SURFICIAL DISINFECTION OF ESCHERIACHIA COLI-CONTAMINATED PLAYGROUND SOIL BY UV IRRADIATION

The necessity of disinfecting playground soil is an important issue, because pathogenic protozoa, bacteria, and parasite eggs remain viable for several months and can infect children. UV irradiation has been used to decontaminate water but its effectiveness on soil is unclear. We determined the efficacy of UV radiation for inactivation of an indicator bacteria, E. coli (strain ATCC 8739), on playground soil. While 99% inactivation of E. coli in the soil was readily achieved by UV radiation within 55 min at $0.4\;mW\;cm^{-2}$, complete inactivation was not achieved, even after prolonged treatment at $4\;mW\;cm^{-2}$. This was attributed to the irregular surface of the soil. A small number of E. coli escaped the UV radiation because they were situated in indentations or under small particles on the soil surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the surface characteristics of the soil is the major limiting factor in the inactivation of E. coli by UV radiation. Thus UV treatment may not be adequate for disinfecting some soils and should be carefully evaluated before being used on playground soils.