Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bacterial air pollution from an activated sludge tank

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Concentrations of air-borne coliforms and ‘other’ bacteria (defined as total bacteria minus coliforms) were measured. downwind of a sewage treatment plant activated sludge tank. The Gaussian plume diffusion equation adequately predicts concentrations of the ‘other’ bacteria; the diffusion equation must be modified by an extinction coefficient, equivalent to a half-life of about 7.4 s, to predict coliform concentrations. Coliform concentrations downwind of this tank did not present a significant health hazard, but the method is applicable to treatment plants of higher capacity and possibly greater emissions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams, A. P. and Spendlove, J. C.: 1970, Science 169, 1218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, D. C. and Syzdek, L. D.: 1970, Science 170, 626.

    Google Scholar 

  • California State Water Pollution Control Board, Sacramento, 1957: The Air-Borne Bacteria Study, in Pub. No. 18, Third Report on the Study of Waste Water Reclamation and Utilization, pp. 75–86.

  • Cown, W. B., Kethey, T. W., and Fincher, E. L.: 1957, Appl. Microbiol. 5, 119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ledbetter, J. C. and Randall, C. W.: 1966, Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J. 27, 506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shieh, L. J. and P. K. Halpern: 1971, Numerical Comparison of Various Model Representations for a Continuous Area Source, Report G320-3293, Data Processing Division, IBM Scientific Center, Palo Alto, Calif., 33 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slade, D. H.: 1968, Meteorology and Atomic Energy (U.S. Atomic Energy Comm., NTIS, Springfield, Va.), 443 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, B.: 1964, J. Appl. Meteorol. 3, 83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, B.: 1970, Workbook of Atmospheric Dispersion Estimates, Environmental Protection Agency (Research Triangle Park, N.C.), 84 pp.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Senator C. Raygor

    Present address: National Environmental Satellite Service, 660 Price Avenue, Redwood City, Calif., U.S.A.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Meteorology, San José State University, San José, Calif., U.S.A.

    Senator C. Raygor & Kenneth P. Mackay

Authors
  1. Senator C. Raygor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kenneth P. Mackay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Raygor, S.C., Mackay, K.P. Bacterial air pollution from an activated sludge tank. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 5, 47–52 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431578

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431578

Keywords

Search

Navigation