Virus removal by biogenic cerium.
The rare earth element cerium has been known to exert antifungal and antibacterial properties in the oxidation states +III and +IV. This study reports on an innovative strategy for virus removal in drinking water by the combination of Ce(III) on a bacterial carrier matrix. The biogenic cerium (bio-Ce) was produced by addition of aqueous Ce(III) to actively growing cultures of either freshwater manganese-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) Leptothrix discophora or Pseudomonas putida MnB29. X-ray absorption spectroscopy results indicated that Ce remained in its trivalent state on the bacterial surface. The spectra were consistent with Ce(III) ions associated with the phosphoryl groups of the bacterial cell wall. In disinfection assays using a bacteriophage as model, it was demonstrated that bio-Ce exhibited antiviral properties. A 4.4 log decrease of the phage was observed after 2 h of contact with 50 mg L(-1) bio-Ce. Given the fact that virus removal with 50 mg L(-1) Ce(III) as CeNO(3) was lower, the presence of the bacterial carrier matrix in bio-Ce significantly enhanced virus removal.
De Gusseme
Bart
B
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
Du Laing
Gijs
G
Hennebel
Tom
T
Renard
Piet
P
Chidambaram
Dev
D
Fitts
Jeffrey P
JP
Bruneel
Els
E
Van Driessche
Isabel
I
Verbeken
Kim
K
Boon
Nico
N
Verstraete
Willy
W
D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D002563:Cerium / Q000378:metabolism*; D042743:Leptothrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D008345:Manganese / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012995:Solubility; D013997:Time Factors; D038301:Virus Inactivation; D056928:X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
D002563:Cerium; D008345:Manganese