Escherichia coli O157 survival following the surface and sub-surface application of human pathogen contaminated organic waste to soil

Escherichia coli O157:H7 contaminated wastes such as animal manures and abattoir wastes, may be applied directly onto vegetation, the soil surface, or injected deep into the soil. Our aim was to determine the influence of method of waste application to land on E. coli O157:H7 survival. Bovine slurry and ovine stomach contents containing E. coli O157:H7 were applied to the surface vegetation or sub-surface injected at 25cm below the soil surface. E. coli O157 survived but did not proliferate on grassland vegetation for up to 6 weeks and in the underlying soil for 8 weeks. Our results suggest that sub-surface injection of organic wastes into soil may reduce the risk of pathogen persistence in the environment.