Virus-Coal Sorption Interaction

Investigating the Effect of Carbon Shape on Virus Adsorption

“…Figure shows that at 150 min 90% of the available 3.5 × 10 4 virus in solution had been adsorbed to powdered F-400 carbon ((−)100 mesh) with 99% adsorption by 180 min. This was in agreement with the findings of others that found virus adsorption to coal or cell monolayers essentially complete within 2 h ( − ). Cookson () found that only 0.37% additional virus adsorbed to activated carbon at 16 h after the initial contact time of 12 h. For our experiments, >90% adsorption of available virus was obtained for even the smallest weight of carbon used in the 3-h contact time.…”

“…The decrease in capacity for the F-400 as the particle size increases was thought to be due to decreasing area per unit weight of material. Oza and Chaudhuri (13) reported a linear relationship between particle size and adsorption capacity, suggesting that MS2 adsorption was restricted to exterior adsorption sites of coal, and the results of our study indicate this may be true for activated carbon as well. Surface-tovolume ratio varies inversely with the particle radius for granules.…”

“…This medium was selected to enhance virus survival and stability while maximizing adsorption by reducing the thickness of electric double layers (12). In earlier studies of MS2 with coal, adsorption was seen to increase linearly with ionic strength (13). By using a relatively high ionic strength solution, adsorption kinetics of MS2 to activated carbon should have been maximized.…”

“…The large size of MS2 (250 Å) relative to the pore sizes of ACFC (20 Å) used for this research limited virus adsorption to the surface of the fiber. While the GAC F-400 has some mesoporosity (pores of diameter of 20-500 Å), adsorption was presumed to be limited to the granules' surface as other researchers have found (13,16). Cookson (17) determined that the maximum surface area of activated carbon used for adsorption of T4 phage was 18%, while Oza and Chadhuri (13) found only 0.1% of coal surface area used for MS2 adsorption.…”

“…All batch studies were allowed 3 h of contact time between virus and carbon materials in PBS so that equilibrium conditions were established. The 3-h time was determined from an evaluation of the literature and initial kinetic studies that showed sorption to coal be essentially complete within the first 2 h of contact ( , ). Figure shows that at 150 min 90% of the available 3.5 × 10 4 virus in solution had been adsorbed to powdered F-400 carbon ((−)100 mesh) with 99% adsorption by 180 min.…”