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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
A Small Volume Procedure for Viral Concentration from Water
Published on: February 3, 2015
Solar disinfection of poliovirus and Acanthamoeba polyphaga cysts in water - a laboratory study using simulated
W Heaselgrave1, N Patel, S Kilvington
1Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, School of Medicine, University of Leicester, UK.
Aims:
To determine the efficacy of solar disinfection (SODIS) in disinfecting water contaminated with poliovirus and Acanthamoeba polyphaga cysts.
Methods And Results:
Organisms were subjected to a simulated global solar irradiance of 850 Wm(-2) in water temperatures between 25 and 55 degrees C. SODIS at 25 degrees C totally inactivated poliovirus after 6-h exposure (reduction of 4.4 log units). No SODIS-induced reduction in A. polyphaga cyst viability was observed for sample temperatures below 45 degrees C. Total cyst inactivation was only observed after 6-h SODIS exposure at 50 degrees C (3.6 log unit reduction) and after 4 h at 55 degrees C (3.3 log unit reduction).
Conclusions:
SODIS is an effective means of disinfecting water contaminated with poliovirus and A. polyphaga cysts, provided water temperatures of 50-55 degrees C are attained in the latter case.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
This research presents the first SODIS inactivation curve for poliovirus and provides further evidence that batch SODIS provides effective protection against waterborne protozoan cysts.
