Dr. Edo McGowan
Subject: Failure of current standards
Date: 11/17/2006
People, these abstracts were gleaned from MedLine. What they show is a universally ignored issue, the failure of the
standards.
I thus suggest that you consider the following. The first abstract below, a new paper, shows that these things are getting
through. Thus we have not only VBNC getting through ---and confirming what we have already known but more recently
WERF’s paper by Higgins & Murthy shows that EPA's standards are actually very poor. How will they spin that one?
Then as noted below we also have viruses slipping through. Keep in mind that VBNC is a characteristic of both gram-
negative and gram-positive bacteria and E. coli is but one of a very large number of pathogens. Some of these other
bacteria are relatively tough and thus the low-level disinfection used by currently designed sewer plants is not sufficient.
Actually high-level disinfection is recommended for some of these bacteria to assure that semi-critical medical devices
that are inserted into the intestinal tract, such as endoscopes, are safe. Sewer plants never reach this high-level of
disinfection. Thus how is it that EPA fails to recognize this flaw? Many pathogens that would require high or even
moderate-level disinfection are not touched by currently designed sewer plants. That failure is amply demonstrated by
the survival of 2 million esaily killed E. coli per gram in Class B. Further the indicators required and used with these
standards normally would not be able to detect the viruses, just as they have not been able to detect VBNC.
The second paper helps dispel the notion that it’s always the animals and never the biosolids (sorry Al). Below are other
examples of the failing current standards----nothing new here, they have been failing for years, but then out there, and
always protecting us, are the finest politicians that industry can buy. The last paper is by Gerba, so it could not be wrong.
The issue is----------- that what goes on the land washes into the waterways, thence to the marine environment. Thus
land application of benign beneficial biosolids sees this stuff not only contaminating land and sickening people, but
polluting the marine environment---a long well known fact, yet little is done about it. Again this is a politically motivated
fix, but in reality is a demonstration of the power of corporate money and its impact on government.
Is the American food supply safe?
Edo
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Quantification and stability of human adenoviruses and polyomavirus JCPyV in wastewater matrices.
Bofill-Mas S,
Albinana-Gimenez N,
Clemente-Casares P,
Hundesa A,
Rodriguez-Manzano J,
Allard A,
Calvo M,
Girones R.
Human adenoviruses (HAdV) and human polyomavirus JCPyV have been previously proposed as indicators of fecal viral
contamination in the environment. Different wastewater matrices have been analyzed by applying real-time quantitative
PCR (QPCR) procedures for the presence, quantity and stability of wide diversity of excreted HAdV and JCPyV. High
quantities of HAdV and JCPyV were detected in sewage, effluent wastewater, sludge and biosolid samples. Both viruses
showed high stability in urban sewage. These results confirm the suitability of both viruses as indicators of human fecal
viral pollution. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Oct 6
Note---they would not consider these for the status of standard if they were not generally found, and how do you find
something at the end of the pipe, because it got there unblemished. Thus current sewer treatment systems are and
have been failing to do what they were supposed to do all along---keep us safe. It is just a mirage that this safety is out
there, but like the fellow at the end of the yellow brick road, a lot of energy goes into the fiction’s maintenance.
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Viral pollution in the environment and in shellfish: human adenovirus detection by PCR as an index of human viruses.
Pina S,
Puig M,
Lucena F,
Jofre J,
Girones R.
A study of the presence of human viruses (adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and hepatitis A viruses [HAVs]) in
environmental and shellfish samples was carried out by applying DNA and cDNA amplification techniques by PCR. The
detection of human adenoviruses by PCR was also examined as a potential molecular test to monitor viral pollution. The
samples studied were urban and slaughterhouse sewage, river water, seawater, and shellfish. Enteroviruses were
quantified by PFU in Buffalo green monkey kidney cells and fecal coliforms and phages of Bacteroides fragilis HSP40
were also evaluated in some of the samples. The amplification of viral DNA and cDNA has shown a high prevalence of
human viruses that would not be detected by the use of classical techniques, such as the quantification of PFU in cell
lines. The results of the analysis of slaughterhouse sewage samples together with the test of farm animal feces indicate
that the adenoviruses and the HAVs detected in the environment are mostly of human origin. A significative correlation
between the detection of human viruses by PCR and the values of bacteriophages of B. fragilis HSP40 in urban raw
sewage was observed. Human adenoviruses were the viruses most frequently detected throughout the year, and all the
samples that were positive for enteroviruses or HAVs were also positive for human adenoviruses. The results suggest
that the detection of adenoviruses by PCR could be used as an index of the presence of human viruses in the
environment where a molecular index is acceptable. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1998 Sep;64(9):3376-82
Uptake of Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and Enterococcus durans by, and depuration of mussels (Mytilus
galloprovincialis).
Marino A,
Lombardo L,
Fiorentino C,
Orlandella B,
Monticelli L,
Nostro A,
Alonzo V.
The uptakes of Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and Enterococcus durans by mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)
and the times for depuration were investigated in order to determine the most useful indicator of vibrio contamination.
