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Updated: Sep 2, 2026

Physical Isolation of Endospores from Environmental Samples by Targeted Lysis of Vegetative Cells
Published on: January 21, 2016
Spore-forming Clostridia as overlooked determinants of microbial risk in wastewater reuse systems
Daniel N Miller1, Lisa M Durso2
1USDA ARS, Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Abstract:
Using treated municipal wastewater for crop irrigation is a key strategy to combat drought-induced water scarcity. However, current wastewater reclamation standards systematically underestimate risks from spore-forming pathogens. As highlighted in a recent minireview by A. Mrozinski, C. Le Maréchal, and E. Topp in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (92:e00173-26, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00173-26), Clostridioides difficile and Clostridium perfringens survive conventional disinfection, persist indefinitely in agricultural soils, and harbor critical antibiotic resistance genes. To safeguard the food supply and protect public health, regulatory frameworks must shift from relying solely on standard vegetative bacterial indicators and include monitoring resilient, spore-forming pathogens.
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