Leaching of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Escherichia coli, and a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteriophage through intact soil cores following surface application and injection of slurry

Coupled Effects of Pore Water Velocity and Soil Heterogeneity on Bacterial Transport: Intact vs. Repacked Soils

Transport of pathogenic bacteria from land surface to groundwater is largely influenced by rainfall intensity and geochemical and structural heterogeneities of subsurface sediments at different depths. It has been assumed that the change in rainfall intensity has different effects on bacterial transport as a function of soil depth. In this study, repacked and intact column systems were used to investigate the influences of pore water velocity on the transport of Escherichia coli 652T7 through a loamy soil collected from varying soil depths. The soils differed in geochemical properties and soil structures. The concentrations of bacteria in soil and liquid samples were measured using plate counting method. The breakthrough percentages of E. coli 652T7 increased with pore water velocity at each depth in both intact and disturbed soils. Among the different soil depths, the largest velocity effect was observed for the transport through the top soil (0-5 cm) of both disturbed and intact soil profiles. This depth-dependent effect of pore water velocity was attributed to down gradients of soil organic matter (SOM) and iron oxide contents with depth because SOM and iron oxides were favorable for bacterial attachment on soil surfaces. In addition, less bacteria broke through the disturbed soil than through the intact soil at the same depth, and the pore water velocity effect was stronger with the disturbed than intact soils. Specifically, the maximum C/C0 (i.e., ratio of effluent to influent concentration) doubled (i.e., from 0.36 to 0.76) in the 0-5 cm intact soil columns and tripled (i.e., from 0.16 to 0.43) in the 0-5 cm repacked soil columns. This structure-dependent effect of pore water velocity was attributed to larger pore tortuosity and a narrower range of pore sizes in the disturbed soil than in the intact soil. These findings suggest that change in pore water velocity could trigger bacterial remobilization especially in surface soils, where more bacteria are retained relative to deep soils.

Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and faecal indicator bacteria in cattle slurry by addition of ammonia

AIMS

To determine inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and reduction of Escherichia coli and enterococci in cattle slurry added aqueous ammonia.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Escherichia coli, enterococci and nonviable C. parvum oocysts (DAPI+PI+) were enumerated every second day for 2 weeks in cattle slurry amended with 60 mmol l^-1 aq. ammonia and compared with untreated slurry at three temperatures. Regardless of temperature, the proportion of nonviable C. parvum oocysts increased significantly faster over time in slurry with added ammonia than raw slurry (P = 0·021) corresponding to 62·0% higher inactivation (P = 0·001) at day 14. Additionally, 91·8% fewer E. coli and 27·3% fewer enterococci were observed in slurry added ammonia at day 14 compared to raw slurry.

CONCLUSION

The addition of aqueous ammonia to raw slurry significantly reduced the viability of C. parvum oocysts and numbers of bacterial indicators. Hence, ammonia is usable at lower pathogen concentrations in slurry before application to agricultural land.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Livestock waste is a valuable source of plant nutrients and organic matter, but may contain high concentrations of pathogens like E. coli and Cryptosporidium sp. that can be spread in the environment, and cause disease outbreaks. However, die-off rates of pathogens in organic waste can increase following increasing ammonia concentrations.

Cryptosporidium spp. in groundwater supplies intended for human consumption - A descriptive review of global prevalence, risk factors and knowledge gaps

Cryptosporidiosis is one of the leading causes of diarrhoeal illness and mortality induced by protozoan pathogens worldwide. As a largely waterborne disease, emphasis has been given to the study of Cryptosporidium spp. in surface waters, readily susceptible to pathogenic contamination. Conversely, the status of Cryptosporidium in potable groundwater sources, generally regarded as a pristine and "safe" drinking-water supply owing to (sub)-soil protection, remains largely unknown. As such, this investigation presents the first literature review aimed to ascertain the global prevalence of Cryptosporidium in groundwater supply sources intended for human consumption. Thirty-seven peer-reviewed studies were identified and included in the review. Groundwater sample and supply detection rates (estimated 10-20%) indicate Cryptosporidium is frequently present in domestic groundwater sources, representing a latent health concern for groundwater consumers. Specifically, sample (10.4%) and source (19.1%) detection rates deriving from comprehensive "temporal" investigations are put forward as representative of a contamination 'baseline' for Cryptosporidium in 'domestic' groundwater supplies. Proposed 'baseline' prevalence figures are largely applicable in preventive risk-based catchment and groundwater quality management including the formulation of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA). Notwithstanding, a large geographical disparity in available investigations and lack of standardized reporting restrict the transferability of research findings. Overall, the mechanisms responsible for Cryptosporidium transport and ingress into groundwater supplies remain ambiguous, representing a critical knowledge gap, and denoting a distinctive lack of integration between groundwater and public-health sub-disciplines among investigations. Key recommendations and guidelines are provided for prospective studies directed at more integrative and multi-disciplinary research.

