Source: RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE submitted to NRP
SURFACTANT-FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM IN SOIL
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
NRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0233048
Grant No.
2008-35102-20653
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2013-00581
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2012
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2013
Grant Year
2013
Program Code
[94540]- Water and Watersheds
Recipient Organization
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
110 EIGHTH STREET ROOM 204 RI
TROY,NY 12180
Performing Department
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Non Technical Summary
Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) is a pathogenic microorganism that causes cryptosporidiosis, an intestinal disease. Numerous cryptosporidiosis outbreaks have been reported worldwide as drinking water supplies were contaminated by C. parvum. Animal agricultural operations and farming practices are suspected sources of this protozoan parasite for several documented waterborne outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis. C. parvum is released into the environment in the fecal materials of infected hosts in the form of oocysts. Once release on the soil surface through, for example, feces, or the application of manures or waste waters, oocysts can be transported by runoff and infiltration processes and threaten surface and groundwater resources used for drinking water supplies. Oocysts are resistant to many physicochemical conditions found in the natural environment and to traditional drinking water treatments. This is a serious concern because C. parvum may be transmitted among humans, among animals, and among species. Infectious doses of C. parvum are estimated at less than 10 oocysts. Although there has been much research on the fate and transport of C. parvum in the subsurface environment, there has been no research to date on the effects of other chemicals commonly found in soils on their mobility. In particular, we believe that the effect of industrial surfactants applied to soils merit particular attention because of their widespread use, because they are introduced into soils through a number of different farming practices, and because a naturally occurring analog (humic acids) exists for comparison. Furthermore, since preliminary data suggests that the air-water interface in soil pores plays a role in oocyst retention in soils, a systematic and comprehensive investigation on the effects of surfactants on the surface tension of the soil and on the air-water interface in soil pores will further our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogen's retention in porous media. A research approach has been developed to study the effects of surfactants on the mobility of C. parvum oocysts in agricultural and range soils from Illinois and Utah. Experiments have been designed to characterize the interactions of C. parvum oocysts and soil surfaces in the presence of different surfactant solutions. We will also conduct experiments to examine the surfactant-facilitated transport of C. parvum oocysts in homogeneous soil columns producing fingered flow and in undisturbed/heterogeneous soil columns subject to macropores flow. The impacts of wetting and drying cycles in soil on the fate and transport of C. parvum oocysts will also be investigated. This fundamental information could then be used to improve predictive models of C. parvum oocysts transport and attenuation, to explain previously reported empirical observations, and most importantly, to improve recommendations for sustainable best management practices for agriculture the protection of our limited water resources.
Animal Health Component
10%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
80%
Applied
10%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1120199205010%
1120199206110%
1120210205010%
1124050205010%
1127299205010%
1334050200010%
1334050205010%
1334050206110%
1337299205010%
1337310205010%
Knowledge Area
133 - Pollution Prevention and Mitigation; 112 - Watershed Protection and Management;

Subject Of Investigation
4050 - Protozoa; 7310 - Experimental design and statistical methods; 0210 - Water resources; 0199 - Soil and land, general; 7299 - Research equipment and methods, general/other;

Field Of Science
2050 - Hydrology; 2061 - Pedology; 2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
The management and protection of soil and water resources from pollution is a critical goal of sustainable agriculture. Understanding the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment under conditions representative of real-world scenarios, such as the presence of chemicals that facilitate the transport of the contaminants, is of great value. It is from this stance that the research on the surfactant-facilitated transport of Cryptosporidium in soil has been developed and designed. Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis. It can be transmitted between humans, between animals, and between species. Animal agricultural operations and farming practices are suspected sources of this protozoan parasite for several documented waterborne outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis. The ultimate objective of this research is to investigate how and to what extent surfactants may facilitate the transport of Cryptosporidium in soil, thereby furthering our understanding of mechanisms of Cryptosporidium movement through subsurface environments with the long term goal of better managing ground and surface water contamination by Cryptosporidium and the public health risks they pose in the US and abroad. Our research on the surfactant-facilitated transport of Cryptosporidium parvum in soil has four specific objectives (1) to evaluate the sorption and desorption of Cryptosporidium oocysts onto soil particles in the presence of natural and industrial surfactant solutions, (2) to investigate the mobility of Cryptosporidium oocysts in the presence of surfactants in structured and non-structured (packed) soil columns, (3) to explore the effects of surfactants on fluid movement through uncontaminated, model, porous media by capillary rise and infiltration, (4) to develop recommendations for best management practices related to the land application of surfactants for the protection of agricultural watersheds and public health from Cryptosporidium outbreaks.
