Sewage sludge may contain a variety of chemical contaminants and very dangerous pathogens that represent a threat to the health of both humans and animals. Sewage sludge is also characterized by substantial amounts of bacteria, fungi, viruses and helminth eggs.
Examinations of the microbiological flora in soil and plants that were fertilized by sewage sludge have unequivocally revealed the presence of pathogenic organisms such as Escherichia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Proteus and Shigella, or fungi species of Aspergillus and Candida.
Several studies have reported presence of drug-resistant bacteria in sewage sludge. Similar to manure, numerous pathogenic forms have been documented to be present in sewage sludge and to acquire and develop resistance patterns with respect to a number of antibiotics used in health care.
The main aim of the study was to analyze the of biological composition and soil contamination with drug-resistant bacteria caused by the use of sewage sludge in nature (in doses 10, 20, 30 and 40 Mg/ha). The scope of the study included determination of the total amount of bacteria, actinomyces and fungi. The content of pathogenic bacteria was also analyzed and their resistance to so-called antibiotics was determined first contact.
