Effects of coal slurry on wastewater bacteria and bacteriophage

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5530841

Margler, L W; Rogozen, M B

Coal slurry was only mildly toxic to coliform bacteria, which serve as indicators of pathogenic microorganisms in wastewater, and the fecal streptococci concentration appeared to remain essentially unchanged with respect to the wastewater control. Thus the results do not support the supposition that wastewater would be naturally disinfected in a coal slurry pipeline. On the other hand, at least 99.8% of the E. coli C-specific phage present in the wastewater became noninfective in the coal slurry. Should water-borne pathogenic viruses lose infectivity to a similar extent, use of wastewater as the slurry medium would indeed result in upgrading of the water. Depending on the method of disposing of the slurry wastewater at the terminus of the pipeline, disinfection may be required. The possibility exists that future regulations would require disinfection of viruses in addition to indicator bacteria. Under such regulations, the task of disinfecting the slurry wastewater should be greatly facilitated because viruses are generally more resistent to disinfection than are bacteria. The important question remaining and requiring further study, however, is what effect would coal slurry have on pathogenic enteric viruses.

• Research Organization: Science Applications Inc., Los Angeles, CA
• OSTI ID: 5530841
• Journal Information: J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Water Pollut. Control Fed.; (United States) Vol. 52:1; ISSN JWPFA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
013000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COLIFORMS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FECES
FOSSIL FUELS
FREIGHT PIPELINES
FUELS
HYDRAULIC TRANSPORT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MIXTURES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PIPELINES
PURIFICATION
SLURRIES
SLURRY PIPELINES
STREPTOCOCCUS
SUSPENSIONS
TOXICITY
TRANSPORT
USES
VIRUSES
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER