Review of techniques for the in-situ sterilization of soil contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores or other pathogens

This review summarizes the literature on efficacy of techniques to sterilize soil. Soil may need to be sterilized if contaminated with pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis. Sterilizing soil in-situ minimizes spread of the bio-contaminant. Soil is difficult to sterilize, with efficacy generally dimin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in microbiology 2024-05, Vol.175 (4), p.104175, Article 104175
Main Author: Wood, Joseph P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacillus anthracis - drug effects
Disinfectants - pharmacology
Soil Microbiology
Spores, Bacterial - drug effects
Sterilization - methods
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Summary:This review summarizes the literature on efficacy of techniques to sterilize soil. Soil may need to be sterilized if contaminated with pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis. Sterilizing soil in-situ minimizes spread of the bio-contaminant. Soil is difficult to sterilize, with efficacy generally diminishing with depth. Methyl bromide, formaldehyde, and glutaraldehyde are the only soil treatment options that have been demonstrated at full-scale to effectively inactivate Bacillus spores. Soil sterilization modalities with high efficacy at bench-scale include wet and dry heat, metam sodium, chlorine dioxide gas, and activated sodium persulfate. Simple oxidants such as chlorine bleach are ineffective in sterilizing soil.
ISSN:0923-2508
1769-7123
1769-7123
DOI:10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104175