A review of bacteriophage therapy for pathogenic bacteria inactivation in the soil environment

The emerging contamination of pathogenic bacteria in the soil has caused a serious threat to public health and environmental security. Therefore, effective methods to inactivate pathogenic bacteria and decrease the environmental risks are urgently required. As a century-old technique, bacteriophage (phage) therapy has a high efficiency in targeting and inactivating pathogenic bacteria in different environmental systems. This review provides an update on the status of bacteriophage therapy for the inactivation of pathogenic bacteria in the soil environment. Specifically, the applications of phage therapy in soil-plant and soil-groundwater systems are summarized. In addition, the impact of phage therapy on soil functioning is described, including soil function gene transmission, soil microbial community stability, and soil nutrient cycling. Soil factors, such as soil temperature, pH, clay mineral, water content, and nutrient components, influence the survival and activity of phages in the soil. Finally, the future research prospects of phage therapy in soil environments are described.

Microbial life beyond the grave: 16S rRNA gene-based metagenomic analysis of bacteria diversity and their functional profiles in cemetery environments

Recent studies have identified cemeteries as potential environmental reservoirs of multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria that could contaminate groundwater sources posing public health threats. However, these findings were based on the identification of culturable bacteria and at times not below burial grounds. Investigation on the bacterial diversity and functional profiles of bacterial communities above and below burial grounds in human cemeteries are few. The current study used high-throughput sequencing techniques to determine the bacterial composition and their associated functional profiles in cemetery soil samples collected at the surface and below burial ground in two South African cemeteries (Maitland Cemetery in Cape Town and Fontein Street Cemetery in Middelburg) to evaluate the potential health threat to surrounding populations through contamination of groundwater. Significant differences were observed between sample depths with the clustering of the surface (0 m) and the 2 m samples into separate groups. Pseudomonas and Corynebacterium were the most abundant genera across all samples. Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus were the dominant genera in the 2 m samples while Prauserella and Staphylococcus were dominant in the surface samples. The 2 m samples showed a lower alpha diversity but recorded higher proportions of human diseases functional classes compared to the surface samples. Human disease functional profiles revealed involvement, in infectious (cholera), neurodegenerative (Alzheimer's disease) cardiovascular (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) immune system (Systemic lupus erythematosus) metabolic (Type I & II diabetes) diseases and cancer. Antibiotic resistance and antibiotics synthesis signatures were also identified. Thus, cemeteries could be potential sources of microbial and antibiotic pollution in groundwater, especially in areas with shallow water tables such as Maitland. Selection of sites for use as cemeteries should, therefore, require a proper understanding of the hydrogeological characteristics of the selected site. However, further studies are required to trace the actual movement of these pollutants into groundwater resources.

Viability Assessment of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts by Vital Dyes: Dry Mounts Overestimate the Number of "Ghost" Oocysts

Viability assessment of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts is crucial for evaluation of the public health significance of this important zoonotic protozoon. Viability is commonly assessed in wet mounts after acid pretreatment and staining with fluorogenic vital dyes. However, in some studies, oocyst viability is evaluated in dry mounts after staining in suspension. Here, we evaluate the effect of acid pretreatment in nine replicate samples and compare the assessment of oocyst viability after evaluation in wet and dry mounts, respectively. Although acid pretreatment had no significant effect on the viability scores, data obtained by scoring oocysts in dry mounts resulted in ∼25% underestimation of the proportion of viable oocyst (82.5% ± 0.9% [wet mount +acid], 57.7% ± 2.3% [dry mount, ÷ acid], 76.0% ± 1.7% [wet mount, ÷ acid]), while the proportions of nonviable oocysts (DAPI+/PI+) were comparable for wet and dry mounts (9.7% ± 0.4% [wet mount +acid], 12.1 ± 1.5% [dry mount, ÷ acid], 15.5% ± 1.1% [wet mount, ÷ acid]).

