Pathogen Contaminated Wastewater: Where Does it Go & How to Treat it
About this Webinar
Originally presented on May 8, 2024
The contamination of wastewater with pathogens has become an ever-increasing concern for wastewater treatment plant operators since the 2001 Amerithrax incident, 2014 Ebola outbreak, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. A better understanding of how these pathogens move through the wastewater system and effective measures for removing them from materials and waste is crucial.
This webinar presentation will showcase research conducted at EPA's Test and evaluation facility. It will discuss pathogen persistence in an activated sludge treatment system, methods for treating biosolids contaminated with heat-resistant spores (i.e., lime stabilization, composting, and incineration) and what conditions might contribute to pathogens surviving treatment. Lastly, the presentation will go over past and ongoing work on the characteristics and properties that govern bioaerosol emission from aeration basins at wastewater treatment plants.
About the Presenter
Adam Burdsall is a post-doctoral researcher with EPA's Center for Environmental Solutions & Emergency Response. He conducts and manages projects focused on waste management, bioaerosols, and pathogen destruction. These projects include research on bioaerosol emission mechanisms, pathogen fate and persistence in infrastructure and waste. He has a B.S. in Geology from Wittenberg University, a M.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wright State University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Wright State University.