The molecular epidemiology of hepatitis A virus (HAV) was studied by analysing HAV strains recovered from environmental water samples over a 7 year period and strains recovered from patients with acute hepatitis over a 5 year period. A total of 54 samples of raw domestic sewage and 66 samples of river water were collected. HAV particles were concentrated and detected by nested RT-PCR. HAV infec...

Human noroviruses (NoV) are the most common cause of epidemic gastroenteritis following consumption of bivalve shellfish contaminated with fecal matter. NoV levels can be effectively reduced by some sewage treatment processes such as activated sludge and membrane bioreactors. However, tertiary sewage treatment and substantial sewage dilution are usually required to achieve low concentrations of...

The potential of using Effective Microorganisms (EM) to purify waste water, including that of a sewage system, for recycling purposes was evaluated. The studies were extended to examine the potential of using treated sewage sludge as a fertilizer in crop production. Long term application of EM reduced the adverse characteristics of waste water. The quality of the treated water was high, which i...

Fecal coliform bacteria are widely used as indicators of sewage contamination in surface water. However, there are some disadvantages in these microbial techniques including time consuming (18-48h) and inability in discriminating between human and animal fecal material sources. Therefore, it is necessary to seek a more specific indicator of human sanitary waste. In this study, the feasibility w...

ECONOMIC VALUE OF QUALITY IN WATER THE original abundance of water in the state of New York its very commonness, has dulled her people's appreciation of the subtle qualit;y value of their heritage. M\Iomentarily shut off from their supply the cities and industr-ies would instantly realize its vital necessity. Precipitate ruin of the wonderfully rich, living waters of the state would awaken imme...

Edwardsiella tarda was isolated from patients, water tortoises (Clemmys caspica), and samples of water from Lake Kinnereth, the river Jordan, well water, and sewage water. Of the 53 isolates, 35 belonged to completely identified serotypes, among them 7 new ones. Fourteen cultures had O antigens, and one had an H antigen, different from those previously described. Three serotypes isolated from p...

High concentrations of likely pathogens and indicator organisms found in urban receiving waters is a common cause of concern. Large amounts of resources are spent attempting to identify and correct their source, while many question the actual public health concerns associated with exposure to these organisms. This paper contains a summary of the historical development of the U.S. water quality ...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the spatial and seasonal distribution of leptospirosis and identify possible ecological and social components of its transmission. METHODS A total of 2,490 cases registered in each district of the municipality of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, between 1998 and 2006, were georeferenced. The data were obtained from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Thematic maps ...

In order to examine the influence of discharge from different rivers from peninsular India and urban sewage on intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria, a study was carried out during peak discharge period along coastal Bay of Bengal. The coastal Bay received freshwater inputs from the river Ganges while Godavari and Krishna contributed to the south. Contr...

During incineration of wastes in waste incineration plants, polluted flue gases are generated which have to be subjected to flue gas purification. Although the legal requirements are nearly unambiguous, the question of whether wet flue gas purification is to be performed in a sewage-free or sewage-generating manner is discussed controversially by experts in the Federal Republic of Germany. As a...