Data report: an assessment of the occurrence of human viruses in Long Island aquatic systems

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6931795· OSTI ID:6931795

Vaughn, J. M.; Landry, E. F.

A virus survey was conducted in Nassau and Suffolk Counties under the auspices of the federally-funded ''208'' program from June 1976 to June 1977. The survey involved the concentration, enumeration, and identification of human enteroviruses from selected aquatic systems on Long Island including embayments, lakes, creeks, public drinking water supplies, groundwater influenced by wastewater recharge, sanitary landfills, and stormwater recharge basins; and the effluents from secondary and tertiary sewage treatment plants. Enteroviruses were isolated from all systems studied except the public water supply wells. As expected, viruses were most often encountered in the chlorinated effluents of sewage treatment plants. On two separate occasions, wild type Poliovirus was isolated from one of these plants. The limited sampling conducted at each site (1 per month) obviated any extensive interpretation of the data for the purpose of identifying the precise hazard posed by enteric viruses in Long Island waters. Among tentative conclusions were: support for the continued study of recharge of groundwater aquifers via the application of properly treated domestic wastewater to recharge basins; caution regarding placement of private septic systems in saturated zones near surface water bodies; the discharge of sewage effluents into embayments; and the identification of those areas requiring further virological study.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 6931795
• Report Number(s): BNL-50787
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
AQUIFERS
RECHARGE
COLIFORMS
SAMPLING
DRINKING WATER
WATER POLLUTION
GROUND WATER
LAKES
NEW YORK
WATER RESOURCES
STREAMS
VIRUSES
WATER RESERVOIRS
SANITARY LANDFILLS
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT PLANTS
BACTERIA
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MICROORGANISMS
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
550700 - Microbiology
552000 - Public Health