with sewage and pollution. The prevalence of bacteraemia was correlated with the site of collection, the month in which the lobsters were sampled, and water temperature. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||