There has been an accidental sewage release into a recreational park neighboring

Question

There has been an accidental sewage release into a recreational park neighboring a wastewater treatment facility. Millions of gallons of untreated sewage were surface released into the park due to a ruptured pipe. Working as a microbiologist for the State, you need to determine the likelihood that sewage-associated pathogens will grow and persist in the soil of the park. Knowing that many chemoorganoheterotrophic microorganisms, such as many pathogens, generally have a high cell yield on cellulose (a predominant form of organic carbon in both the untreated sewage and the park soil),

(a) What does this mean in terms of potential pathogen survival? List 3 factors that might limit the growth of the pathogens.

(b) How would you determine the number of cellulose-degrading pathogens? Given this question, provide two limitations to what you proposed.

Explanation / Answer

Please find the answers below:

Answer a) According to the information, there is contamination of the public recreational park and soil with potentially pathogenic bacteria from sewage water. These pathogens might be living in nature and hence bear potency to cause pathologies. However, the extent of pathologies depend upon the survival rate of these pathogens. The pathogen survival refers to the ability of these chrmoorganoheterotrophs to survive in normal oxygenic environmental conditions in the park area. Since the abiotic and biotic conditions are entirely different here, the pathogens might not be able to survive. Following factors contribute to limit their growht:

Answer b) In order to determine the number of cellulose-degrading pathogens, it is necessary to conduct a microbiological investigation using selective media having cellulose as the only source of carbon. A sample of the sewage or contamination can be made to inoculate this medium and observed for growth. The only microbes growing on this selective media will be able to degrade cellulose.

However, following limitation can be encountered:

1. If there are more than one type of microbes which can degrade cellulose, they cannot be degraded using this method.

2. The microbes cannot be easily distinguished between the biochemical properties since they utilize the same carbon source.

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