Virus adsorption to mineral surfaces is reduced by microbial overgrowth and organic coatings.
In experiments with strains of poliovirus, reovirus, echovirus, and Coxsackievirus, overgrowth with exopolymer-forming bacteria reduced virus adsorption to mineral surfaces. Adsorption was improved when organic materials adsorbed to minerals were removed by low-temperature ashing. In a soil series, virus adsorption increased with soil depth. This paralleled a decrease in organic content, but differences in charge development of the soil particles may also be involved. Prolonged (40-year) irrigation with treated sewage effluents, leading to a buildup of organic coatings, also decreased adsorption. However, saturation of the virus-binding capacity of the soil as a result of continuous exposure to virus-containing effluents was not apparent.
New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research, Empire State Plaza, 12201, Albany, New York, USA.
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Fuhs
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Chen
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Sturman
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Moore