Project Methods
Transport experiments will be carried out to investigate the surfactant-facilitated transport of Cryptosporidium oocysts through agricultural and range soils from Illinois and Utah. qPCR method will be used to detect and quantify C. parvum oocysts in natural soil matrices and soil-water extracts. We will perform experiments related to the transport of C. parvum oocysts in unsaturated non-structured (packed) soil columns (i.e. Gilford, Sparta, Lewiston, Greenson, and Trenton soils) to study the combined effects of the anionic surfactant Aerosol-22 at 2xcmc and fingered flow on oocysts mobility. These experiments will be carried out by applying C. parvum oocysts to the surface of soil column under simulated rainfall with and without surfactant, analyzing the soil column effluent samples for C. parvum oocysts to calculate oocyst breakthrough curves and slicing the soil columns to determine the distribution of C. parvum in the soil profiles. A total of 20 column experiments are planned for this task. We will also investigate the effect of the application of a lower surfactant concentration (Aerosol-22 at 0.5xcmc) and for comparison an additional anionic surfactant with a lower sodium content (e.g., SDS) on the transport of C. parvum oocysts on selected unsaturated structured soil columns (i.e., Lewiston and Greenson soils). A total of 16 additional column experiments are planned for this task. Performing these tasks will result in the completion of the work "to investigate the mobility of Cryptosporidium oocysts in the presence of surfactants in structured and non-structured (packed) soil columns" (Objective 2). After completion of the unsaturated non-structured (packed) soil columns, the analysis of the unsaturated flow experiments subject to fingered flow will be compared with the macropore flow experiments to assess the effects of surfactants on fluid movement under unsaturated flow conditions. This analysis will result in the completion of the work "to explore the effects of surfactants on fluid movement through uncontaminated, model, porous media by capillary rise and infiltration" (Objective 3). By completing the above work, we will be able to fully provide data and information to complete objective 4 which is "to develop recommendations for best management practices related to the land application of surfactants for the protection of agricultural watersheds and public health from Cryptosporidium outbreaks." Research findings will be disseminated through conference presentations and journal publications, as well as incorporated into courses and workshops, not only for university students but also for professionals. These research findings on the surfactant-facilitated transport of Cryptosporidium in the subsurface environment will be a resource for the USDA as well as the Departments of Agriculture of Illinois and Utah that can be used to improve best management practices and water resources protection in agricultural watersheds for the benefits of the public health and the environment.

Progress 10/01/12 to 06/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiences include agricultural and environmental professionals involved in the management of soil and water resources as well as the development of best management practices related to the land application of animalwaste and surfactants for the protection of agricultural watersheds and public health. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project PIs and research associate have all gained proficiency in qPCR, which they did not previously have. The project also resulted in one M.S. degree. The research has also allowed the training of a Chinese graduate student, currently a visiting scholar in the Soil and WaterLaboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), who has been involved in the column experiments. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of this project have been disseminated through 10 presentations at international society meetings including the AGU, SSSAJ, and NRCS. In addition, we have published one manuscript and have an additional three manuscripts in the pipe-line for peer-reviewed publication. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Major activities completed: The experiments investigating the transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in unsaturated non-structured (sieved and repacked) soil columns (Gilford, Sparta, Lewiston, and Greenson soils), and focusing on the combined effects of the anionic surfactant Aerosol-22 at 2×cmc and fingered flow on oocysts mobility have been completed (Objective 2). These experiments have being carried out by applying oocysts to the surface of the soil columns under simulated rainfall with and without surfactant, analyzing the soil column effluent samples for oocysts to calculate oocyst breakthrough curves and slicing the soil columns to determine the distribution of oocysts in the soil columns. A total of 16 column transport experiments (two replicates for each of the four soils, with and without surfactant) have been performed for this task. A manuscript describing the results of the study of transport of oocysts in unsaturated soils subject to fingered flow and surfactant is in preparation