Detection and survival of pathogens during two-stage thermophilic/mesophilic anaerobic treatment of suspended organic waste

The food-borne pathogens Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes were effectively eliminated from suspended organic waste during the thermop hilic (55 degrees C) phase of a two-stage thermophilic/mesophilic anaerobic reactor. The feasibility of PCR technology was evaluated in order to impro ve the speed of detection and reduce the effort involved in detecting the p resence of a range of pathogenic bacteria. Our results show direct extracti on of nucleic acids followed by purification and PCR to be a promising meth od that will enable the rapid verification of hygienic performance during w aste treatment. (C) 1998 IAWQ. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.