This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wiley, B. B. Articles by Westerberg, S. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Wiley, B. B. Articles by Westerberg, S. C. Agricola Articles by Wiley, B. B. Articles by Westerberg, S. C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1969 December; 18(6): 994-1001
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Survival of Human Pathogens in Composted Sewage

¹ Department of Micorbiology, College of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

ABSTRACT

Studies were conducted to assess the effectiveness of an aerobic composter in destroying pathogens that may possibly be present in raw sewage sludge. Experiments conducted in this study were designed to determine whether or not selected indicator organisms (i.e., Salmonella newport, poliovirus type 1, Ascaris lumbricoides ova, and Candida albicans) could survive the composting process. The results of the assay showed that after 43 hr of composting, no viable indicator organisms could be detected. The poliovirus type I was the most sensitive, being inactivated within the first hour, whereas C. albicans was the most resistant, requiring more than 28 hr of composting for its inactivation. The data from this study indicated that aerobic composting of sewage sludge would destroy the indicator pathogens when a temperature of 60 to 70 C is maintained for a period of 3 days.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hogan, J.A., Finstein, M.S. (1991). Composting of Solid Waste During Extended Human Travel and Habitation in Space. Waste Management Research 9: 453-463 [Abstract]