Jan. 1, 2015 - Dec. 31, 2016
Amount Awarded$260,675.00
InvestigatorAna Allende, Ph.D.
CEBAS-CSIC Campus de Espinardo, Spain
Maria I. Gill, Ph.D.
ResourcesGrowers should be assisted in determining the risk associated with agricultural water and the best mitigation option to remove pathogens if needed. Water disinfection is one of the most recommended intervention strategies for irrigation water. The main purpose of this project is to demonstrate a practical, effective, and environmentally sustainable water disinfection treatment. Within this regard, we propose the use of stabilized chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as a suitable disinfection treatment. We will try to establish if stabilized ClO2 could be a suitable disinfection treatment to assurance the compliance with the established microbial limits, particularly fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli. First, agricultural waters from different water sources will be characterized by microbiological and physicochemical parameters. Optimal operational conditions for stabilized ClO2 as a suitable disinfection treatment will be established first at a pilot scale. After that, demonstration of practical, effective and environmentally sustainable agricultural water disinfection treatment will be carried out at commercial fields, where the impact of stabilized ClO2 on the environment will be also evaluated. We believe that the obtained conclusions will be very valuable for growers who will be able to integrate this technology in their water management practices.
Technical Abstract
Irrigation water has been recognized as a risk factor for fecal contamination of fresh produce. Growers should be assisted in determining the risk associated with agricultural water and the best mitigation option to remove pathogens if needed. Water disinfection is one of the most recommended intervention strategies for irrigation water. The main purpose of this project is to demonstrate a practical, effective, and environmentally sustainable disinfection treatment for agricultural water. Within this regard, we propose the use of stabilized chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as a suitable disinfection treatment for irrigation water. Stabilized ClO2 may be a suitable treatment to use in commercial agricultural fields to assurance the compliance with the established microbial criteria, particularly fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli. In this proposal, three Industry Cooperators will collaborate. Two of the most important leafy green growers in EU, ‘Primaflor’ and ‘Florette’, located in the Southeast and Northeast of Spain, will provide agricultural water from different sources used in commercial growing fields. Additionally, the official distributor of stabilized ClO2 ‘STC’ will collaborate in the disinfection tests providing the needed reagent. First, agricultural waters from different sources will be characterized by microbiological and physicochemical parameters. Physicochemical characteristic such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, total soluble solids (TSS), maximum filterable volume (MFV) and pH will be examined. Quantification of qPCR-based E. coli (molecular E. coli) and cultivable E. coli levels, as well as detection of foodborne pathogens (Salmonella spp. and VTEC) will be performed. The selected water sources will be: 1) streams bordering farmlands and urban areas, 2) water reservoirs and 3) water from rivers. The effectiveness of stabilized chlorine dioxide (ClO2), will be studied first at a pilot plant scale and secondly at commercial fields where different water sources are used. Doses thresholds of stabilized ClO2 in different water sources will be optimized based on reduction of E. coli levels and inactivation of foodborne pathogens based on the established microbiological criteria. Once minimum effective doses against foodborne pathogens are established, application of selected treatment will be carry out in three different commercial growing fields. Industry Cooperators will provide with all the facilities needed to test the water treatment in their commercial fields. The efficacy of these treatments will be based in reductions of E. coli levels. The impact of repeated ClO2 treatments on the environment will be carried out by evaluating the impact of the highest dose for pathogen removal on the soil microbial community. Cultivable phyllosphere-associated bacteria based on conventional methods and characterization of viable but non cultivable bacterial population of soils using Illumina next-generation sequencing will be evaluated. The gathered results will allow concluding if stabilized ClO2 can be defined as an effective and eco-friendly disinfection technology. We believe that the obtained conclusions will be very valuable for growers who will be able to integrate this technology in their water management practices.
Want to receive news, requests for proposals and find out about upcoming events?
Sign up for our mailing list here.
