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Role of the air-water-solid interface in bacteriophage sorption experiments
S S Thompson1, M Flury, M V Yates
1Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside 92521, USA.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|January 22, 1998
Summary
Polypropylene tubes caused significant inactivation of MS2 bacteriophage, likely due to air-water interfacial forces. Glass tubes and the presence of soil protected MS2 from this inactivation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Microbiology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Batch sorption experiments are crucial for understanding virus behavior in environmental matrices.
- Bacteriophages like MS2 and phi X174 are common surrogates for enteric viruses in environmental studies.
- Reactor vessel material can potentially influence experimental outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the inactivation of bacteriophages MS2 and phi X174 during batch sorption experiments.
- To determine the role of reactor vessel material and air-water interfaces in virus inactivation.
- To assess the influence of soil presence on MS2 inactivation.
Main Methods:
- Conducted batch sorption experiments using MS2 and phi X174 bacteriophages.
- Utilized polypropylene and glass reactor vessels for control experiments (without soil).
- Analyzed virus concentrations in the liquid phase and calculated phage adsorption using the Freundlich isotherm where applicable.
Main Results:
- Significant MS2 inactivation (approx. 99.9%) occurred in polypropylene control tubes, but not in glass tubes.
- MS2 inactivation in polypropylene tubes was minimized when the air-water interface was eliminated.
- The presence of soil reduced MS2 inactivation in polypropylene tubes.
- Bacteriophage phi X174 showed no inactivation in either polypropylene or glass control tubes.
Conclusions:
- Air-water interfacial forces, particularly on hydrophobic surfaces like polypropylene, are responsible for MS2 inactivation.
- Glass reactor vessels do not induce MS2 inactivation.
- Experimental conditions, specifically the air-water-solid interface, must be carefully considered in batch sorption studies involving certain viruses.