Soil type influences the leaching of microbial indicators under natural rainfall following application of dairy shed effluent

The ability of soil to function as a barrier between microbial pathogens in wastes and groundwater following application of animal wastes is dependent on soil structure. We irrigated soil lysimeters with dairy shed effluent at intervals of 3–4 months and monitored microbial indicators (somatic coliphage, faecal enterococci, Escherichia coli) in soil core leachates for 1 year. The lysimeters were maintained in a lysimeter facility under natural soil temperature and moisture regimes. Microbial indicators were rapidly transported to depth in well-structured Netherton clay loam soil. Peak concentrations of E. coli and somatic coliphage were detected immediately following dairy shed effluent application to Netherton clay loam soil, and E. coli continued to leach from the soil following rainfall. In contrast, microbial indicators were rarely detected in leachates from fine-structured Manawatu sandy loam soil. Potential for leaching was dependent on soil moisture conditions in Manawatu soil but not Netherton soil, where leaching occurred regardless. Dye studies confirmed that E. coli can be transported to depth by flow through continuous macropores in Netherton soils. However, in the main E. coli was retained in topsoil of Netherton and Manawatu soil.

[1]  V. O’Flaherty,et al.  Characterization of Environmentally Persistent Escherichia coli Isolates Leached from an Irish Soil , 2010, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[2]  V. O’Flaherty,et al.  Long-Term Persistence and Leaching of Escherichia coli in Temperate Maritime Soils , 2009, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[3]  A. Dalsgaard,et al.  Transport and Distribution of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in Loamy and Sandy Soil Monoliths with Applied Liquid Manure , 2009, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[4]  A. Donnison,et al.  Survival and retention of Eschenchia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter in contrasting soils from the Toenepi catchment , 2009 .

[5]  G. Blanco,et al.  Microbial pollution in wildlife: Linking agricultural manuring and bacterial antibiotic resistance in red-billed choughs. , 2009, Environmental research.

[6]  M. Noonan,et al.  Bacterial leaching from dairy shed effluent applied to a fine sandy loam under irrigated pasture , 2008 .

[7]  J. Aislabie,et al.  Regionalizing potential for microbial bypass flow through New Zealand soils. , 2008, Journal of environmental quality.

[8]  C. D. de Klein,et al.  Prioritisation of farm scale remediation efforts for reducing losses of nutrients and faecal indicator organisms to waterways: a case study of New Zealand dairy farming. , 2008, Journal of environmental management.

[9]  Xulin Guo,et al.  Soil wetting state and preferential transport of Escherichia coli in clay soils , 2007 .

[10]  A. Mills,et al.  Manual of environmental microbiology. , 2007 .

[11]  A. Boxall,et al.  A global perspective on the use, sales, exposure pathways, occurrence, fate and effects of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) in the environment. , 2006, Chemosphere.

[12]  L. Schipper,et al.  Nutrient leaching and changes in soil characteristics of four contrasting soils irrigated with secondary-treated municipal wastewater for four years , 2006 .

[13]  S. Ishii,et al.  Population structure, persistence, and seasonality of autochthonous Escherichia coli in temperate, coastal forest soil from a Great Lakes watershed. , 2006, Environmental microbiology.

[14]  S. Ishii,et al.  Presence and Growth of Naturalized Escherichia coli in Temperate Soils from Lake Superior Watersheds , 2006, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[15]  M. Abu-Zreig,et al.  Effect of Interstitial Velocity on the Adsorption of Bacteria onto Soil , 2005 .

[16]  K. Killham,et al.  Soil macropores and compaction control the leaching potential of Escherichia coli O157:H7. , 2005, Environmental microbiology.

[17]  V. Snow,et al.  A review of literature on the land treatment of farm‐dairy effluent in New Zealand and its impact on water quality , 2004 .

[18]  S. Saggar,et al.  A review of emissions of methane, ammonia, and nitrous oxide from animal excreta deposition and farm effluent application in grazed pastures , 2004 .

[19]  R. Monaghan,et al.  Minimising surface water pollution resulting from farm‐dairy effluent application to mole‐pipe drained soils. II. The contribution of preferential flow of effluent to whole‐farm pollutant losses in subsurface drainage from a West Otago dairy farm , 2004 .

[20]  R. Davies‐Colley,et al.  Advanced pond system for dairy‐farm effluent treatment , 2004 .

[21]  J. Aislabie,et al.  Microbial and chemical tracer movement through Granular, Ultic, and Recent Soils , 2004 .

[22]  P. Bremer,et al.  Evaluation of the effectiveness of a commercially available defined substrate medium and enumeration system for measuring Escherichia coli numbers in faeces and soil samples * , 2004, Letters in applied microbiology.

[23]  Michael J. Goss,et al.  Transport of bacteria from manure and protection of water resources , 2004 .

[24]  A. Donnison,et al.  Campylobacter and farm dairy effluent irrigation , 2003 .

[25]  L. Halverson,et al.  Rainfall timing and frequency influence on leaching of Escherichia coli RS2G through soil following manure application. , 2003, Journal of environmental quality.

[26]  E. Topp,et al.  Strain-dependent variability in growth and survival of Escherichia coli in agricultural soil. , 2003, FEMS microbiology ecology.

[27]  R. Jamieson,et al.  Movement and persistence of fecal bacteria in agricultural soils and subsurface drainage water: A review , 2002 .

[28]  J. Aislabie,et al.  Viral and chemical tracer movement through contrasting soils. , 2001, Journal of environmental quality.

[29]  James J. Smith,et al.  Leaching of bacterial indicators of faecal contamination through four New Zealand soils , 2001 .

[30]  A. Mills,et al.  Transport of Escherichia coli in sand columns with constant and changing water contents. , 2001, Journal of environmental quality.

[31]  J. Karns,et al.  Leaching of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Diverse Soils under Various Agricultural Management Practices , 2000, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[32]  J. Grove,et al.  Fecal Bacteria Survival and Infiltration through a Shallow Agricultural Soil: Timing and Tillage Effects , 1998 .

[33]  L. Schipper,et al.  Preferential flow in a well drained and a poorly drained soil under different overhead irrigation regimes , 1998 .

[34]  E. Perfect,et al.  Fecal coliform transport through intact soil blocks amended with poultry manure , 1998 .

[35]  G. Toranzos,et al.  Detection of indicator microorganisms in environmental freshwaters and drinking waters. , 1997 .

[36]  C. Keel,et al.  Importance of Preferential Flow and Soil Management in Vertical Transport of a Biocontrol Strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens in Structured Field Soil , 1996, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[37]  R. Merry,et al.  Pathogens in livestock waste, their potential for movement through soil and environmental pollution , 1995, Applied Soil Ecology.

[38]  Jamal Abu-Ashour,et al.  Transport of microorganisms through soil , 1994 .

[39]  A. Hewitt New Zealand soil classification. , 1993 .

[40]  M. Foran,et al.  The effect of farm liquid waste application on tile drainage , 1992 .

[41]  G. W. Thomas,et al.  Transport of Escherichia coli through intact and disturbed soil columns , 1985 .

[42]  F. W. Gilcreas,et al.  Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water. , 1966, American journal of public health and the nation's health.