Burial Disposal of CWD-Infected Carcasses: Migration and Decontamination of Prions in Model Landfill Substrates

Disposal of chronic wasting disease-contaminated carcasses is a challenging task. Prions, the causative agent of chronic wasting disease, are misfolded forms of a naturally occurring protein. Disposal of infected carcasses and other biowaste is made more difficult by the extreme resistance of prions to degradation and their concomitant environmental persistence. The simplest solution to this problem is burying or landfilling contaminated carcasses. Still, questions remain about how prions leach from these sites and pose animal or human health risks. This work explores the extent to which prions leach from such sites using artificial soil columns. We propose investigating factors that influence prion mobility in soils, including soil composition, texture, and chemical properties of both water and soil.  In addition,  we intend to explore the extent to which common chemical decontaminants are effective for soil decontamination. Ultimately, we expect these projects to lead to an improved understanding of prion behavior in the environment and will identify potential options available for safe carcass disposal and prion containment.