title: Electron beam inactivation of selected microbial pathogens and indicator organisms in aerobically and anaerobically digested sewage sludge.
abstract: Microbial pathogens in municipal sewage sludges need to be inactivated prior to environmental disposal. The efficacy of high energy (10 MeV) e-beam irradiation to inactivate a variety of selected microbial pathogens and indicator organisms in aerobically and anaerobically digested sewage sludge was evaluated. Both bacterial and viral pathogens and indicator organisms are susceptible to e-beam irradiation. However, as expected there was a significant difference in their respective e-beam irradiation sensitivity. Somatic coliphages, bacterial endospores and enteric viruses were more resistant compared to bacterial pathogens. The current US EPA mandated 10 kGy minimum dose was capable of achieving significant reduction of both bacterial and viral pathogens. Somatic coliphages can be used as a microbial indicator for monitoring e-beam processes in terms of pathogen inactivation in sewage sludges.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Electron Beam Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Chandni
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Praveen
authors.forename: Palmy R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Jesudhasan
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Reimers
authors.forename: Suresh D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pillai
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D000693:Anaerobiosis / Q000528:radiation effects; D001419:Bacteria / Q000528:radiation effects; D004583:Electrons; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000528:radiation effects; D038301:Virus Inactivation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014780:Viruses / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage
keywords: Electron beam; Inactivation; Indicator organisms; Pathogens; Sewage sludge