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Giardia Cysts in Tertiary‐Treated Wastewater Effluents: Are They Infective?
Author(s) -
Garcia April,
Yanko William,
Batzer Glenda,
Widmer Giovanni
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143002x140341
Subject(s) - effluent , infectivity , giardia , giardia lamblia , wastewater , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , protozoa , cyst , sewage treatment , veterinary medicine , medicine , environmental engineering , virology , surgery , environmental science , virus
The infectivity of Giardia lamblia cysts recovered in primary‐ and tertiary‐treated wastewater reclamation plant effluents was assessed in Mongolian gerbils ( Meriones unguiculatus ). Infections in gerbils inoculated with cysts from primary effluent concentrates demonstrated the presence of infectious G. lamblia cysts. No infectious cysts were detected by this method in concentrates of tertiary‐treated effluents. This study found that determination of cyst concentrations without viability or infectivity assessment may significantly overestimate the potential health risks associated with protozoan cysts in tertiary‐treated wastewater effluents.