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DIR Return to: Bird Flu (HPAI)
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#Post#: 2408--------------------------------------------------
Bird flu Inquiry further studies needed: 1/2 the Sewage Sludge
From Wastewater Plants in U.S. is made into fertilizer
DIR By: Masked Man
Date: November 19, 2024, 11:46 am
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I couldn't help but notice in Steves topic "US-HPAI detected in
state of Hawaii" that the property with the infected flock is
served by the same wastewater treatment plant that is also
detecting the virus..
...this prompts me to wonder about a certain practice which I
must mention that is done by many wastewater treatment plants
and should be explored...
..."Mar 30, 2023 — About half the sewage sludge in the U.S. is
made into fertilizer, according to the National Biosolids Data
Project"
A wastewater plant will give away processed poop called "sludge"
to farmers to use as fertilizer.
Whenever the property with the infected flock is served by the
same wastewater treatment plant, I would think a good policy for
wastewater plants should be to indicate whether their treatment
plant had ever given "sludge" to that particular farm that now
has Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
I have questions: Is it conceivable that wastewater treatment
plants could have given that farm some sludge as fertilizer
inadvertently infecting the farm with tainted sludge/fertilizer?
Is it safe to feed a chicken food that has been fertilized by
sewage and could the chickens get sick? If a wastewater plant
detects viruses such as HPAI avian flu, in their wastewater,
does that wastewater treatment plant still provide
"sludge"/fertilizer to farmers?
It does appear that bird flu spreads through water
"Open bodies of water, including drinking water reservoirs, can
become contaminated by birds that are actively shedding virus or
by waterfowl carcasses. Surface runoff also represents a
potential source of contamination for groundwater".
All this gives rise to the question can wastewater treatment
plants be infecting farms with tainted sludge/fertilizer? To me,
this is a question worth exploring as we see more and more farms
fall prey to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
Very little is online about Wastewater Sludge protocols and what
wastewater sites are obliged to do or what they do do prior to
selling sludge to farmers from what I have noticed...
That being said I did find some info on avian flu and manure
(back in 2015) and what is proposed as to what farmers are
supposed to do with manure to prevent bird flu over at "Avian
Influenza: Manure Application and Crop Production BMPs Posted on
April 29, 2015 (April 21, 2016) by Christine Brown in Soil
Health here:
HTML https://fieldcropnews.com/2015/04/avian-influenza-manure-application-and-crop-production-bmps/
-13%"In manure, the avian influenza virus can survive for 30 to
35 days at temperatures of 4oC and up to 7 days at 20oC. The
virus can remain viable for longer periods in liquid manure.
During winter months the virus remained viable for over 100 days
in research studies.
Heat, dryness and extremely high or low pH can destroy the
virus’ ability to infect. In barns a method used to inactivate
the virus included heating the barn to 38oC (100oF) for a week.
Viability of the virus “deposited” by infected migratory birds
in fields will be reduced as winter conditions transition to
spring. Just another reason to look forward to the
spring/summer warmth and sunshine.
Use of disinfectants such as Virkon, Accel, VIROCID®, Bisentry,
Biosolve Plus, Biofoam, etc are another method used to eliminate
or prevent the spread of the virus. Ensure adequate contact time
and concentrations by reading the label and ensuring proper
use".
Also more food for thought is the World Health Organization's
view on it way back in 2007 which may or may not be applicable
to us as to in the here and now of 2024. Link:
"Review of latest available evidence on potential transmission
of avian influenza (H5N1) through water and sewage and ways to
reduce the risks to human health"
Last updated 10/10/2007:
HTML https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/204275/WHO_SDE_WSH_06.1_eng.pdf?sequence=1
...Just One of the many statements made by the W.H.O in the
aforementioned study/link...
"No specific information is available on factors affecting the
persistence of H5N1 virus in sewage or on the effect of waste
treatment processes on H5N1 concentrations. Virus concentrations
are reduced at different rates and to various extents in both
human and animal waste treatment processes, depending on
conditions, but they are not completely eliminated".
Please feel free to reply with any studies or comments you feel
relevant to this topic.
.
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