Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in soils under different land use types

Laboratory studies on Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival in soils from four different land use types: forest, tea plantation, bamboo grove, and vegetable garden were investigated at 25 ± 1 °C with the field capacity (soil water content at -33 kPa). Results showed that E. coli O157:H7 declined quickly in the test soils, but its survival dynamics varied in the soils under different land use types. The survival time needed to reach the detection limit (t d) in the test soils ranged from 2.1 to 3.6 days, with slightly longer t d values being observed in soils from the bamboo grove. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the t d values were shorter in sandy, lower pH, and lower organic carbon content soils. Different E. coli O157:H7 survival time in the soils under different land uses suggests that it is important to adapt proper management practices for reducing the potential risks of pathogen contamination when diary manure is applied to agricultural land.