Pathogen reduction in wastewater treatment systems

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We study the reduction and partitioning of pathogens in conventional and alternative wastewater treatment systems. We also seek to characterize the efficiency of pathogen reduction with respect to design, operational, and environmental factors, as well as the microbial risks associated with water reuse and resource recovery.

Here are some of our publications on this topic:

  1. °Zhao, F., °°Gaunin, A., *Verbyla, M.E. (2022). T7 bacteriophage decay rates after repeated exposures to heat and free chlorine. Environmental Engineering Science (published online ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2022.0202
  2. •Espinosa, M.F., Verbyla, M.E., ⁺Vassalle, L., Leal, C., Leroy-Freitas, D., Machado, E., Fernandes, L., Rosa-Machado, A.T., Calábria, J., Chernicharo, C., *Mota, C.R. (2022). Reduction and liquid-solid partitioning of SARS-CoV-2 and adenovirus throughout the different stages of a pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant. Water Research, 118069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118069
  3. •Espinosa, M.F., Verbyla, M.E., ⁺Vassalle, L., ⁺Machado, A.T., °Zhao, F., °°Gaunin, A., *Mota, C.R. (2021). Reduction and partitioning of viral and bacterial indicators in a UASB reactor followed by high rate algal ponds treating domestic sewage. Science of the Total Environment, 760, 144309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144309
  4. *Orner, K., Symonds, E.M., Madrigal-Solís, H., Orozco-Montoya, R., Fonseca-Sánchez, A., Verbyla, M.E., Cairns, M. (2021). Holistically managing pathogens and nutrients in urbanizing tropical towns: Can sanitation technologies create safer conditions for beach recreation? ACS ES&T Water, 1(5): 1184–1197. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00264
  5. Mraz, A.L., Tumwebaze, I.K., ⁺McLoughlin, S.R., McCarthy, M.E., Verbyla, M.E., Hofstra, N., Rose, J.B., Murphy, H.M. (2021). Making waves: Why pathogens matter for meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 on safely managed water and sanitation. Water Research, 189, 116591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116591
  6. Tumwebaze, I.K., Rose, J.B., Hofstra, N., Verbyla, M.E., °Musaazi, I.G., ⁺Okaali, D.A., Kaggwa, R.C., Nansubuga, I., *Murphy, H.M. (2020). Translating pathogen knowledge to practice for sanitation decision-making. Journal of Water and Health, 17(6): 896–909. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2019.151
  7. Verbyla, M.E., ⁺Pitol, A.K., Navab-Daneshmand, T., Marks, S.J., *Julian, T.J. (2019). Safely-managed hygiene: A risk-based assessment of handwashing water quality. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(5): 2852-2861. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06156
  8. Momba, M., Edbon, J., Kamika, I., Verbyla, M.E. (2019). Using indicators to assess microbial treatment and disinfection efficacy. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (A.Farnleitner and A. Blanch (eds), Part 2 Indicators and Microbial Source Tracking Markers). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.6
  9. ⁺Adegoke, A.A., Amoah, I.D., Stenström, T.A., Verbyla, M.E., Mihelcic, J.R. (2018). Epidemiological evidence and health risks associated with wastewater reuse for irrigation: A review. Frontiers in Public Health, 6(337): 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00337
  10. ⁺Meister, S., Verbyla, M.E., ⁺Klinger, M., *Kohn, T. (2018). Variability in disinfection resistance between currently circulating enterovirus B serotypes and strains. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(6): 3696–3705. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b00851
  11. von Sperling, M., Verbyla, M.E., Mihelcic, J.R. (2018). Understanding Pathogen Reduction in Sanitation Systems: Units of Measurement, Expressing Changes in Concentrations, and Kinetics. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (J.R. Mihelcic and M.E. Verbyla (eds), Part 4 Management of Risk from Excreta and Wastewater). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.54
  12. Verbyla, M.E., Rousselot, O. (2018). Membrane Bioreactors. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (J.R. Mihelcic and M.E. Verbyla (eds), Part 4 Management of Risk from Excreta and Wastewater). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. http://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.63
  13. Harwood, V., Shanks, O., Koraijkic, A., Verbyla, M.E., Ahmed, W. and Iriate, M. (2018). General and Host-Associated Bacterial Indicators of Fecal Pollution. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (A.Farnleitner and A. Blanch (eds), Part 2 Indicators and Microbial Source Tracking Markers). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.6
  14. Oakley, S., von Sperling, M., Verbyla, M.E. (2017). Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactors. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (J.R. Mihelcic and M.E. Verbyla (eds), Part 4 Management of Risk from Excreta and Wastewater). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.61
  15. Verbyla, M.E., von Sperling, M., Maiga, Y. (2017). Waste Stabilization Ponds. In: J.B. Rose and B. Jiménez-Cisneros, (eds) Sanitation and Disease in the 21st Century: Health and Microbiological Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. (J.R. Mihelcic and M.E. Verbyla (eds), Part 4 Management of Risk from Excreta and Wastewater). Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI, UNESCO. Global Water Pathogen Project. https://doi.org/10.14321/waterpathogens.65
  16. °Espinosa, M.F., *von Sperling, M., Verbyla, M.E. (2017). Performance evaluation of 388 full-scale waste stabilization pond systems with seven different configurations. Water Science and Technology, 75(4): 916–927. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2016.532
  17. *Verbyla, M.E., Symonds, E.M., Kafle, R.C., Cairns, M.R., Iriarte, M.M., Mercado Guzmán, A., Coronado, O., Breitbart, M., Ledo, C., Mihelcic, J.R. (2016a). Managing microbial risks from indirect wastewater reuse for irrigation in urbanizing watersheds. Environmental Science & Technology, 50(13): 6803–6813. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b05398
  18. *Verbyla, M.E., Iriarte, M.M., Mercado Guzmán, A., Coronado, O., Almanza, M., Mihelcic, J.R. (2016b). Pathogens and fecal indicators in waste stabilization pond systems with direct reuse for irrigation: Fate and transport in water, soil and crops. Science of the Total Environment, 551–552: 429–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.159
  19. *Verbyla, M.E., Cairns, M.R., Gonzalez, P.A., Whiteford, L.M., Mihelcic, J.R. (2015). Emerging challenges and synergies for pathogen control and resource recovery in natural wastewater treatment systems. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 2(6): 701-714. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1101
  20. Church, J., Verbyla, M.E., *Lee, W.H., Randall, A.A., Amundsen, T.J., Zastrow, D.J. (2015). Dishwashing water recycling system and related water quality standards for military use. Science of the Total Environment, 529:275–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.007
  21. *Verbyla, M.E., Mihelcic, J.R. (2015). A review of virus removal in wastewater treatment pond systems, Water Research, 71:107–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.12.031
  22. *Symonds, E.M., Verbyla, M.E., Lukasik, J.O., Kafle, R.C., Breitbart, M., Mihelcic, J.R. (2014). A case study of enteric virus removal and insights into the associated risk of water reuse for two wastewater treatment pond systems in Bolivia, Water Research, 65:257–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2014.07.032
  23. *Verbyla, M.E., Oakley, S.M., Mihelcic, J.R. (2013). Wastewater infrastructure for small cities in an urbanizing world: Integrating the protection of human health and the environment with resource recovery and food security, Environmental Science & Technology, 47(8):3598-3605. https://doi.org/10.1021/es3050955
  24. *Verbyla, M.E., Oakley, S.M., Iriarte, M., Lizima, L., Zhang, J., Tejada-Martinez, A.E., Mihelcic, J.R. (2013). Taenia eggs in a stabilization pond system with poor hydraulics: Concern for human cysticercosis? Water Science and Technology, 68(12):2698-2703. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2013.556