Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Enteric pathogens and soil: a short review

  • Review Article
  • Published:
International Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

It is known that soil is a recipient of solid wastes able to contain enteric pathogens in high concentrations. Although the role of soil as a reservoir of certain bacterial pathogens is not in question, recent findings show that soil may have a larger role in the transmission of enteric diseases than previously thought. Many of the diseases caused by agents from soil have been well characterized, although enteric diseases and their link to soil have not been so well studied. Gastrointestinal infections are the most common diseases caused by enteric bacteria. Some examples are salmonellosis (Salmonella sp.), cholera (Vibrio cholerae), dysentery (Shigella sp.) and other infections caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia sp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and many other strains. Viruses are the most hazardous and have some of the lowest infectious doses of any of the enteric pathogens. Hepatitis A, hepatitis E, enteric adenoviruses, poliovirus types 1 and 2, multiple strains of echoviruses and coxsackievirus are enteric viruses associated with human wastewater. Among the most commonly detected protozoa in sewage are Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis and Cryptosporidium parvum. This article reviews the existing literature of more than two decades on waste disposal practices that favor the entry of enteric pathogens to soil and the possible consequent role of the soil as a vector and reservoir of enteric pathogens.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  1.  Abu-Ashour J, Joy DM, Lee H, Whiteley HR (1994) Transport of microorganisms through soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 75:141–158

    Google Scholar 

  2.  Barlaz MA (1996) Microbiology of solid waste landfills. In: Palmisano AC, Barlaz MA (eds) Microbiology of solid waste. CRC Press, New York

  3.  Blum D, Feachem RG (1985) Health aspects of night soil and sludge use in agriculture and aquaculture—Part III. (International reference centre for waste disposal report no. 05/85) IRCD, Dubendorf

  4.  Bridgman SA, Robertson RMP, Syed Q, Speed N, Andrews N, Hunter PR (1995) Outbreak of cryptosporidiosis associated with a disinfected groundwater supply. Epidemiol Infect 115:555–566

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5.  Cilimburg A, Monz C, Kehoe S (2000) Wildland recreation and human waste: a review of problems, practices, and concerns. Environ Manag 25:587–598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6.  Craun GF, Calderon RL (1996) Microbial risk in groundwater systems: epidemiology of waterborne outbreaks. In: Groundwater Foundations (ed) Under the microscope: examining microbes in groundwater. Groundwater Foundations, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  7.  Environmental Protection Agency (2002) Land application of biosolids. (Office of inspector general status report 2002-S-000004) http://www.epa.gov/oigearth/eroom.htm

  8.  Feachem GG, Bradley DJ, Garelick H, Mara DD (1983) Sanitation and disease—health aspects of excreta and wastewater management. (World bank studies in water supply and sanitation 3) Wiley, Chichester

  9.  Gerba CP (1987) Transport and fate of viruses in soil: field studies. In: Rao VC, Melnick JL (eds) Human viruses in sediments, sludges and soils. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla

  10.  Gerba CP (1996a) Microbial pathogens in municipal solid waste. In: Palmisano AC, Barlaz M (eds) Microbiology of solid waste. CRC Press, New York, pp 155–173

  11.  Gerba CP (1996b) Pathogens in the environment. In: Pepper IL, Gerba CP, Brusseau ML (eds) Pollution science. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 279–300

  12.  Gerba CP, Bitton G (1984) Microbial pollutants: their survival and transport pattern to groundwater. In: Bitton G, Gerba CP (eds) Groundwater pollution microbiology. Wiley, New York, pp 39–54

  13.  Greater Vancouver Regional District (2000) Recycling biosolids to soil pathogen reduction. (The biosolids report no. 1) http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/nutrifor/publications/BR-pathogens.pdf

  14.  Hay CJ (1996) Pathogen destruction and biosolids composting. BioCycle 67–76

  15.  Hibler C P, Hancock CM (1990) Waterborne giardiasis. In: McFeters GA (ed) Drinking water microbiology: progress and recent development. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 271–293

    Google Scholar 

  16.  Keswick BH (1984) Sources of ground water pollution. In: Bitton G, Gerba CP (eds) Groundwater pollution microbiology. Wiley, New York, pp 39–54

  17.  Lagoy PK (1987) Estimated soil ingestion rates for the use in risk assessment. Risk Anal 7:355–359

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18.  Morbidity and Mortality (1997a) Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7, an infection associated with eating alfalfa sprouts. Michigan and Virginia. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 46:741–743

