Poliovirus retention in 75-cm soil cores after sewage and rainwater application

Abstract

The adsorption rate of a guanidine-resistant strain of poliovirus LSc 2ab was measured in Long Island soils with in situ field cores (10.1 by 75 cm). The test virus was chosen because it exhibited soil adsorption and elution characteristics of a number of non-polioviruses. After the inoculation of cores with seeded sewage effluent at a 1-cm/h infiltration rate, cores were extracted, fractionated, and analyzed for total plaque-forming units per each 5-cm fraction. The results showed that 77% of the viruses were adsorbed in the first 5 cm of soil. An additional 11% were found in the 5-to 10-cm fraction, and a total of 96% of the viruses were adsorbed by 25 cm. The remaining 4% were uniformly distributed over the next 50 cm of soil, with a minimum of 0.23% in each soil section. Few viruses (<0.22%) were observed in core filtrates. Analysis of the viral distribution pattern in seeded cores, after an application of a single rinse of either sewage effluent or rainwater, indicated that large-scale viral mobilization was absent. However, localized areas of viral movement were noted in both of the rinsed cores, with the rainwaterrinsed cores exhibiting more extensive resorbed at lower core depths. movement. All mobilized viruses were Disposing of treated sewage effluent via basin recharge appears to be a viable and prudent method for supplementing groundwater reservoirs. The successful implementation of such recharge practices demands a thorough knowledge of the behavior and movement of sewageborne human pathogens in the receiving soils and groundwater. The isolation of human enteric viruses from treated sewage effluents (17, 18), as well as from groundwaters beneath wastewater recharge basins (14, 17, 18, 20) indicates that a better understanding of virus-soil interactions during the recharge process is required. Knowledge gained from an evaluation of these basic interactions could improve recharge practices and minimize virus contamination of the aquifer. A recent review by Bitton et al. (1) indicated that many of the basic interactions which occur between viruses and soil particles have been established in soil cores or columns. These interactions seem to be regulated by: (i) the virus type (5); (ii) the composition and pH of the soil (5, 7); (iii) the conductivity of the applied wastewater (3, 11); and (iv) the rate and schedule of wastewater application (6, 11). Recently, Vaughn et al. (18) reported that the groundwaters at three recharge sites on Long Island were contaminated with human enteric viruses.

Adsorption of viruses to soil: impact of anaerobic treatment

“…The adsorption of viruses to soil and virus transport through soil columns has been reported in several studies (Lance et al, 1976;Gerba and Lance, 1978;Landry et al, 1980). Factors that influence virus adsorption include the characteristics of the viruses, the properties of the soil and the chemical composition of the solution that contains the viruses.…”

MS‐2 and poliovirus transport in porous media: Hydrophobic effects and chemical perturbations

“…While several studies of virus transport have been reported [e.g., Duboise et al, 1976;Goyal and Gerba, 1979;Landry et al, 1980;Gerba et al, 1981;Vaughn et al, 1981;Bales et al, 1989Bales et al, , 1991, few have been done under sufficiently well-controlled conditions to allow observing and modeling the effects of solution and surface chemistry on transport. Solution p H and soil-surface hydrophobicity have been shown to be important for phage attachment to and release from surfaces [Bales et al, 1991].…”

Pathogen Removal from Wastewater during Groundwater Recharge

“…This phenom enon was well demonstrated via soil core studies under controlled laboratory conditions [8,34,40,41]. Landry et al [43] showed that virus penetration was more extensive in rainwater-rinsed cores than in wastewater-rinsed cores. Moreover, the desorbed viruses may readsorb at greater depths.…”