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 Similar articles in PubMed 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 Sinton, L W Articles by Bell, R G Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sinton, L W Articles by Bell, R G Agricola Articles by Sinton, L W Articles by Bell, R G

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 June; 60(6): 2040-2048

Inactivation of enterococci and fecal coliforms from sewage and meatworks effluents in seawater chambers.

Christchurch Science Centre, Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd., New Zealand.

ABSTRACT

Inactivation in sunlight of fecal coliforms (FC) and enterococci (Ent) from sewage and meatworks effluents was measured in 300-liter effluent-seawater mixtures (2% vol/vol) held in open-topped chambers. Dark inactivation rates (kDs) were measured (from log-linear survival curves) in enclosed chambers and 6-liter pots. The kD for FC was 2 to 4 times that for Ent, and inactivation was generally slower at lower temperatures. Sunlight inactivation was described in terms of shoulder size (n) and the slope (k) of the log-linear portion of the survival curve as a function of global solar insolation and UV-B fluence. The n values tended to be larger for Ent than for FC, and the k values for FC were around twice those for Ent in both effluent-seawater mixtures. The combined sunlight data showed a general inactivation rate (k) ranking in effluent-seawater mixtures of meatworks FC > sewage FC > meatworks Ent > sewage Ent. Describing 90% inactivation in terms of insolation (S90) gave far less seasonal variation than T90 (time-dependent) values. However, there were significant differences in inactivation rates between experiments, indicating the contribution to inactivation of factors other than insolation. Inactivation rates under different long-pass optical filters decreased with the increase in the spectral cutoff wavelength (lambda 50) of the filters and indicated little contribution by UV-B to total inactivation. Most inactivation appeared to be caused by two main regions of the solar spectrum--between 318 and 340 nm in the UV region and > 400 nm in the visible region.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hughes, K. A. (2003). Influence of Seasonal Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Presumptive Fecal Coliforms around an Antarctic Research Station. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 4884-4891 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sinton, L. W., Hall, C. H., Lynch, P. A., Davies-Colley, R. J. (2002). Sunlight Inactivation of Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Bacteriophages from Waste Stabilization Pond Effluent in Fresh and Saline Waters. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 1122-1131 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sinton, L. W., Finlay, R. K., Lynch, P. A. (1999). Sunlight Inactivation of Fecal Bacteriophages and Bacteria in Sewage-Polluted Seawater. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 3605-3613 [Abstract] [Full Text]