Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1967. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Wastewater reuse, reclamation and recycling may provide beneficial strategies to manage limited water resources. However, insufficient treatment of municipal wastewater poses potential risk to environmental and public health regarding incidences of viral pathogens. The reduction of pathogenic microorganisms is essential to minimize human health risk associated with the reuse of wastewater. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the use of coliphages as a potential indicator organism of fecal contamination in recreational waters. Coliphages are viruses than infect enteric coliform bacteria, and are consistently present in domestic wastewaters. They are similar in size and shape to human enteric viruses, and are more resistant to removal by disinfection than enteric bacteria. As such, they have long been proposed as indicators of fecal pollution. However, traditional bacterial indicators (i.e. Escherichia coli) are not reliable indicators for viral pathogens. Monitoring viral pathogens and utilizing the most sufficient wastewater treatment technologies are necessary to minimize public health risk associated with exposure. It is therefore of interest to better understand the removal of coliphages by sewage treatment processes.

A rapid coliphage detection assay (RCDA), based on the phage-induced release of b-galactosidase from cells of Escherichia coli (Ijzerman, M., J.O. Falkinham III and C. Hagedorn. (1993) [A liquid, colorimetric presence-absence coliphage detection method. J. Virol. Meth. 45:229-234] was modified to reduce the number of steps required to perform the assay, remove the need for specialized media and buffers, reduce the volumes required, and simplify growth and reaction conditions. Tolerances of the assay were defined at each step of the assay. The number of steps has been reduced from 12 to 7. The b-galactosidase reaction buffer was eliminated. Culture volumes were reduced from 25 ml to 5 ml and reaction volumes were reduced from 10 ml to 0.5 ml. Optimal growth conditions were 37 o C with orbital shaking at 200 rpm, a one hour subculture time and an incubation of subculture with water sample for two hours. Color development occurred at 37 o C in 30 minutes. The changes and modifications of the assay increased the ease of its performance without sacrificing the ability of the assay to detect as few as two phage particles per sample. By understanding the tolerances of the assay, technical support representatives of companies producing kits modeled after the assay will be prepared to answer questions from customers concerning possible kit failures or user error. / Master of Science

x, 153, xxviii leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Microbiology, 1975

x, 153, xxviii leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Microbiology, 1975

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Microbiology, 1975.

Current competitive status among potable and non-potable use makes the water reuse mandatory. Presently, water reuse is common only for reclaimed water coming from municipal or industrial water treatment plants. In those facilities, the treatment includes disinfection. The disinfection methods widely used are chlorination and Ultra Violet (UV) lamps adapted to the conditions of large volume of municipal and industrial systems. This study proposes a disinfection method adequate to the household level to reuse graywater. The method is called solar disinfection (SODIS), which allows the reuse of graywater even though it contains fecal contamination. In this research, natural sun radiation as a free source of heat and UV radiation was utilized. In a first stage, periods of sun exposure, graywater depth, and cell covers as external factors were studied. In later stages, the graywater temperature (GWT) and the UV radiation effects on the reduction of the microbial indicators were observed. Results showed that graywater depth of five cm had a statistical significant reduction rather than ten cm depth (p = 0.0035). Plexiglas and poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), as transparent covers, had a statistical significant reduction (p<0.00001) due to the greenhouse effect increasing the GWT. The black cover had the lowest GWT and reduction of the bacterial and viral indicators. This research found different behavior between bacteria and virus reduction by graywater solar disinfection. In order to reduce the concentration of total coliforms, Escheriquia coli (E. coli) and enterococcus to non-detectable levels (<1.0 most probable number, MPN 100 ml⁻¹), a combination of GWT >45 °C, and UV radiation >24 W m⁻² was required. In contrast, coliphage MS-2, as viral indicator, was resistant to different UV radiation magnitudes (up to 50 W m⁻²), but with a GWT >55 °C non-detectable levels (<1.0 plaques forming units, PFU) were reached.

To protect public health, drinking water systems are monitored for indicator organisms that correlate with fecal contamination and suggest the presence of human pathogens. Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and E. coli are the most commonly used indicator organisms. These bacteria generally colocate with fecal pollution, but some limitations exist. In particular, the ability of indicator bacteria to predict the presence of enteric viruses is questionable because of distinct transport and survival characteristics of bacteria and viruses. Although viral indicators of enteric viruses have been proposed, none have been implemented into the current regulatory framework. In this thesis, the correlation of bacteria and viruses in drinking water sources and treatment systems is reviewed, and the potential of Torque Teno virus (TTV) to qualify as an indicator virus is discussed. TTV is unique among enteric viruses as it infects approximately 80% of healthy individuals worldwide, is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, causes no observable illness, and lacks seasonal fluctuations.

Dans les dernières décennies, la plupart des pays du monde ont connu une pénurie d'eau et l’augmentation du taux de consommation. Aujourd'hui, tous les pays dans le monde essayent de trouver des alternatives pour remédier à cette pénurie. Une solution consiste en la réutilisation des eaux grises (GW) pour l'irrigation après traitement. Les GW correspondent aux eaux usées générée dans une maison à l'exception de l'eau des toilettes. Les risques associés à la réutilisation de ces eaux est la présence de microorganismes pathogènes qui peuvent infecter les humains, les animaux et les plantes. Dans cette thèse centrée sur l'étude de la survie des représentants d'agents pathogènes, comme E. coli, P. aeruginosa, et le bactériophage MS2 qui sont trouvés dans les eaux grises. Il a été étudié l’effet de quelques facteurs physico-chimiques tels que; température (6 ± 2,23 ± 2 et 42 ± 2 ° C), la salinité (1,75 and 3.5% de NaCl), de l'oxygène (aérobie et anaérobie), des éléments nutritifs (milieu riche et de milieux pauvres), la lumière avec la photocatalyse (lampes UV et visible) et filtre à sable lent (sable du désert égyptien et le sable piscine). Une combinaison de la température, la lumière du soleil et de haute photocatlysis sont principalement responsables de la baisse rapide des bactéries et du coliphage MS2. Le filtre à sable lent a une influence nettement moindre sur la survie des bactéries dans les eaux grises, mais il est efficace pour diminuer la turbidité et de la DCO. / In recent decades, most countries of the world have experienced a shortage of water and increase its rate of consumption. Today, every country in the world are interested in this problem by trying to find alternatives to address this shortage. One solution is reuse greywater (GW) for irrigation after treatment. GW is all water generated from Household except toilet water. The risks associated with the reuse of these waters are the presence of pathogens that can infect humans, animals and plants. In this thesis focused on studying treatment by slow sand filtration and the survival of representatives of pathogens, such as E. Coli, P. aeruginosa , E. Faecalis and Bacteriophage MS2 which could be found in the greywater. The study factors was a physico-chemicals factors such as; temperature (6±2,23±2,42±2°c), salinity (1.75 and 3.5% Nacl), oxygen (aerobic and anaerobic condition), nutrient ( rich media , 50%: 50% salt and poor media ), light with photocatalysis ( UV and Visible lights) and slow sand filter (Egyptian desert sand and swimming pool sand). A combination of high temperature, sunlight and photocatlysis are mainly responsible for the rapid decline of bacteria and MS2 coliphage. Slow sand filter have clearly less influence on the survival of bacteria in the greywater, but it effective to decline turbidity and COD for short times.