Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in Soil Columns following Applications of Raw and Separated Liquid Slurries

Abstract

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p>The potential for the transport of viable<jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">Cryptosporidium parvum</jats:named-content>oocysts through soil to land drains and groundwater was studied using simulated rainfall and intact soil columns which were applied raw slurry or separated liquid slurry. Following irrigation and weekly samplings over a 4-week period,<jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">C. parvum</jats:named-content>oocysts were detected from all soil columns regardless of slurry type and application method, although recovery rates were low (&lt;1%). Soil columns with injected liquid slurry leached 73 and 90% more oocysts compared to columns with injected and surface-applied raw slurries, respectively. Among leachate samples containing oocysts, 44/72 samples yielded viable oocysts as determined by a dye permeability assay (DAPI [4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole]/propidium iodide) with the majority (41%) of viable oocysts found in leachate from soil columns with added liquid slurry. The number of viable oocysts was positively correlated (<jats:italic>r</jats:italic>= 0.63) with the total number of oocysts found. Destructively sampling of the soil columns showed that type of slurry and irrigation played a role in the vertical distribution of oocysts, with more oocysts recovered from soil columns added liquid slurry irrespective of the irrigation status. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of different slurry separation technologies to remove oocysts and other pathogens, as well as whether the application of separated liquid slurry to agricultural land may represent higher risks for groundwater contamination compared to application of raw slurry.</jats:p>

Transport and attenuation of Salmonella enterica, fecal indicator bacteria and a poultry litter marker gene are correlated in soil columns

“…Others have reported that E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica Typhimurium applied as dairy cattle manure or fecal slurry both decreased 2 to 4 log CFU • (g dry weight of soil) -1 over 40 cm of sandy soil with 24 hours of simulated rainfall (Semenov et al, 2009). Our results and others are in contrast to those for Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, where there oosyst abundance in loamy-sand soil declined only one log over 20 cm (Petersen et al, 2012). Similarly, Boyer et al (2009) reported a decline in C. parvum from 1.5 to 0.1 oocysts • (g soil) -1 over 50 cm of silt loam soil (Boyer et al, 2009).…”

Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Danish organic pig farms: Seasonal and age-related variation in prevalence, infection intensity and species/genotypes

“…Moreover, Cryptosporidium contamination of water sources through surface run-off from faeces deposited on agricultural land has repeatedly been documented (Tate et al, 2000;Davies et al, 2004;Thurston-Enriquez et al, 2005). In addition, Petersen et al (2012) demonstrated that C. parvum oocysts present in pig slurry applied to soil can leach and potentially contaminate groundwater. Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are widespread and debilitating diseases in calves, and cattle often host the zoonotic C. parvum and to a lesser degree also G. duodenalis Assemblage A.…”

A Waterborne Outbreak and Detection of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Drinking Water of an Older High-Rise Apartment Complex in Seoul

“…The inlet pipe of the septic tank had crossed above the water pipe to the underground water tank. There was soil between the pipes of the septic tank and the underground water storage tank; however, oocysts and bacteria muct have passed the soil as reported by some authors [7,27]. The cleaning work of the underground water tank just before the outbreak seems to have made the situation worse.…”