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Microbiological characterisation and impact of suspended solids on pathogen removal from wastewaters in dairy processing factories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2018

Kelly Fitzhenry ,
Neil Rowan ,
William Finnegan ,
Xinmin Zhan  and
Eoghan Clifford
Kelly Fitzhenry
Affiliation:
College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Neil Rowan
Affiliation:
Bioscience Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology Athlone, Ireland
William Finnegan
Affiliation:
College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Ryan Institute for Environment, Marine and Energy Research, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Xinmin Zhan
Affiliation:
College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Ryan Institute for Environment, Marine and Energy Research, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Eoghan Clifford*
Affiliation:
College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Ryan Institute for Environment, Marine and Energy Research, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In this Research Communication we investigate the microbiological profile of 12 dairy wastewater streams from three contrasting Irish dairy processing factories to determine whether faecal indicators/pathogens were present and in turn, whether disinfection may be required for potential water reuse within the factory. Subsequently, the impact of suspended solids on the inactivation efficiency of Escherichia coli via two means of ultravoilet (UV) disinfection; flow-through pulsed UV (PUV) and continuous low pressure UV (LPUV) disinfection was analysed. Faecal indicators total coliforms and E. coli were detected in 10 out of the 12 samples collected at the dairy processing factories while pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes was detected in all samples collected at 2 out of the 3 factories. Salmonella spp. was undetected in all samples. The results also indicated that organic dairy wastewater solids had an impact on the performance efficiency of the PUV system and, to a lesser extent, the LPUV system. The findings indicate that the targeting of key pathogens would be required to enable wastewater reuse (and indeed effluent discharges if regulation continues to become more stringent) and that LPUV may offer a more robust disinfection method as it appears to be less susceptible to the presence of suspended solids.

Keywords

Dairy wastewaterpathogensUV
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 85 , Issue 3 , August 2018 , pp. 391 - 395
Copyright
Copyright © Hannah Dairy Research Foundation 2018 

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