Ehhh… There are studies that have been able to direct still hazardous prions in soil lasting for decades.
The scary thing about prions is that they are so hard to get rid of. It isn’t like they are really alive, so they dont need the same environment as microbes or even viruses to survive. They can bind to minerals in clay and silt and just sit around for decades.
Prions just chilling in soil can be there for decades but there are currently a few ongoing studies at universities to see if composting can break down prions. The biggest problem I can see is that normally prions need autoclaving of 130 C for 20 minutes to denature the proteins but composting is done below 55 C for weeks or months.
Are prions a problem in this situation?
Nah, I don’t think mutated protines would survive that long in the soil
Edit: friggan autocorrect
Ehhh… There are studies that have been able to direct still hazardous prions in soil lasting for decades.
The scary thing about prions is that they are so hard to get rid of. It isn’t like they are really alive, so they dont need the same environment as microbes or even viruses to survive. They can bind to minerals in clay and silt and just sit around for decades.
Prions just chilling in soil can be there for decades but there are currently a few ongoing studies at universities to see if composting can break down prions. The biggest problem I can see is that normally prions need autoclaving of 130 C for 20 minutes to denature the proteins but composting is done below 55 C for weeks or months.
That’s friggan insane man