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

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 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., Upton, NY (USA)
• 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

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