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22. Blannon, J.

### c. and M. L. Peterson. SuTv!va.l of Fecal 

### Coliforms and Fecal Streptococci in a Sanitary Landfill. Solid and Hazardou• Yaste 'Re1eareb. April 12, 1974.

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### HAZARDOUS 1

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# Environmental Protection Agency April 12,

SURVIVAL OF FECAL COLIFORMS AND FECAL STREPTOCOCCI IN A SANITARY LANDFILL
Janet 

### C. Blannon and Mhdza l. Peterson"'


### BACKGROUND

Tocluy, lund 1lisposnl is lho me>thod widC>ly U!led for disposing of municipul solid WIISt.c. According to tht> 1068 NnUnnnl Solid Wasta Sur\'('.'\',1 only li rx.•rccnt of all landfill operations In the United States could be classified ns sanilmy hmtlrills; the**remKinin~:** 94 percent were urmcccptnble and rcptc•**sent~** 

### disease potential, throat of pollution, anti lund blicht.

Recent studies hav<' shown thnt lg 1Jf 1'1lW rosi· dcnllnl solid waste contains l million or more fecal coliforms and fccol strcplocooci, and it**m11~·** hnrhor snlmont>llae, cntcro\·irusc>s, ami pathogenic flllll{i
as wciJ,2•4 A major concern has bean whether or not tho sanitary landfill method o( solid waste**dis~** posal permits Jlnthogenic mk·roorgnnisms to survi\'c and 

### bo lronsmiUed into tho environment through tho leaching procasses. B<'CI\UI'IC only limited informa• lion Is nvailnhle on tho mierobiologir qu:1lily of Jnndfill leachnlt's, a study wns conductcod to determine the occunenco and survival of fecnl coliform and fecal streptococcus orgsnlsms In lcuchnlcs**col~** lcclcd from an 

### C!l;pcrirnental, fi<'td·scalc**sanitar~·** landfill during an 11-month lead1ing IJCtiod. A chnraciC'rization offec.nl st.rcptococcus**1~11eS** and an cvaluntion of fecal coliform to fecal f;(tC')llOl'OCCUS tullos were**u~ctl** us ctitnria for dcll.'rmining whC'thcr the source of pollution wa& human or nonhumnn warm-blooded animals.

"'Mrs.**Bl~nnnn l~**  Lubor11tOt)' Tectmi<-inn, 11'11tcr Suppl}'**Rcs~nr~:h** Luhorutnry, ll,S, l·:nvir<lllmt•nllll**p..,\,.~tinn A~ron~Y.**  Nntlonnl Environmcnlul ncaearch**C~ntcr** • Cmctn• nail, Ohio.

l)r,**l'<'~<'r~on** lR Seniur Re•enroh**Mi~·rohi<llnJ:J~l,** O.S.**~;nvlrnn111~ntnl** l'mtt•ctiun fl!lrnrr, Nutiunnl**~;nvir<~unt•nlnl** Unc11t<:h 

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...ntcr,**Hv~t~nrch** Trhm11l<>**P<~rk,** North Curnhnn, 

### MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental landfill

Tho landfill, which was a tronch-typc. OJX'Tillion, \\'OS 149 n. long by opproximntch· 30 n. wido. Tho trench was cXCn\'ntcd, with two \'orlicul 5idcwnlls and two ramps (one for cnt.rancc nntl ont> for cxill, sloping**nppruximutc\~·** I ft. vertically to i ft. hori• zontally, 1'hc landfill contnim.'ll 435 tonK (wct weight) of rcsitlenlinl solid W:t!!IO f:Om!Ja(•tC>d (() I,035 lb. per cu. yd. {wet ll't•ilthU. A 11·7 ('t;J.WIC'r tmctor was ust'tl for comptwtion.

