Publication
Microbial pathogen removal from domestic effluent using coral sand in Kiribati.
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date:
05-02-2020
DOI:
10.1111/JAM.14555
Abstract: Infiltration experiments aimed to show the effectivity of coral sand to remove micro-organisms in septic tank wastewater treatment system, in South Tarawa, Kiribati. Laboratory experiments evaluated effective microbial removal properties of a packed bed of coral beach sand conditioned with domestic effluent. Bacterial and viral indicators Escherichia coli J6-2, Enterococci faecalis and f-RNA (MS2) bacteriophage, along with viral pathogens adenovirus, echovirus, norovirus and rotavirus, were dosed (at 10 On the basis of the relative spatial distribution of trace organisms in the sand, we speculate that adsorption processes likely dominated attenuation of the viral pathogens, more so than physical straining effects. Further study is required to fully elucidate the removal mechanisms. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study of the effective microbial removal capacity of coral sand under unsaturated conditions. The work represents an initial exploratory step of developing some standardized design practice of on-site wastewater treatment systems in Kiribati, to offer enhanced protection of groundwater resources and reduce diarrhoeal disease.