Transport and attenuation of Salmonella enterica, fecal indicator bacteria and a poultry litter marker gene are correlated in soil columns

Millions of tons of fecal-contaminated poultry litter are applied to U.S. agricultural fields annually. Precipitation and irrigation facilitate transport of fecal-derived pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to groundwater. The goal of this study was to compare transport of pathogens, FIB, and a microbial source tracking marker gene for poultry litter (LA35) in a simulated soil-to-groundwater system. Nine laboratory soil columns containing four different soil types were used to evaluate microbial transport to groundwater via infiltration. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to monitor Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., Brevibacterium sp. LA35 and Bacteroidales leached from soil columns inoculated with poultry litter. S. enterica was correlated with LA35 poultry litter marker gene and FIB concentrations in column soils containing organic matter, but not in acid washed sands. In contrast, S. enterica was found to correlate with LA35 and FIB in the leachate from columns containing sand, but not with leachate from organic soil columns. The majority of recovered DNA was found in leachate of predominately sandy soil columns, and in the soil of loamy columns. At least 90% of the DNA retained in soils for each microbial target was found in the top 3cm of the column. These studies suggest that poultry litter associated pathogens and FIB are rapidly released from litter, but are influenced by complex attenuation mechanisms during infiltration, including soil type. This study advances our understanding of the potential for subsurface transport of poultry litter associated pathogens and FIB, and support the use of the LA35 marker gene for evaluating poultry litter impacts on groundwater.

Bacterial mobilization and transport through manure enriched soils: Experiment and modeling

A precise evaluation of bacteria transport and mathematical investigations are useful for best management practices in agroecosystems. In this study, using laboratory experiments and modeling approaches, we assess the transport of bacteria released from three types of manure (cow, sheep, and poultry) to find the importance of the common manures in agricultural activities in soil and water pollution. Thirty six intact soil columns with different textures (sandy, loamy, and silty clay loam) were sampled. Fecal coliform leaching from layers of the manures on the soil surface was conducted under steady-state saturated flow conditions at 20 °C for up to four Pore Volumes (PVs). Separate leaching experiments were conducted to obtain the initial concentrations of bacteria released from the manures (Co). Influent (Co) and effluent (C) bacteria concentrations were measured by the plate-count method and the normalized concentrations (C/C0) were plotted versus PV representing the breakthrough curves (BTCs). Transport parameters were predicted using the attachment/detachment model (two-kinetic site) in HYDRUS-1D. Simulations fitted well the experimental data (R² = 0.50-0.96). The attachment, detachment, and straining coefficients of bacteria were more influenced by the soils treated with cow manure compared to the sheep and poultry manures. Influent curves of fecal coliforms from the manures (leached without soil) illustrated that the poultry manure had the highest potential to pollute the effluent water from the soils in term of concentration, but the BTCs and simulated data related to the treated soils illustrated that the physical shape of cow manure was more important to both straining and detachment of bacteria back into the soil solution. Detachment trends of bacteria were observed through loam and silty clay loam soils treated with cow manure compared to the cow manure enriched sandy soil. We conclude that management strategies must specifically minimize the effect of fecal coliform concentrations before field application, especially for the combination of poultry and cow manures, which has higher solubility and tailing behavior, respectively. Interestingly, the addition of sheep manure with all three soils had the lowest mobilization of bacteria. We also suggest studying the chemistry of soil solution affected by manures to present all relevant information which affect bacterial movement through soils during leaching.

