[Behavior of microorganisms in wastes from medical practice and household refuse deposited in a model landfill].

Abstract

Refuse from medical consulting rooms, a mixture of those refuse with municipal refuse (1:10), and municipal refuse were disposed aerobically and roughly anaerobically for over six months in a model landfill. Survival, proliferation, and transportation of microorganisms were estimated at different periods of time. Concentrations of aerobic bacteria and hyphomycetes decreased during the first weeks of deposition but remained later almost unchanged. Concentrations of nonsporeforming indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, feacal streptococci) decreased more strongly, and E. coli could not be found at latest after 23 weeks. In municipal refuse alone and mixed with refuse from medical consulting rooms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa proliferated temporarily. Leaching of microorganisms from the model landfill was observed in the whole course of the disposal period.