The mussels were maintained in tanks of static seawater contaminated with bacteria at 5 log10 CFU/ml for
bioaccumulation. Depuration was carried out by circulating fresh seawater through the tanks. Each organism was
presented alone and with others to mussels, at temperatures of 14 and 21 degrees C. In water contaminated with either
single or mixed organisms, the bacteria accumulated rapidly in the mussels reaching high concentrations after 1 h. With
both single and mixed organisms, the maximum numbers of E. coli in mussels were 6.6 log10 CFU/g at 14 degrees C
and 5.4 log10 CFU/g at 21 degrees C. Both V. cholerae non-O1 and E. durans alone or with other organisms reached a
number ranging from 6.5 to 7 log10 CFU/g at both temperatures. During depuration the numbers of all the organisms
slowly decreased, with E. coli alone, numbers ranged from 2.8 to 2 log10 CFU/g after 72 h at both 14 and 21 degrees C,
and the organisms were undetectable after 144 h. With mixed organisms at 14 degrees C E. coli became undetectable
after 168 h but at 21 degrees C no E. coli were recovered after 72 h. At 14 degrees C V. cholerae non-O1 alone also
was undetectable after 168 h, but at 21 degrees C and with mixed organisms at both temperatures. V. cholerae was
recovered after 168 h at numbers about 1 log10 CFU/g. After 168 h numbers of E. durans alone ranged from 2.6 log10
CFU/g at 14 degrees C to 1.5 log10 CFU/g at 21 degrees C, and with mixed organisms the numbers ranged from 2.3 to
2.0 log10 CFU/g at both temperatures. Of the three bacteria of faecal origin, E. durans is quickly acquired by mussels
and released more slowly than the others, while E. coli quickly becomes undetectable. The results suggest that, for this
kind of seafood, enterococci may be a more appropriate indicator than E. coli of risks to consumers from vibrios. Int J
Food Microbiol. 2005 Apr 1;99(3):281-6
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The seasonality of fecal coliform bacteria pollution and its influence on closures of shellfish harvesting areas in
Mississippi Sound.
Chigbu P,
Gordon S,
Tchounwou PB.
Department of Biology, Marine Science Program, Box 18540, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
paulinus.chigbu@jsums.edu
Runoff from agricultural lands and farm animal feedlots is one of the major sources of fecal coliforms in surface waters,
and fecal coliform (FC) bacteria concentrations tend to vary with season because of seasonal variations in climatic
factors. However, El Nino--Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events may affect the extent and patterns of seasonality in FC
levels in coastal waters. Water quality monitoring data for shellfish management collected during El Nino (1990, 1992,
1997), and La Nina (1999, 2000) years were analyzed to evaluate the extent to which these events influenced Pearl
River stage, and bacterial levels, water temperature, and salinity in the western part of Mississippi Sound. Models to
predict FC levels in relation to various environmental factors were also developed. In 1990, 1992 and 1997, FC
geometric mean counts peaked in late winter (January/February) reaching 120 MPN (February 1990), 165 MPN
(January 1992), and 86 MPN (January 1997), and then decreased considerably during spring and summer (1.2 - 19
MPN). Thereafter, FC abundance increased slightly in fall and early winter (1.9 - 24 MPN). Fecal coliform abundance
during the 2000 La Nina year was much lower (1.0 -10.3 MPN) than in 1992 (1.2 - 165 MPN), and showed no seasonal
pattern from January to August, perhaps due to the relative scarcity of rainfall in 2000. In 1995 (ENSO neutral year),
peak geometric mean FC count (46 MPN) was lower than during El Nino years and occurred in early spring (March). The
seasonal and between year variations in FC levels determined the number of days during which the conditionally
approved shellfish growing area was opened for harvesting shellfish. For example, from January to April 1997, the area
was not opened for shellfish harvesting, whereas in 2000, the number of days during which the area was opened
ranged from 6 - 27 (January to April) to 24 - 26 (October to December). ENSO events thus influenced the extent and
timing of the peak levels of fecal coliforms in Mississippi Sound. Models consisting of one or more of the variables: Pearl
River stage, water temperature, and salinity were developed to predict FC concentrations in the Sound. The model
parameter(s) explained 56 to 91% of the variations in FC counts. Management of shellfish in Mississippi Sound can be
improved by utilizing information on the forecasted three to seven years occurrence of ENSO events. In addition, since
Pearl River stage was the most important variable predicting FC concentration in the Sound, a study of the levels and
sources of FC bacteria in the river, especially the middle and lower sections, is needed for developing a management
plan for reducing FC bacteria pollution in the Sound.
One point to be gained from this, when one reads papers, is to ask---what season of the year were the studies done?
Those clever fellows in the pocket of the sludge industry would probably opt for testing when the counts were down, and
then publish that.
