Field Survey of Enteric Viruses

In Solid Waste Landfill

Leachates

By: MARK D. SOBSEY, PHD

HUMAN ENTERIC VIRUSES

 ARE VIRUSES THAT REPLICATE IN THE

INTESTINAL TRACT OF MAN.

 ARE SHED IN THE FECAL MATERIAL OF

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INFECTED EITHER
PURPOSELY (I.E. BY VACCINATION) OR
INADVERTENTLY THROUGH CONSUMPTION OF
CONTAMINATED FOOD OR WATER, BY
SWIMMING IN CONTAMINATED WATER, OR BY
PERSONAL CONTACT WITH AN INFECTED
INDIVIDUAL
Enteric Viruses Associated With Human Wastewater
Virus group Type Disease caused
ENTEROVIRUSES
Poliovirus 3 paralysis, meningitis
Echovirus 34 meningitis,respiratory disease, rash, diarrhea
Coxsackie Virus A 24 herpangina, respiratory disease ,meningitis,
fever
Coxsackie Virus B 6 myocuclitis, congenital heart, rash ,fever,
meningitis disease ,pleurodynia
Hepatitis type A 1 infectious hepatitis
Objective of the study
To quantitatively determine if enteric viruses
are present in leachates from municipal solid
waste landfills.

Municipal solid waste

> may contain fecal material from a number of
different sources, it is possible that solid waste
landfill leachate may contain enteric
pathogens including enteric viruses.
Solid Waste Landfill Leachate Sources and Sample Points

 variety of site characteristics and conditions influence the

occurrence of enteric viruses in the solid waste and the leachate.

 Leachate samples were obtained from a total of 21 different

municipal solid waste disposal sites.

 Leachates samples were collected in northern regions of the

United States and from Southern
Canada,

.
COLLECTION OF LEACHATE SAMPLES

 samples were collected during the late fall,

winter, and early spring.

> Some leachate samples were collected in

July, October, and November, in order to
obtain samples during and shortly after the
late summer and early fall period of maximum
enteric virus excretion.
Leachate samples collection

 Every effort was made to maximize virus

recovery and to minimize virus loss or
inactivation in leachate samples.
 Most of the samples were raw leachates that
had not been appreciably diluted with other
natural waters and had not migrated through
soils.
COLLECTION OF LEACHATE SAMPLES

 10.5 TO 20 LITERS OF LEACHATE WERE COLLECTED FROM

EACH SITE AND WERE PLACED IN 4 OR 20 LITER CAPACITY
POLYETHYLENE CONTAINERS FOR SHIPMENT. SINCE
REFRIGERATION IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE AREA, THE
SAMPLES WERE KEPT IN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES DURING
THE COLLECTION TRIP AND TRANSPORTATION TO THE
LABORATORY.

 TIME PERIOD BETWEEN SAMPLE COLLECTION AND

PROCESSING FOR VIRUSES RANGED FROM 1 TO 10 DAYS
AND AVERAGED 6.2 DAYS.
TRANSPORT OF LEACHATE SAMPLES

 Collected samples were promptly returned to the

laboratory for virological examination, and in most cases
they were maintained at low temperatures during
transit.
 The time period between sample collection and
processing was minimized, and the samples were
refrigerated during the storage period. Because
prolonged survival of enteric viruses in leachates
maintained at lower temperatures has been previously
reported, minimal virus losses were expected during the
leachate storage periods that occurred in the study .
PROCESSING OF LEACHATE SAMPLES

CONCENTRATION AND ISOLATION OF VIRUSES

FROM LEACHATES
< SAMPLES WERE CONCENTRATED 184- TO 600-
FOLD USING THE VIRUS CONCENTRATION PROCESS
AND THE LEACHATE CONCENTRATE VOLUMES THAT
WERE INOCULATED INTO BGMK CELL CULTURES
RANGED FROM 25 TO 59 ML.
 CONFIRMATION OF VIRUS ISOLATION, ESTIMATION
OF VIRUS CONCENTRATION AND IDENTIFICATION
OF VIRUS ISOLATES.
Results