for submission to a journal for consideration as a research paper. The investigation of the effect of the application of a lower surfactant concentration (Aerosol-22 at 0.5×cmc) on the transport of oocysts in unsaturated structured soil columns (Gilford, Sparta, Lewiston, and Greenson soils) was performed (Objective 2). Breakthrough curves of oocysts and a tracer as well as the distribution of oocysts in the soil columns have been performed. A total of 16 column experiments (two replicates for each of the four soils, with and without surfactant) have been conducted for this task. A manuscript describing the results of the study of transport of oocysts in unsaturated soils subject to macropore flow and surfactant will also be submitted to a journal for consideration as a research paper. The detection and quantification of C. parvum oocysts in natural soil matrices and soil solutions using qPCR were performed following the method described in our recent publication in the Journal of Microbiological Methods (2013). The completion of the unsaturated non-structured soil columns, the analysis of the unsaturated flow experiments subject to fingered flow allows us to compare with the macropore flow experiments to assess the effects of surfactants on fluid movement under unsaturated flow conditions. This analysis enables us to explore the effects of surfactants on fluid movement through natural porous media by infiltration (Objective 3). With the completion of the above work, we are able to fully provide data and information to complete objective 4 which is “to develop recommendations for best management practices related to the land application of surfactants for the protection of agricultural watersheds and public health from Cryptosporidium outbreaks.” Note: Objective 1 was met in Grant 2008-35102-19159 prior to the grant transfer as Grant 2008-35102-20653. A manuscript describing the results of the batch studies (Objective 1) is in preparation for submission. 2) Specific objectives met: The ultimate objective of this research was to investigate how and to what extent surfactants may facilitate the transport of Cryptosporidium in soil, thereby furthering our understanding of mechanisms of Cryptosporidium movement through subsurface environments with the long term goal of better managing ground- and surface water contamination by Cryptosporidium and the public health risks they pose in the US and abroad. This objective has been met. Our research had four specific objectives. Objective (1) was to evaluate the sorption and desorption of C. parvum oocysts onto soil particles in the presence of natural and industrial surfactant solutions. Objective 1 has been met in Grant 2008-35102-19159 prior to the grant transfer as Grant 2008-35102-20653. Objective (2) was to investigate the mobility of C. parvum oocysts in the presence of surfactants in structured and non-structured (packed) soil columns. Objective 2 has been met. Objective (3) was to explore the effects of surfactants on fluid movement through uncontaminated, model, porous media by capillary rise and infiltration. The completion of the unsaturated non-structured (packed) soil columns, and the analysis of the unsaturated flow experiments subject to fingered flow allows us to compare with the macropore flow experiments to assess the effects of surfactants on fluid movement under unsaturated flow conditions. This analysis allowed us to explore the effects of surfactants on fluid movement through natural porous media by infiltration experiments. Objective 3 has been met. Objective (4) was to develop recommendations for best management practices related to the land application of surfactants for the protection of agricultural watersheds and public health from Cryptosporidium outbreaks. Objective 4 has been met. 3) Significant results achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions: A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed to detect and count C. parvum oocysts in environmental soil and water samples. Duplicated structured and non-structured soil column experiments were conducted with four soils (Greenson, Gilford, Lewiston, and Sparta series) under unsaturated conditions and collected leachate samples analyzed. The breakthrough curves and final spatial distributions of oocysts in the soil corresponding to each simulated transport scenario were used to characterize and compare their transport in natural soils. In the batch studies, of all the categories of surfactants tested (cationic, non-ionic, humic acid), only the anionic surfactants maintained reduced surface tension in the presence of the four soils tested. Of the available anionic surfactants, we chose to work with Aerosol-22 because it is commonly used in areas with hard water, and it maintains its effectiveness in waters with high calcium concentrations due to the high sodium content of the surfactant (tetrasodium salt). There was a tendency for enhanced transport with Aerosol-22 at 2×cmc in the Gilford and Greenson structured soil columns. However, the expected enhancement of oocyst transport by the surfactant was not generally observed in the structured soils (i.e. subject to macropore flow). The high sodium in Aerosol-22 may have resulted in