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Adhesion of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica to Soil in Runoff as Influenced by Polyacrylamide
Author(s) -
Bech Tina B.,
Sbodio Adrian,
Jacobsen Carsten S.,
Suslow Trevor
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2014.02.0058
Subject(s) - surface runoff , loam , bacteria , salmonella enterica , turbidity , soil water , surface water , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , salmonella , environmental chemistry , biology , environmental science , environmental engineering , ecology , genetics
Polyacrylamide (PAM) is used in agriculture to reduce soil erosion and has been reported to reduce turbidity, nutrients, and pollutants in surface runoff water. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of PAM on the concentration of enteric bacteria in surface runoff by comparing four enteric bacteria representing phenotypically different motility and hydrophobicity from three soils. Results demonstrated that bacterial surface runoff was differentially influenced by the PAM treatment. Polyacrylamide treatment increased surface runoff for adhered and planktonic cells from a clay soil; significantly decreased surface runoff of adhered bacteria, while no difference was observed for planktonic bacteria from the sandy loam; and significantly decreased the surface runoff of planktonic cells, while no difference was observed for adhered bacteria from the clay loam. Comparing strains from a final water sample collected after 48 h showed a greater loss of Escherichia coli while Salmonella enterica serovar Poona was almost not detected. Thus, (i) the PAM efficiency in reducing the concentration of enteric bacteria in surface runoff was influenced by soil type and (ii) variation in the loss of enteric bacteria highlights the importance of strain‐specific properties that may not be captured with general fecal indicator bacteria.