SW!l/llill/1. Tho first IC'nchaiC' occurred upproxi• nm\.1.>1)• 6 weeks nllt•r Jllnccm!'nl of thf' lnndfill, Lenchatcs were collt•ct.t>d WN•kly in l,OOO.ml sterile botllcs from th<.' llpJX'r !JhlC, which**Ia~· di.~**  rcctly under the com'paclcd solid waste, and from the lower pipo, which wus located beneath an 18-in, clay soil llnar WigurC' l), 

### laboratory Technique

Total nnd fecAl colifornls nnd fl'Cul**stf(•J)toc:cX'~·i** were cstimntcti"by the most rwobublc numOOr (MP!\1 mcthod,6 using the five-tube Jt'CimiquC'. Fccul J>trC'pt,ococci wcn• churaclcrizod h.v n method til•• scribed in un**~nvironmont.ul** Protection Agcncy (EPAItraining manuul.ll 

### RESULTS ANO DISCUSSION

1'hc a\'crupc densitlvs offecal colifonus and fccnl itrct)toeocci in loochuiC'!I co\IC'l'lcd from the llP\WT tlitK'**durin~:"** tho 11-monlh sumpllng Jlt•riud llfl.' dt'- pielcd in Fic:urc 2. ()nriug lhC' lnilinl 2-month INwhinJ: fX'rkd, IlK> fC'cnl t"ollform and fC'cnl tiltl'P"' turOC'ci**dC"nsitit·~** U\WUgC>d l.!i million untl -t!J mil· linn**or~:unlsms** JK'f 100 ml, r!;IIIJlt•ct!wlr. Bl•Jtillning 

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Flgurt 2, Aver1111 dtntltlu ol feo•l collfOfml •nd f•eel etrtplocoecl In leacliiiiU from the 1,1pper pipe.



### .with tho 

### third month of_thc study, tho focal coliform density 

### dropped sharply 

### and rcmuinednt low vulues, rnnging from 30 to 180 organisms per 100 ml, for the last 6 months of !he 

### study pt>riod. 

### In contrast, fecal slrcptoco.:-ci 

### ()Xccoding 10,000 organisms per 

### IUO ml were lcucht.'ti clurinl! the final snmplin,g JX'riod, Tcm]X'T<L!IIr(! mt•ll!ll!t(>lli(•Uis during 

### the nrst WC('k


### or the It'S( rllllllCd from 120 {(I 

### 140 F (48.8 to ij{) (') 

### in lht' middl<>**SN~Ilon** 

### of thC' lundfill 12· to l.i·fl, depths! nnd ll"('fl' lU 

### to 15 

### dc)lr<.'es !owN in the 

### pc:-riphcry. After tho 

### first week,**h.•mpcrutu~s** 

### in 

### all l\('Ctions of the fill underwent n 

### gradual decline und t('uchC'd n range of Ml to UO F at the ('1\d of 11 months,**Or~nnisrns** 

### that occurred in lenchato!l from the 

### upper pipe 

### n.rc believed to hnve been leached from the pNiphcrul ot surfnce nrous ofthohmdfilled t>olid wn11t(' 

### musses that were**subj~X!tcd** to 

### lower l('m]Xlmlures,

In

### lcachutcs fr<lm the lowcr·pipc, the avcrugc fecal coliform und fecal**~trcJllococci** 

### densities for the 

### first 2-month survey 

### period were 

### 280,000 and 

### 4UO,OOO**or~nnisms** 

### per 100in\,rospodh•c\y<Flguro3), Focal 

### colirorm values soon dropped to 

### 20 or({anisn1s per 100 ml and romuiuoc1 conslstcnl over tha last 2-month sun•ey tK!riod. 

### )<'ccnl streptococci 8\'0rag• 

### ing 2,900 organisms per ml wore, however, lonchcd from the lower plpo at tho 

### end or the 

### 11-month 

### satnpliuu JX>rlod.

The

### rclutivcl~,' Iorge nnnthors of focal «uunism;; in 

### lcuchntcs from the lower 

### pipe indicated lnsut- 'Ticicnt filtcrln!! uction from tho 18-in. c\n_v &oil liner under tho compuctad waste•**Bio~·humit·nl** 