clogged soil pores due to the release of calcium from soil exchange sites, which then reacted with Aerosol-22 to form flocs. At 2×cmc, the high ionic strength of the soil solution will reduce the activity of Ca and somewhat limit its interaction with Aerosol-22. However, at 0.5×cmc, not only is there less exchange, but also the ionic strength of the solution is lower resulting in a higher Ca activity, greater Ca - surfactant interaction, and consequently, larger flocs in that system. The large flocs may cause oocyst filtation either by entraining the oocysts in the floc, or by blocking the larger pores. Similar results were observed in the transport of oocysts in non-structured soils (i.e. subject to fingered flow), as Aerosol-22 enhanced the transport of oocysts in the Gilford and Greenson soil columns as well as in Sparta soil column but limited their transport in the Lewiston soil column. This suggests that the use of surfactants may not pose a significant risk to oocyst transport in calcareous soils or areas with hard water. It also suggests that liming soils may mitigate the problem in acidic soils. 4) Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol can be used to detect and count C. parvum oocysts in natural soil and water samples. Surfactant (i.e. anionic surfactants Aerosol-22) may enhance or limit the transport of C. parvum oocysts in natural structured and non-structured soils (Greenson, Gilford, Lewiston, and Sparta series) subject to macropore flow and fingered flow depending on the ability of the surfactant to form flocs.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Jacobson, A., Powelson, D., and Darnault, C. The effect of surfactants on the transport of Cryptosporidium parvum through soil. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meetings, Cincinnati, OH, October 21-24, 2012.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Christophe Darnault, Astrid Jacobson, David Powelson, Philippe Baveye, Zhenyang Peng, and Chan Wu. "Surfactant-facilitated transport of Cryptosporidium parvum in soil." NIFA Special Symposium: Water Resources Research, Education, and Outreach (NIFA Land Grant/Sea Grant 406 and NRI) National Institute of Food�&�Agriculture, National�Research�Initiative/Agriculture�and�Food�Research�Initiative Project Directors Meeting� RESILIENT LANDSCAPES, Planning for Flood, Drought & Fire SWCS 68th International Annual Conference�� � Reno,�Nevada, July�22,�2013
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Christophe Darnault, Astrid Jacobson, David Powelson, Philippe Baveye, Zhenyang Peng, and Chan Wu. "Surfactant-facilitated transport of Cryptosporidium parvum in soil." RESILIENT LANDSCAPES, Planning for Flood, Drought & Fire SWCS 68th International Annual Conference�� � Reno,�Nevada July�23,�2013
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2013 Citation: Christophe Darnault, Astrid Jacobson, David Powelson, Philippe Baveye, Zhenyang Peng, and Chan Wu. "Coupled Effects of Vadose Zone Hydrodynamics and Anionic Surfactant Aerosol-22 on the Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum in Soil." AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA 2013.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Koken, E., Darnault, C. J. G., Jacobson, A., Powelson, D., and Hendrickson, W. (2013) Quantification of Cryptosporidium parvum in Natural Soil Matrices and Soil Solutions using qPCR. Journal of Microbiological Methods, (92) 135-144, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mimet.2012.11.015
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Jacobson, A., Powelson, D., and Darnault, C. The effect of an anionic surfactants on the transport of Cryptosporidium parvum through soil. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA 2012.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Emre Koken. (2012) "Detection and quantification of Cryptosporidium parvum in natural soil matrices and leachates using qPCR." MS Thesis. University of Illinois at Chicago.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Jacobson, A. R., Powelson, D., Darnault, C. J. G., and Baveye, P. (201_) The effect of surfactants on Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst attachment to soils. [In preparation for submission to ES&T]
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Powelson, D., Jacobson, A. R., Darnault, C. J. G., and Baveye, P. (201_) Surfactant effects on Cryptosporidium parvum transport through intact soil columns [Manuscript draft is being edited in preparation for submission to Water Research].
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Darnault, C. J. G., Peng, Z., Wu, C., Baveye, P., Jacobson, A., and Powelson, D., (201_) Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum through non-structured soil columns: Effects of surfactant and vadose zone processes [Manuscript draft is edited in preparation for submission to a peer-reviewed journal].
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2014 Citation: Darnault, C. J. G., Baveye, P., Jacobson, A., and Powelson, D., (201_) Detection and Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum in the Subsurface Environment [Manuscript draft is edited in preparation for submission to a peer-reviewed journal].