Polyaluminum chloride-enhanced concentration efficiency of poliovirus and f2 phage from sewage water

To enhance the recovery of f(2) bacteriophage and poliovirus by an established method based on the adsorption to and elution from positively-charged Al(OH)(3)-treated silica gel.

Polyaluminum Chloride (PAC) was added to water samples to neutralize the negatively charged materials, which can reduce virus recovery by providing a competing adsorption mode on the media surface. Using this improved process (PAC 30 mg l(-1), pH 6.5, temperature 20 approximately 30 degrees C), the recoveries of Poliovirus I and f(2) from small-volume sewage (100 ml) were 110.76 +/- 36.0% and 92.06 +/- 8.65%, respectively (P < 0.05 vs. traditional methods). Recovery from a 20-L volume of sewage averaged 85.65 +/- 4.43% for f(2) and 88.73 +/- 9.76% for poliovirus, significantly higher than the recoveries in the traditional methods (P < 0.05).

PAC could enhance concentration efficiency of poliovirus and f(2) phage from sewage water.

This method should significantly improve the recovery of viruses from sewage.