### churm·tcrlzution and percentage Ot:• 

### curronco of f('cnl stroptococcus strains in <>nch lonchnlc sumplo collected during the lnst 2-month 

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'A"colylU col 60 ""huru ing the initial 5-week loachlng period, ranged from

10 1 0.011 to 6.202 !Table 3). Studies by Geldreich and 

### Kcnncr 7 

### have**t~hown** 

### that in human foonl material und in domestic wastewater, the fecal coliform den•
Ellim; exceedthose offocnl streptococci**b~·** a factor of four to one or f:TCUlcr, \\'herons, a complete ro· Figure 3. Average den<les of fecal co!ifOI'rnS and fecal \'Crsa\ of the fecal coliform to f(!Cill streptococcus &lriiPtococcl in**leach~tn** from the lower plpa. rutlo cJ".ss than 0,{17) is sean in fecal discharges from li\'eslock or**poultr~·** wastes nnd in storm !lurvc,\' nre shown in**'l't~blcs** 1 unci 2. Atolnl ofliO wutcrs.**Tim~:,** the usc of fecal coliform to fecal blwptoeoc<-Us strains isolutci! from lcnchntcs wert' 

### lilteptocm•(•i**rAtio~>** in lcnclmtc studies detoclcd exnminc>d uml chntUl'!CtiZC'.d, Qf these, 35 (58,3%) fecnJ CO\llnminnt\on ofJeachnto derived from human ll't're

### ~;tr<~im.; of S/rc/)lucoc<-us {uccrl!is \'Or. liquf'• nnd unimnl (lrigim; und suggested thnl the 

### microbio- 

### {ac·icns, which nw ubiquitous 

### in the Cll\'ironmC>nt, logic quality 

### of leuchutcs mny be compared with 

### and 5**(8,a3~~~** 

### wcrc utypicnl strains of S. {tU'l'alis thnl of storm**w:~tt•t** runoff nnd ruw domestic wnstotholi1U\'l' 

### lwcn found 

### In association'with V('j::Ciu!ion; wn\N, 

### 'J'hc fccul

### ct;~\iform to 

### fMnl streptococci Thus,rn:i.7**JX'fC(lll~** oftho slrt•ptococci il;olutcd fwm ratios must ho upplit'd 

### cnrofull!o', hoWt'I'Cr, since loachates durin" the lu!!l 2 moJJ{hf; hnd no sonltury these corrolntions moy ho altered becaU!.IC of the significancl'. The remaining :1:),3 percent, which**\'ttriou~ ccolo~icnl**  factors cxisling in -solid wasto lncludC'd**S./IJC'('CIIisbiui,I'JX!~** 11 ami Ill (l2 strainsl, lundfil)l:;,**'l'hh~** possibility was illustrated in part S. duruns (3 strains), und S. equinus (5 struins), 

### b,y the rapid dic-•off of fecal coliform!! and 

### by the
we-re indiculive 

# or fccul cont.Ominntion from warm- 1111rvivnl of fecal streptoc-occi. Thus, the u'se of a 

### blooded animals. ratio relationship for \cachutcs mny 

### be valid only

Focal coliform to fccnl streptococcus ratios during the lnltiul 

### lonching period. Thefecal strep- <FC/FSl, determined in each Jcnchole 

### snmple dur· tococcus 

### l!!o'Stcm, inch)dlng types churactcrh;ation,

T \llLI:: I ll\OC!If'MICAL**IIEI\CTIO~S**

### m• STREPTOCOf.,'CI I'UI T!'U ttttOM I EAC\1 TE• 

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I 'l'Aill.t·; 3, \l\STHIHI.'T\0:-i 01-'**F~:c,\t.** COLWWtM:-; M>:D FECAL STR&PTOCOCC! IN**J,EACIIAn~S** FHmt TilF. rPPt·:H I'I**PI~ (ollu"•~**  O••• C>o•o""'/IDO"I 