Influence of soil structure on contaminant leaching from injected slurry

Animal manure application to agricultural land provides beneficial organic matter and nutrients but can spread harmful contaminants to the environment. Contamination of fresh produce, surface water and shallow groundwater with the manure-borne pollutants can be a critical concern. Leaching and persistence of nitrogen, microorganisms (bacteriophage, E. coli, and Enterococcus) and a group of steroid hormone (estrogens) were investigated after injection of swine slurry into either intact (structured) or disturbed (homogeneous repacked) soil. The slurry was injected into hexaplicate soil columns at a rate of 50 t ha^-1 and followed with four irrigation events: 3.5-h period at 10 mm h^-1 after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. The disturbed columns delayed the leaching of a conservative tracer and microorganisms in the first irrigation event compared to the intact columns due to the effect of disturbed macropore flow paths. The slurry constituents that ended up in or near the macropore flow paths of the intact soil were presumably washed out relatively quickly in the first event. For the last three events the intact soil leached fewer microorganisms than the disturbed soil due to the bypassing effect of water through the macropore flow path in the intact soil. Estrogen leached from the intact soil in the first event only, but for the disturbed soil it was detected in the leachates of last two events also. Leaching from the later events was attributed to higher colloid transport from the disturbed soils. In contrast, NO₃-N leaching from the intact soil was higher for all events except the first event, probably due to a lower nitrification rate in the disturbed soil. A week after the last irrigation event, the redistribution of all slurry constituents except NO₃-N in most of the sections of the soil column was higher for the disturbed soil. Total recovery of E. coli was significantly higher from the disturbed soil and total leaching of mineral nitrogen was significantly lower from the disturbed soil. Results demonstrate how manure-borne constituents injected into undisturbed soil columns respond more as expected in the field, in terms of leaching and persistence, than do the same constituents injected into typically constructed columns of disturbed soil.

Rainfall intensity effects on removal of fecal indicator bacteria from solid dairy manure applied over grass-covered soil

The rainfall-induced release of pathogens and microbial indicators from land-applied manure and their subsequent removal with runoff and infiltration precedes the impairment of surface and groundwater resources. It has been assumed that rainfall intensity and changes in intensity during rainfall do not affect microbial removal when expressed as a function of rainfall depth. The objective of this work was to test this assumption by measuring the removal of Escherichia coli, enterococci, total coliforms, and chloride ion from dairy manure applied in soil boxes containing fescue, under 3, 6, and 9cmh(-1) of rainfall. Runoff and leachate were collected at increasing time intervals during rainfall, and post-rainfall soil samples were taken at 0, 2, 5, and 10cm depths. Three kinetic-based models were fitted to the data on manure-constituent removal with runoff. Rainfall intensity appeared to have positive effects on rainwater partitioning to runoff, and removal with this effluent type occurred in two stages. While rainfall intensity generally did not impact the parameters of runoff-removal models, it had significant, inverse effects on the numbers of bacteria remaining in soil after rainfall. As rainfall intensity and soil profile depth increased, the numbers of indicator bacteria tended to decrease. The cumulative removal of E. coli from manure exceeded that of enterococci, especially in the form of removal with infiltration. This work may be used to improve the parameterization of models for bacteria removal with runoff and to advance estimations of depths of bacteria removal with infiltration, both of which are critical to risk assessment of microbial fate and transport in the environment.

Release and Removal of Microorganisms from Land-Deposited Animal Waste and Animal Manures: A Review of Data and Models

Microbial pathogens present a leading cause of impairment to rivers, bays, and estuaries in the United States, and agriculture is often viewed as the major contributor to such contamination. Microbial indicators and pathogens are released from land-applied animal manure during precipitation and irrigation events and are carried in overland and subsurface flow that can reach and contaminate surface waters and ground water used for human recreation and food production. Simulating the release and removal of manure-borne pathogens and indicator microorganisms is an essential component of microbial fate and transport modeling regarding food safety and water quality. Although microbial release controls the quantities of available pathogens and indicators that move toward human exposure, a literature review on this topic is lacking. This critical review on microbial release and subsequent removal from manure and animal waste application areas includes sections on microbial release processes and release-affecting factors, such as differences in the release of microbial species or groups; bacterial attachment in turbid suspensions; animal source; animal waste composition; waste aging; manure application method; manure treatment effect; rainfall intensity, duration, and energy; rainfall recurrence; dissolved salts and temperature; vegetation and soil; and spatial and temporal scale. Differences in microbial release from liquid and solid manures are illustrated, and the influential processes are discussed. Models used for simulating release and removal and current knowledge gaps are presented, and avenues for future research are suggested.

