title: Bacteriophage removal in a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) - Implications for wastewater reuse.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the potential removal efficacy of viruses in a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater reuse system, using a range of indigenous and 'spiked' bacteriophages (phages) of known size and morphology. Samples were taken each week for three months from nine locations at each treatment stage of the water recycling plant (WRP) and tested for a range of microbiological parameters (n = 135). Mean levels of faecal coliforms were reduced to 0.3 CFU/100 ml in the MBR product and were undetected in samples taken after the chlorination stage. A relatively large reduction (5.3 log) in somatic coliphages was also observed following MBR treatment. However, F-specific and human-specific (GB124) phages were less abundant at all stages, and demonstrated log reductions post-MBR of 3.5 and 3.8, respectively. In 'spiking' experiments, suspended 'spiked' phages (MS2 and B-14) displayed post-MBR log reductions of 2.25 and 2.30, respectively. The removal of these suspended phages, which are smaller than the membrane pore size (0.04 μm), also highlights the possible role of the membrane biofilm as an effective additional barrier to virus transmission. The findings from this study of a full-scale MBR system demonstrate that the enumeration of several phage groups may offer a practical and conservative way of assessing the ability of MBR to remove enteric viruses of human health significance. They also suggest that phage removal in MBR systems may be highly variable and may be closely related on the one hand to both the size and morphology of the viruses and, on the other, to whether or not they are attached to solids.
authors: Environment and Public Health Research Group, School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: S.E.Purnell@Brighton.ac.uk.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Purnell
authors: Environment and Public Health Research Group, School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Ebdon
authors: Environment and Public Health Research Group, School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom.
authors: Austen
authors: A
authors: Buck
authors: Thames Water Utilities Limited, Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8DB, United Kingdom.
authors: Martyn
authors: M
authors: Tupper
authors: Environment and Public Health Research Group, School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Cockcroft Building, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, United Kingdom.
authors: Huw
authors: H
authors: Taylor
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages; D019149:Bioreactors; D008131:London; D059027:Recycling; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Bacteriophages; Full-scale membrane bioreactor; Phage morphology; Spiking experiments; Virus removal efficacy; Wastewater reuse