Dl2-L|ncaster Fanning Saturday, December 14,1985 B&d Water! Chester Co. researcher looks to algae for answers WEST CHESTER “Monitoring for vims activity in the sludge from sewage treatment plants is just as important, and perhaps more important, than monitoring for heavy metals and/or pathogens,’’ Marjorie Kraus, research director for the Algal Research Center, Lan denberg, told legislators at a recent hearing of the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee of the Pennsylvania House and Senate. A series of hearings was held around the state to determine if changes should be made in the guidelines governing the utilization of the heavier organic fertilizer materials from sewage treatment plants. “There is a crying need for more information,” Kraus insisted. She listed several of the fears that the public has about the use of human waste as a fertilizer. “These fears are primarily health issues: viruses, bacteria and protozoan-caused disease. Also involved are pesticides, heavy metals and more recently, Anti immune Deficiency Disease.” “The historical E. coli and salmonella tests for pathogens are quite inadequate for present , day health assessments,” Kraus said. “Other biological tests presently used have become much too ex pensive and complicated for serious consideration. The needed test must be simple, easy to run, fast and especially inexpensive,” she continued. “The diseases and conditions that confound the public are relatively new,” Kraus said. “The mechanisms by which these diseases spread are still being studied. They are particularly alarming to the citizen because they are sub-microscopic. They can only be seen by using an electron microscope. This means that we must use an economical method of studying the en vironmental conditions at the genetic level to grasp these mechanisms and inter relationships.” “The algal-viral analysis method provides this low-cost and easily used method. Samples of a stream can be taken at every road crossing. A few drops of the sample provide ample indication as to whether or not there is pollution present in that stream segment,” Kraus explained. “It is apparent that the viruses infecting algae in the streams arise in some manner as viruses shed from sewage treatment plants. The viruses are discharged with the sewage effluent to the streams. Nature then takes over to clean up the stream.” “It appears,” Kraus said, “that there is some relation between the algal virus and the viruses that find their way into the sewage. Presumably, a virus from the effluent is able to penetrate the algal cell wall. Once inside the cell, it is able to manipulate the DNA material. A virus is formed which is genetically different from the original virus. Every indication is that when this changed virus is released from the cell, it is no longer virulent to humans.” Kraus has been doing research for 20 years on viruses and algal viruses. She has studied stream samples from Chester County, throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. She has been able to determine that, a fish kill was caused by a point-discharge of formaldahyde and not a pesticide as was originally alleged. She is able to pinpoint raw sewage and septic tank discharges to streams. For the past few years, Kraus’ work has been funded in part by the Chester County Conservation District. District Directors have used her monitoring techniques to determine if and to what extent farmers and mushroom growers are polluting Chester County streams. Recently, the Chester/Delaware Farmer’s Association made arrangements for her to collect samples and assess the present and potential impact of agriculture on the streams in farming areas. They also made arrangements for her to do base line studies around members’ farms. The objective is to provide farmers with information about any pollution that might be leaving their property. They would then be able to correct the conditions causing the problem before it became serious enough to damage someone else’s property. The board of directors of the Farmer’s association also wants to determine if their farms and their farming methods are the major cause of the decline of the fish, and shellfish harvest in Chesapeake Bay. This has been alleged in the $27 million Chesapeake Bay study. Spokespeople for the Bay projects continue to allege that agriculture is the major culprit. Marjorie Kraus has not been Scotchman Ironworkers Sales And Service Some Dmomfnfor MM 35 to 90 Tons DAVID S. KING 873 S. Railroad Street, Myerstown, PA 17067 WILHELM'S HARDWARE (717) 866-5394A5k For David Hrs. M.,T.,T., F.,5.; 7AM-4PM -of 6EINCOVE^ Wiv Hat lories Are All We Sell'' J COMPARE OUR QUALITY, POWER, WARRANTY and LOW PRICES. YOU’LL SEE WHY THOUSANDS TRUST THE #1 DISCOUNT BATTERY STORE SIMMS SPRMS HJMMISIUK UUKASTEI CHMKRSRURt WMIEHXU WILKES MRffi FffiDERICK. 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