    Google Scholar 

  19.  Morbidity and mortality (1997b) Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and cryptosporidiosis associated with drinking unpasteurized apple cider. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 46:4–8

    Google Scholar 

  20.  Morbidity and mortality (2000) Surveillance for waterborne disease outbreaks. United States, 1997–1998. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 49:1–35

    Google Scholar 

  21.  NIOSH (2002) Guidance for controlling potential risk to workers exposed to class B biosolids. (Publication no. 2002-149) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/preprint/pdfs/biosolidsb.pdf

  22.  OMRI (1998) Use of manure, compost and sewage sludge in the December 1997 proposed national organic program. http://www.OMRI.org/USDA.html

  23.  Palmisano AC, Barlaz MA (1996) Introduction to solid waste decomposition. In: Palmisano AC, Barlaz MA (eds) Microbiology of solid waste. CRC Press, New York

  24.  Parish ME (1997) Public health and nonpasteurized fruit juices. Crit Rev Microbiol 23:109–119

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25.  Payment P (1989) Presence of human and animal viruses in surface and ground water. Water Sci Technol 21:283–285

    Google Scholar 

  26.  Plym-Forshell L, Ekesbo I (1993) Survival of Salmonella in composted and not composted animal manure. J Vet Med B 40:654–658

    Google Scholar 

  27.  Roper MM, Marshall KC (1978) Effects of a clay mineral on microbial predation and parasitism on Escherichia coli. Microb Ecol 4:279–289

    Google Scholar 

  28.  Rosen BH (2000) Waterborne pathogens in agricultural watersheds. USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service. http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/watershed/projects/html

  29.  Scandura JE, Sobsey MD (1997) Viral and bacterial contamination on ground water from on site sewage treatment systems. Water Sci Technol 35:141–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30.  Shuval HI, Adin A, Fattal B, Rawitz E, Yekutiel P (1986) Wastewater irrigation in developing countries, health effects and technical solutions. In: UNDP (ed) UNDP project management report 6. (Integrated resource recovery series CLO/80/004) World Bank, Washington, D.C., pp 27–57

  31.  Sinton LW (1986) Microbial contamination of alluvial gravel aquifers by septic tank effluent. Water Air Soil Pollut 28:407–425

    Google Scholar 

  32.  Straub TM, Pepper IL, Gerba CP (1992) Persistence of viruses in desert soils amended with anaerobically digested sewage sludge. Appl Environ Microbiol 58:636–641

    Google Scholar 

  33.  Straub TM, Pepper IL, Gerba CP (1995) Comparison of PCR and cell culture for detection of enteroviruses in sludge amended field soils and determination of their transport. Appl Environ Microbiol 61:2066–2068

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34.  Strauss M (1994) Health implications of excreta and wastewater use. Hubei environmental sanitation study, 2nd workshop. Hubei, Wuhan

  35.  Tauxe R, Kruse H, Hedberg C, Potter M, Madden J, Wachsmuth W (1997) Microbial hazards and emerging issues associated with produce: a preliminary report to the national advisory committee on microbiological criteria for foods. J Food Prot 60:1400–1408

    Google Scholar 

  36.  Taylor JW, Gary GW, Greenberg HB (1981) Norwalk related viral gastroenteritis due to contaminated drinking water. Am J Epidemiol 114:584–592

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37.  Toranzos GA, Marcos RP (1997) Human enteric pathogens and soil-borne diseases. In: Bollag JM, Stotzky G (eds) Soil biochemistry. Dekker, New York, pp 461–481

  38.  Toze S (1997) Microbial pathogens in wastewater. Literature review for urban water systems. (Multidivisional research program. CSIRO land and water technical report no. 1/97) http://www.clw.csiro.au/publications/technical/trl-97.pdf

  39.  Weissman JB, Graun GF, Lawrence DN, Pollard RA, Saslaw MS, Gangarosa EJ (1976) An epidemic of gastroenteritis traced to a contaminated public water supply. Am J Epidemiol 103:391–398

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40.  Yeager JG, O'Brien RT (1979) Enterovirus inactivation in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 694–701

  41.  Yeager JG, Ward RL (1981) Effects of moisture content on long term survival and regrowth of bacteria in wastewater sludge. Appl Environ Microbiol 41:1117–1122

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 23360, 00931, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Johanna Santamaría & Gary A. Toranzos

Authors
  1. Johanna Santamaría
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gary A. Toranzos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gary A. Toranzos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Santamaría, J., Toranzos, G.A. Enteric pathogens and soil: a short review. Int Microbiol 6, 5–9 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-003-0096-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-003-0096-1

Keywords.