Removal of bacterial plant pathogens in columns filled with quartz and natural sediments under anoxic and oxygenated conditions

Journal article (2022)

Authors

R.C.M. Eisfeld Sanitary Engineering - CEG
Jack F. Schijven Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM), Universiteit Utrecht
Jan M. van der Wolf Wageningen University & Research
G.J. Medema Sanitary Engineering - CEG , KWR Water Research Institute
E. Kruisdijk Sanitary Engineering - CEG , Acacia Water B.V.
B.M. van Breukelen Sanitary Engineering - CEG
Research Group
Sanitary Engineering (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2022 R.C.M. Eisfeld, Jack F. Schijven, Jan M. van der Wolf, G.J. Medema, E. Kruisdijk, B.M. van Breukelen
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118724
Irrigation Water quality Managed aquifer recharge Plant pathogen transport Groundwater contamination Aquifer recharge and recovery
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Published Date

2022

Language

English

Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Water Management

Research Group

Sanitary Engineering

Abstract

Irrigation with surface water carrying plant pathogens poses a risk for agriculture. Managed aquifer recharge enhances fresh water availability while simultaneously it may reduce the risk of plant diseases by removal of pathogens during aquifer passage. We compared the transport of three plant pathogenic bacteria with Escherichia coli WR1 as reference strain in saturated laboratory column experiments filled with quartz sand, or sandy aquifer sediments. E. coli showed the highest removal, followed by Pectobacterium carotovorum, Dickeya solani and Ralstonia solanacearum. Bacterial and non-reactive tracer breakthrough curves were fitted with Hydrus-1D and compared with colloid filtration theory (CFT). Bacterial attachment to fine and medium aquifer sand under anoxic conditions was highest with attachment rates of max. k
att1 = 765 day
-1 and 355 day
-1, respectively. Attachment was the least to quartz sand under oxic conditions (k
att1 = 61 day
-1). In CFT, sticking efficiencies were higher in aquifer than in quartz sand but there was no differentiation between fine and medium aquifer sand. Overall removal ranged between < 6.8 log
10 m
−1 in quartz and up to 40 log
10 m
−1 in fine aquifer sand. Oxygenation of the anoxic aquifer sediments for two weeks with oxic influent water decreased the removal. The results highlight the potential of natural sand filtration to sufficiently remove plant pathogenic bacteria during aquifer storage.