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Presence and fate of coliphages and enteric viruses in three wastewater treatment plants effluents and activated sludge from Tunisia

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Abstract

Purpose

The role of water in the transmission of infectious diseases is well defined; it may act as a reservoir of different types of pathogens. Enteric viruses can survive and persist for a long time in water, maintaining infectivity in many instances. This suggests the need to include virus detection in the evaluation of the microbiological quality of waters.

Methods

In this study, enteric viruses (enteroviruses and hepatitis A virus (HAV)) were investigated by RT-PCR and coliphages (known as indicators of viral contamination) were enumerated with the double-layer technique agar in effluents and sewage sludge from three Tunisian wastewater treatment plants.

Results and discussion

The molecular detection of enteric viruses revealed 7.7% of positive activated sludge samples for enteroviruses. None of the samples was positive for HAV. Molecular virus detection threshold was estimated to be 103 PFU/100 ml. All samples contained high concentrations of coliphages except those of dry sludge. Reductions in the concentrations of bacteriophages attained by the wastewater treatment plants are of the order of magnitude as reductions described elsewhere. Peak concentrations in raw wastewater were associated with winter rains and suspended materials rate in analysed samples. Our data which is the first in North Africa showed that similar trends of coliphages distribution to other studies in other countries.

Conclusion

No clear correlation between studied enteric viruses and coliphages concentration was proved. Coliphages abundance in collected samples should raise concerns about human enteric viruses transmission as these residues are reused in agricultural fields.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Centre National des Sciences et Technologies Nucléaires, thanks to the “Office National de l’Assainissement and to Habib HANDOURA”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Microbiologie et de Biologie Moléculaire, CNSTN, Technopôle de Sidi Thabet, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia

    Sihem Jebri, Insaf Barkallah, Mouldi Saidi & Fatma Hmaied

  2. Department of Microbiology, Barcelona University, Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Juan Jofre

  3. Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Biologie Moléculaire, CNSTN, Pôle technologique, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia

    Fatma Hmaied

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  1. Sihem Jebri
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  2. Juan Jofre
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  3. Insaf Barkallah
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  4. Mouldi Saidi
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  5. Fatma Hmaied
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Correspondence to Fatma Hmaied.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Jebri, S., Jofre, J., Barkallah, I. et al. Presence and fate of coliphages and enteric viruses in three wastewater treatment plants effluents and activated sludge from Tunisia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 2195–2201 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0722-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0722-y

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