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Technology and Engineering
- ISSN: 2333-2581
- Modern Environmental Science and Engineering
Assessment of the Accuracy of A Method Used for Quantification of Ascaris Eggs in Sewage Sludge
Maria Carolina Vieira da Rocha, and Maria Cristina Borba Braga
Department of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Parana Federal University, Brazil
Abstract: The application of sewage sludge on arable and grassland soils is dependent on the assurance that the concentrations of pathogens present in the biosolids do not pose health risks to either individuals or animals. Therefore, the use of appropriate protocols for the detection and quantification of pathogens in sludge samples is essential. An ideal method for the quantification should provide high sensitivity, accuracy and precision, but shall also follow a program that ensures the quality of the data produced. Methodologies that ensure accurate and reliable responses in a short period of time are also desirable. Therefore, this work aimed at the assessment of the accuracy of the method specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and used for the quantification of viable Ascaris eggs eventually present in biosolids. This study was carried out using samples of anaerobic sewage sludge collected from two drying beds, one receiving sludge from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor, and the other receiving sludge from a septic tank.
Key words: anaerobic sludge; Ascaris suum; helminths; parasitology of sludge, quantification methods.
