Virus removal during groundwater recharge: effects of infiltration rate on adsorption of poliovirus to soil

Abstract

Studies were conducted to determine the influence of infiltration rate on poliovirus removal during groundwater recharge with tertiary-treated wastewater effluents. Experiments were conducted at a uniquely designed, field-situated test recharge basin facility through which some 62,000 m3 of sewage had been previously applied. Recharge at high infiltration rates (75 to 100 cm/h) resulted in the movement ofconsiderable numbers ofseeded poliovirus to the groundwater. Moderately reduced infiltration rates (6 cm/h) affected significantly improved virus removal. Very low infiltration rates (0.5 to 1.0 cm/h), achieved by partial clogging of the test basin, yielded the greatest virus removal efficiencies.

Microbial Removal Rates in Subsurface Media Estimated From Published Studies of Field Experiments and Large Intact Soil Cores

“…The removal rates estimated from the studies by Vaughn et al (1981) and Gerba et al (1991) appear to increase with decreasing infiltration rates (Table 11), which is consistent with the finding for soils. Powelson et al (1993) also observed that removal rate of PRD1 increased with lowering infiltration rate.…”

“…Fewer studies have been undertaken on microbial removal in vadose zones compared with microbial removal in soils and groundwater. Many of the studies performed involving vadose zone media relate to wastewater or sewage effluent infiltration basins (Anders and Chrysikopoulos, 2005; Carre and Dufils, 1991; Ho et al, 1992; Jansons et al, 1989; Powelson et al, 1993; Vaughn et al, 1981). Infiltration experiments through vadose zones using tracer solutions (Frazier et al, 2002; Gerba et al, 1991; McKay et al, 1999), septic tank effluent (Pang et al, 2001; Sinton, 1986), and animal effluent (Krapac et al, 2002) are also reported.…”

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

“…Such conditions as flow rate, hydraulic loading, and application frequency may all influence the extent of virus migration through soils. Vaughn et al [51] reported that infiltration rate greatly influenced poliovirus removal in a groundwater re charge system where tertiary effluent was applied to a coarse sand-fine gravel soil. Recharge at 75 to 100 cm per hour resulted in considerable virus movement into groundwater while at two lower recharge rates, 6 and 0.5-1.0 cm per hour, there was considerably less virus movement.…”