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1·31·71 li-61<\0' Vl><to• 

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9·1·71 <11.\llt\Qf 7,91<10' 11.202
9-13·71 21110' 7.9><\0j 

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9·27-71 3.31110° 1.701<\0' o.t9.C

should theterore be used In addition 

### to the fecal coliform system to Identify lhe origin of Jenchalc 

### pollution.

This study has shownthat leachate contamination, 

### ifnot controlled, may pollute lht> soil, tc('rcationnl waters, and groundwat('t and mn)' pose hnznrds to lhe public health. Tho study also dcmonsttnl<..-d the poor filtcrlniZ action ofthe 18-in. clay soil liner under the compacted solid waste,


### SUMMARY

Lcnchntos dischnrg<'<l from snnitnry lnnclfills dur· ing**th~** 

### initio! 2-rnonth leaching 

### period (2 to 4 

### months ufter the< 

### plncemcnt of the eel\) 

### contain high d(>nsities 

### of focnl**colirorm~;** 

### nnd 

### focal strept{}o cocci of 

### human orh:dn 

### and should be considered 

### llOlcnlial sources 

### of 

### pathogenic mlcroorgllnisms. Continuous**microhiolo~ic** 

### moultorillll uf hmchnlc**qunlit~·** 

### based**or~** 

### tho detection 

### of fecal pollution
sources is 

### indicated. 

### REFERENCES 1. 

### Dlnck, H. J., Muhich, ,\, 

### J., Klec, A. 

### J,,

llkkman, H. L., 

### Jr., ond Vaughan, R. D., "Tho Nulional Solid Waste Survey; An Interim Report." U.S. 

### Dep111tmont. of llcu.llh, 

### Educa• tion, 

### arid Welf111e, Cincinnoti, Ohio, 

### 1008.
2. Peterson, 

### M. L., "Pathogens 

### Associated with

Solid Waste Processing." 

### Open·(ile**repor~** 

### (out 

### ofprlnll, 

### U.S. EnvlronmcnW.I Protection Agency, 

### Cincinnati, Ohio, 1971.


### 3. Spino, 

### D. F., "Bactorlological Study of

### the New



### Orleans East Incinerator." 

### Ope.n·file report lout 

### ofprint), U.S. Environmental 

### Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1971.

4. Gnby, W, L., 

### "E\'aluution of 

### Ucnlth flaz111ds

Aseocioted**wi~h** 

### Solid Wsstc SewtlJ:C Sludge Mixlut(ls," U.S. 

### En\'ironmcntal Protection· Agenuy, Nulionol Envlronmontul Research Center- 

### Cincinnati, Ohio, 1974.

5. 

### "Stondurd**~lcthods** for 

### the> Examinnlion ofWot<'r

und Woslcwnler." American Public Health Associution, Washington, D.C., 197l.
(), Kenner, D. A., 

### ond IInley, P. C., /n "Curwnt



### Prncticc!l in Water MicrobiolO!IY•" U.S. Em·ironmental Prote<:tion**1\J:Cilt'~',** 

### Ofl'ice of Water Proj.rrnms, 

### Cincinnati, Ohio, Janoury 1973. · 7. C1cldrcich, E. E., nnd 

### 1\cnncr, U. A., "('fin•

ccpts of 

### Fecal 

### Strellk+Col·ci in Strcum·**Poilu~** 

### tion." JWPCF, 4, R33G-R352, 1009.

POS111GC l.NO fEES**PA~O** UHIHD 

## nms EHVIROHIUHUI PRDTHT!ON AmCY NATIONAL !HVIROHMEHTAl RESEARCM tEIIHR C1nt1"U\i.**0~10** U2U US CNVIA:QNMfNlAL**PROT~C'T>ON A~~NCV**  EPA·335

OFFICIAL SVS•NfSS PeNAlTV FOR f>fl>VATE VSE S.:IPO
AN EQUII.l OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

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