Solid Manure As a Source of Fecal Indicator Microorganisms: Release under Simulated Rainfall

Understanding and quantifying microbial release from manure is a precondition to estimation and management of microbial water quality. The objectives of this work were to determine the effects of rainfall intensity and surface slope on the release of Escherichia coli, enterococci, total coliforms, and dissolved chloride from solid dairy manure and to assess the performance of the one-parametric exponential model and the two-parametric Bradford-Schijven model when simulating the observed release. A controlled-intensity rainfall simulator induced 1 h of release in runoff/leachate partitioning boxes at three rainfall intensities (30, 60, and 90 mm h(-1)) and two surface slopes (5% and 20%). Bacterial concentrations in initial release were more than 1 order of magnitude lower than their starting concentrations in manure. As bacteria were released, they were partitioned into runoff and leachate at similar concentrations, but in different volumes, depending on slope. Bacterial release occurred in two stages that corresponded to mechanisms associated with release of manure liquid- and solid-phases. Parameters of the two models fitted to the bacterial release dependencies on rainfall depth were not significantly affected by rainfall intensity or slope. Based on model performance tests, the Bradford-Schijven model is recommended for simulating bacterial release from solid manure.

Impact of slurry management strategies on potential leaching of nutrients and pathogens in a sandy soil amended with cattle slurry

For farmers, management of cattle slurry (CS) is now a priority, in order to improve the fertilizer value of the slurry and simultaneously minimize its environmental impact. Several slurry pre-treatments and soil application methods to minimize ammonia emissions are now available to farmers, but the impact of such management strategies on groundwater is still unclear. A laboratory experiment was performed over 24 days in controlled conditions, with undisturbed soil columns (sandy soil) in PVC pipes (30 cm high and 5.7 cm in diameter). The treatments considered (4 replicates) were: a control with no amendment (CTR), injection of whole CS (WSI), and surface application of: whole CS (WSS), acidified (pH 5.5) whole CS (AWSS), the liquid fraction obtained by centrifugation of CS (LFS), and acidified (pH 5.5) liquid fraction (ALFS). An amount of CS equivalent to 240 kg N ha(-1) was applied in all treatments. The first leaching event was performed 72 h after application of the treatments and then leaching events were performed weekly to give a total of four irrigation events (IEs). All the leachates obtained were analyzed for mineral and organic nitrogen, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total carbon, and phosphorus. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli were also quantified in the leachates obtained in the first IE. The results show that both acidification and separation had significant effects on the composition of the leachates: higher NO3(-) concentrations were observed for the LFS and ALFS relative to all the other treatments, throughout the experiment, and lower NO3(-) concentrations were observed for acidified relative to non-acidified treatments at IE2. Acidification of both the LF and WS led to higher NH4(+) concentrations as well as an increase of EC for treatment ALFS relative to the control, in the first IE, and lower pH values in the AWSS. Furthermore, the E. coli and total coliform concentrations in AWSS, LFS, and ALFS were significantly higher than in WSI or WSS. In conclusion, none of the strategies generally used to minimize ammonia emissions impact positively on leaching potential relative to the traditional surface application of CS. Furthermore, some treatments, such as separation, might increase significantly the risk of leaching.

Direct and indirect effects of climate change on the risk of infection by water-transmitted pathogens

Climate change is likely to affect the infectious disease burden from exposure to pathogens in water used for drinking and recreation. Effective intervention measures require quantification of impacts of climate change on the distribution of pathogens in the environment and their potential effects on human health. Objectives of this systematic review were to summarize current knowledge available to estimate how climate change may directly and indirectly affect infection risks due to Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Vibrio. Secondary objectives were to prioritize natural processes and interactions that are susceptible to climate change and to identify knowledge gaps. Search strategies were determined based on a conceptual model and scenarios with the main emphasis on The Netherlands. The literature search resulted in a large quantity of publications on climate variables affecting pathogen input and behavior in aquatic environments. However, not all processes and pathogens are evenly covered by the literature, and in many cases, the direction of change is still unclear. To make useful predictions of climate change, it is necessary to combine both negative and positive effects. This review provides an overview of the most important effects of climate change on human health and shows the importance of QMRA to quantify the net effects.

