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Elimination of Fecal Coliform Bacteria from Reed Canarygrass Irrigated with Municipal Sewage Lagoon Effluent¹

ABSTRACT

The survival characteristics of fecal coliform bacteria on reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) irrigated with municipal sewage effluent were determined using the most probable number (MPN) technique to develop a recommendation for sunlight decontamination of Gramineae species. The grass was recontaminated during rainfall because contaminated soil was splashed onto the foliage, and the number of fecal coliforms was not reduced during cool, damp periods.

Exposure to 50 hours bright sunlight under semiarid prairie conditions was sufficient to destroy virtually all those fecal coliforms present on the grass after irrigation with sewage effluent containing about 3.2 x 10⁴ fecal coliforms/100 ml. This was considerably longer than the 10 hours previously shown to be adequate to eliminate fecal coliforms from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). We believe that this difference between species is due to the presence of leaf sheaths on the grass in which effluent could collect and be protected from the bacteriocidal effects of bright sunlight.

Key Words: coliform survival • E. coli • salmonella • sewage disposal • spray irrigation

¹ Contribution of Res. Stn., Agric. Can., Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1.

² Research Scientists.

Received for publication January 7, 1976.