Jl. Mawdsley et al., PATHOGENS IN LIVESTOCK WASTE, THEIR POTENTIAL FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL-POLLUTION, Agriculture, ecosystems & environment. Applied soil ecology, 2(1), 1995, pp. 1-15
Livestock wastes contain many pathogenic microorganisms including bact
eria, viruses and protozoa. Following the application of these wastes
to land the potential exists for environmental contamination. Plants,
soil and ultimately water courses which may subsequently be used as ca
tchments for public water supplies may all be affected. Research atten
tion is now being focused on this possibility, especially in the case
of protozoan pathogens which may be the most important as they are oft
en resistant to current methods used in public water treatment. In thi
s review we highlight some of the many factors that are likely to infl
uence the degree of pollution by their effect on both the vertical and
horizontal transport of microorganisms through soil. Soil pH, tempera
ture, the presence of plants, microbial surface properties, type of wa
ste, soil type and soil water content and flow may all affect the rate
and extent of vertical transport, with the latter two generally consi
dered to be the most important. Lateral movement is a particular probl
em in soils with impermeable substrata or in waterlogged conditions an
d in these cases the major factors affecting movement include rainfall
rate, topography of the land and the rate at which microorganisms par
tition into the runoff.