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Increased frequency of drug-resistant bacteria and fecal coliforms in an Indiana Creek adjacent to farmland amended
with treated sludge
Shivi Selvaratnam and J. David Kunberger
Can. J. Microbiol./Rev. can. microbiol. 50(8): 653-656 (2004)
Abstract: Many studies indicate the presence of human pathogens and drug-resistant bacteria in treated sewage
sludge. Since one of the main methods of treated sewage disposal is by application to agricultural land, the presence of
these organisms is of concern to human health. The goal of this study was to determine whether the frequency of drug-
resistant and indicator bacteria in Sugar Creek, which is used for recreational purposes, was influenced by proximity to a
farmland routinely amended with treated sludge (site E). Surface water from 3 sites along Sugar Creek (site E, 1
upstream site (site C) and 1 downstream site (site K)) were tested for the presence of ampicillin-resistant (AmpR)
bacteria, fecal and total coliforms over a period of 40 d. Site E consistently had higher frequencies of AmpR bacteria
and fecal coliforms compared with the other 2 sites. All of the tested AmpR isolates were resistant to at least 1 other
antibiotic. However, no isolate was resistant to more than 4 classes of antimicrobials. These results suggest that surface
runoff from the farmland is strongly correlated with higher incidence of AmpR and fecal coliforms at site E.
Key words: drug-resistant bacteria, indicator bacteria, treated sludge, surface runoff.
Sugar Creek is a clear running stream which travels in a generally northeast to southwest direction as it cuts across
west-central Indiana. The source lies in Tipton County and the entire river length to the Wabash confluence is
approximately 90 miles.
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Hospital effluent: A source of multiple
drug-resistant bacteria
V. Chitnis, D. Chitnis*,†, S. Patil** and Ravi Kant*
The present work was carried out to study the spread
of multiple drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria from hospital
effluent to the municipal sewage system. The MDR
bacteria population in hospital effluents ranged from
0.58 to 40% for ten hospitals studied while it was less
than 0.00002 to 0.025% for 11 sewage samples from
the residential areas. Further, the MDR bacteria
carried simultaneous resistance for most of the commonly
used antibiotics and obviously the spread of
such MDR bacteria to the community is a matter of
grave concern.
If one were to look at the range here, i.e., 0.00002% to 40%, this is a difference of 2,000,000 times. At the other end
0.025 to 0.50 is 20X
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Ribeiro and others have found that as these organisms progress further through sewer treatment, the level of
resistance and number of transferred plasmids increases. Reinthaler et al found that the highest resistance rates were
found in E. coli strains of a sewage treatment plant which treats not only municipal sewage but also sewage from a
hospital. Thus, these authors concluded that sewage treatment processes contribute to the dissemination of resistant
bacteria in the environment.
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Comparative analysis of viral pathogens and potential indicators in shellfish.
Muniain-Mujika I,
Calvo M,
Lucena F,
Girones R.
Shellfish can be responsible of outbreaks of infectious diseases and current health measures do not guarantee the
absence of viral pathogens in this product. Here we examine the presence of pathogenic viruses and potential indicators
in shellfish in a comparative analysis. Sixty shellfish samples collected in three areas with different levels of faecal
contamination were analysed for Escherichia coli, total coliforms, Clostridium perfringens, somatic coliphages, F-specific
phages of RNA (F-RNA), bacteriophages infecting Bacteroides fragilis RYC2056, human adenovirus, enterovirus and
hepatitis A virus (HAV). Viruses were eluted in a glycine buffer at pH 10.The overall percentage of viral pathogens
detected was 47% for human adenoviruses, 19% for enteroviruses and 24% for HAV. Since all the samples positive for
enterovirus and HAV were also positives for human adenovirus, the latter may be considered useful as a molecular
index of viral contamination in shellfish. No significant differences in the bioaccumulation of bacteria and bacteriophages
for oysters or mussels were observed. It was found that the probability of detection of any of the pathogenic virus
decreases as the temperature of shellfish growing waters increases. However, the probability of detecting viruses
increases when phages of B. fragilis are found. Although more data are needed in order to fulfil the need of viral
indicators for controlling the presence of human viruses in shellfish, the obtained results indicate that phages infecting
B. fragilis RYC2056 could be a suitable group of bacteriophages to be used as an indicator of the presence of viruses in
shellfish. Int J Food Microbiol. 2003 May 25;83(1):75-85
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And to top it off, the following
Failure of indicator bacteria to reflect the occurrence of enteroviruses in marine waters.
Gerba CP,
Goyal SM,
LaBelle RL,
Cech I,
Bodgan GF.
The results of several studies conducted along the upper Texas Gulf coast, where a substantial amount of quantitative
virological data were collected, are compared to bacteriological indicators and other environmental factors on a
statistical basis. Variables common to all these studies were anlayzed by multivariate regression. Although multivariate
analysis indicated that the number of viruses detected in water was related to rainfall, salinity, and total coliforms in the
water, the amount of variation in the number of viruses accounted for by these factors was not large enough to make
them good predictors. Enteroviruses were detected 43 per cent of the time in recreational waters considered acceptable
as judged by coliform standards, and 44 per cent of the time when judged by fecal coliform standards. Enteroviruses
were detected 35 per cent of the time in waters which met acceptable standards for shellfish-harvesting. Our failure to
correlate the occurrence of enteroviruses in marine waters with indicator bacteria, and the frequent occurrence of
enteroviruses in water which met current bacteriological standards, indicates that these standards do not reflect the
occurrence of enteroviruses, and perhaps other human pathogenic viruses, in marine waters.
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