Land Application of Sewage Sludge: Physicochemical and Microbial Response - Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - page 53

Table 3 Principal pathogens of concern in municipal wastewater and sewage sludge
Pathogen of concern Disease or symptoms caused by the organism

Bacteria
Salmonella spp. Salmonellosis (food poisoning), typhoid

Shigella spp. Bacillary dysentery

Yersinia spp. Acute gastroenteritis (diarrhea, abdominal pain)

Vibrio cholerae Cholera

Campylobacter jejuni Gastroenteritis

Escherichia coli Gastroenteritis

Viruses
Poliovirus Poliomyelitis

Coxsackievirus Meningitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, fever

Echovirus Meningitis, paralysis, encephalitis fever

Hepatitis A virus Infectious hepatitis

Reovirus Respiratory infections, gastroenteritis

Astroviruses Gastroenteritis

Protozoa
Cryptosporidium

Gastroenteritis, cryptosporidiosis

Entamoeba histolytica Acute enteritis

Giardia lamblia Giardiasis (diarrhea and abdominal cramps)

Toxoplasma gondii Toxoplasmosis

Balantidium coli Diarrhea, dysentery

Helminth worms
Ascaris lumbricoides Digestive disturbances, abdominal pain
Trichuris trichiura Diarrhea, anemia, weight loss
Taenia sasginata Nervousness, insomnia, anorexia
Taenia solium Nervousness, insomnia, anorexia
Hymenolepis nana Taeniasis
Necator americanus Hookworm disease
Source : Rose et al. ( 1996 ); Epstein ( 1998 ); USEPA ( 1999a, b )

Brookes ( 1991b ) reported that, in metal contaminated soils, microorganisms are
under stress and soil biomass reduction occurs mainly as a result of ineficient
biomass synthesis.

3.3.2 Pathogens

According to Sidhu et al. ( 2001 ), biosolids originating from wastewater treatment
plants contain a wide range of pathogens naturally, some of which may be present in
large numbers and may represent a public health hazard (e.g., Salmonella spp.). In
dehydrated anaerobically digested sludge wastewater, the concentration of Salmonella
spp. may exceed 10 5 g −1 of dry wt. (Russ and Yanko 1981 ). According to Epstein
( 1998 ), some pathogens are found in sewage sludge and these long survive their land
application (Table 3 ). Viruses of small size and other pathogens present in sewage