Distribution of Giardia Cysts in Wastewater

Abstract

This study was designed to determine geographic and seasonal distribution of Giardia cysts in wastewater and sludge and their removal by sewage treatment processes. Eleven wastewater treatment plants located in cities across the United States were included in the study. Flow weighted, composite samples of raw and treated wasteWaters and sludges were collected at monthly intervals for a period of one year. The cysts were concentrated by sucrose flotation or by simple centrifugation (“direct count”) and assayed microscopically. Sucrose flotation counts of cysts in the raw sewage were extremely variable producing results ranging from 0.4% to 77.8% of the direct counts. Based on 12 consecutive months of sampling, and using the direct counts, the highest geometric mean Giardia cyst concentrations occurred at the California site (3375 cysts/L), the Florida site (3087 cysts/L) and the Vermont site (2040 cysts/L). The lowest geometric mean Giardia cyst levels were in samples from the Pennsylvania site (642 cysts/L), the Tennessee site (762 cysts/L) and the Maryland site (957 cysts/L). Cyst concentrations in raw sewage were highest in late summer, fall and early winter. Although all raw sewage samples contained cysts, only about one half of the wastewater treatment plant effluents were positive with cyst concentrations ranging up to 44 cysts/L. Based on sucrose flotation counts, the concentrations of cysts detected in the sludges ranged from 70 to 30,000 cysts/L.