Persistence and leaching potential of microorganisms and mineral N in animal manure applied to intact soil columns

Pathogens may reach agricultural soils through application of animal manure and thereby pose a risk of contaminating crops as well as surface and groundwater. Treatment and handling of manure for improved nutrient and odor management may also influence the amount and fate of manure-borne pathogens in the soil. A study was conducted to investigate the leaching potentials of a phage (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteriophage 28B) and two bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus species, in a liquid fraction of raw pig slurry obtained by solid-liquid separation of this slurry and in this liquid fraction after ozonation, when applied to intact soil columns by subsurface injection. We also compared leaching potentials of surface-applied and subsurface-injected raw slurry. The columns were exposed to irrigation events (3.5-h period at 10 mm h(-1)) after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of incubation with collection of leachate. By the end of incubation, the distribution and survival of microorganisms in the soil of each treatment and in nonirrigated columns with injected raw slurry or liquid fraction were determined. E. coli in the leachates was quantified by both plate counts and quantitative PCR (qPCR) to assess the proportions of culturable and nonculturable (viable and nonviable) cells. Solid-liquid separation of slurry increased the redistribution in soil of contaminants in the liquid fraction compared to raw slurry, and the percent recovery of E. coli and Enterococcus species was higher for the liquid fraction than for raw slurry after the four leaching events. The liquid fraction also resulted in more leaching of all contaminants except Enterococcus species than did raw slurry. Ozonation reduced E. coli leaching only. Injection enhanced the leaching potential of the microorganisms investigated compared to surface application, probably because of a better survival with subsurface injection and a shorter leaching path.

Transport of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in soil columns following applications of raw and separated liquid slurries

The potential for the transport of viable Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts through soil to land drains and groundwater was studied using simulated rainfall and intact soil columns which were applied raw slurry or separated liquid slurry. Following irrigation and weekly samplings over a 4-week period, C. parvum oocysts were detected from all soil columns regardless of slurry type and application method, although recovery rates were low (<1%). Soil columns with injected liquid slurry leached 73 and 90% more oocysts compared to columns with injected and surface-applied raw slurries, respectively. Among leachate samples containing oocysts, 44/72 samples yielded viable oocysts as determined by a dye permeability assay (DAPI [4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole]/propidium iodide) with the majority (41%) of viable oocysts found in leachate from soil columns with added liquid slurry. The number of viable oocysts was positively correlated (r = 0.63) with the total number of oocysts found. Destructively sampling of the soil columns showed that type of slurry and irrigation played a role in the vertical distribution of oocysts, with more oocysts recovered from soil columns added liquid slurry irrespective of the irrigation status. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of different slurry separation technologies to remove oocysts and other pathogens, as well as whether the application of separated liquid slurry to agricultural land may represent higher risks for groundwater contamination compared to application of raw slurry.

Interaction forces drive the environmental transmission of pathogenic protozoa

The protozoan parasites Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and Toxoplasma gondii are pathogens that are resistant to a number of environmental factors and pose significant risks to public health worldwide. Their environmental transmission is closely governed by the physicochemical properties of their cysts (Giardia) and oocysts (Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma), allowing their transport, retention, and survival for months in water, soil, vegetables, and mollusks, which are the main reservoirs for human infection. Importantly, the cyst/oocyst wall plays a key role in that regard by exhibiting a complex polymeric coverage that determines the charge and hydrophobic characteristics of parasites' surfaces. Interaction forces between parasites and other environmental particles may be, in a first approximation, evaluated following the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory of colloidal stability. However, due to the molecular topography and nano- to microstructure of the cyst/oocyst surface, non-DVLO hydrophobic forces together with additional steric attractive and/or repulsive forces may play a pivotal role in controlling the parasite behavior when the organism is subjected to various external conditions. Here, we review several parameters that enhance or hinder the adhesion of parasites to other particles and surfaces and address the role of fast-emerging techniques for mapping the cyst/oocyst surface, e.g., by measuring its topology and the generated interaction forces at the nano- to microscale. We discuss why characterizing these interactions could be a crucial step for managing the environmental matrices at risk of microbial pollution.