• Enteric viruses were found in only one of 22 leachate

samples collected from 21 different municipal solid waste
disposal sites
• One virus-positive leachate sample was obtained from
newly placed refuse at a disposal site where sanitary
landfill practice was deficient.
• Two viruses found
> identified as poliovirus types 1 and 3, were found in a
sample volume of 11.8 liters.
• All of the other 21 leachate samples, which ranged in
volume from 10.3 to 18 liters, were negative for enteric
viruses.
Virological Examination of Leachate Samples Characteristics & Conditions of MSW Disposal Sites
Sit Collectio Leachate Stor Leachate No. of Type Age Refuse Refuse % of
e n vol. age concen- confirme Depth Cover Residen-
N date processe Tim trate d viruses (ft) Fre- Tial
s (liters) vol(ml)
o. e quency Refuse
(day
s)
1 11-18-75 10.3 4 56 0 SLF 5 25 Daily 55
2 11-18-75 10.8 6 54 0 SLF 7 65 Daily 100
3 11-18-75 10.9 5 47 0 SLF 8 90 Daily 50
4 11-19-75 11.4 5 59 0 SLF 3 30 Daily 80
5 2-4-76 12.2 9 25 0 Test Cell 2 10 No cover 100
6 2-4-76 11.8 7 54 2ⁿ LF 2 15 Periodic >50
7 2-4-76 11.8 8 50 0 LF >10 35 Periodic <50
8 2-4-76 14.7 4 25 0 SLF 3-4 20 Daily 70
9 2-5-76 12.0 10 40 0 SLF 1 40 Daily 80
10 3-8-76 15.6 6 50 0 SLF 5 60 Daily 65
11 3-9-76 16.0 6 52 0 SLF 2.5 15 Periodic 35-40

ⁿ Virus isolates were identified as poliovirus types 1 and 3 by neutralization tests

Virological Examination of Leachate Samples Characteristics & condition of MSW
Disposal Sites
Site Collection Leachate Storage Leachate No. of Type Age Refuse Refuse % of
No date Vol. time concentrate confir Depth Cover Residen-
Processed (days) Vol (ml) med (ft) Fre- Tial
(liters) Viruse quency Refuse
s
12 3-10-76 18.0 6 50 0 LF 6 22 Final 45
13 3-11-76 16.4 6 45 0 SLF 3-4 8 Daily No data
14 5-7-76 13.0 2 26 0 LF 8 13 Periodic 85
15 5-17-76 15.0 8 29 0 SLF 5 140 Daily 33
16 5-18-76 15.0 8 26 0 LF >10 variable Periodic 80
17 5-19-76 12.6 9 28 0 SLF 3 16 Daily 99
18 5-19-76 15.0 8 25 0 SLF 13 60 Daily 99
19 5-21-76 15.0 8 52 0 SLF 11 50 Daily 75
20 7-14-76 15.0 1 27 0 SLF 4 40 Daily 30
21 10-10-76 16.0 5 30 0 SLF 15 15 Daily >50
22 11-8-76 16.0 5 34 SLF 2 150 Daily >50
OTHER FINDINGS
 
 FECAL COLIFORM CONCENTRATIONS IN LEACHATE WERE
GENERALLY LOWER THAN TOTAL COLIFORM CONCENTRATIONS.

 LEACHATE FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE SITES DID NOT CONTAIN

DETECTABLE LEVELS OF FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA.

 FECAL COLIFORM CONCENTRATION EXCEED 1000

ORGANISMS/100 ML IN TWO LEACHATE SAMPLES.

 FECAL COLIFORM WERE NOT DETECTED IN ENTERIC VIRUS-

POSITIVE LEACHATE SAMPLE.

 NO ENTERIC VIRUSES WERE FOUND IN LEACHATES HAVING HIGH

FECAL COLIFORM CONCENTRATIONS.
 
 Treated sewage effluents have considerably greater
enteric virus concentrations than solid waste landfill
leachates.
 Virus concentrations of perhaps 103 to 105 infectious
units per liter. Conventional primary and secondary
treatment followed by chlorination can reduce this virus
concentration by about 99 per cent.
 Treated sewage effluents are likely to contain from 10' to
103 infectious units per liter.
 Compared to the vast quantities of treated sewage
effluents that are continuously discharged to surface
waters and are increasingly disposed of by land
application, the enteric virus contribution to the
environment from municipal solid waste landfill leachate
is negligible.
Low concentrations of enteric viruses in raw
leachates .

 Opportunities for further virus reductions by

thermal inactivation, removal in soil and
dilution in ground or surface waters.

Leachates from properly operated sanitary

landfills do not constitute an environmental
or public health hazard due to enteric viruses.