Prions Not Degraded by Wastewater Treatment
There has been a lot of talk about prions on redscrubs.com since the inception of the website. The articles have been about downer cows, mad cow disease, vCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease and those illnesses caused by prions generally termed transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). This recent study published in the July 1 issue of Environmental Science and Technology highlights how prions survive in the environment.
Prions are difficult to inactivate surviving even autoclaving in a hospital setting unless the autoclaving is set for at least 18 minutes. They are resistant to extreme heat, chemical disinfectants and irradiation. Until now, scientists have never really looked to see if they survived wastewater treatment because the tests were not sensitive enough. Now the concern is that they are surviving as they come out of the sewers and septic tanks from slaughterhouses, meatpacking facilities and private game dressing businesses.
Scientists used lab experiments with simulated wastewater treatment to show that prions can be recovered from wastewater sludge after 20 days remaining in the “biosolids”, a by-product of sewage treatment sometimes used to fertilize fields.
Although the scientists clarified that prions have never been reported in wastewater treatment, they also noted that no one is testing for them.
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
