Improved Method for Recovery of Enteric Viruses from Wastewater Sludges

摘要

Various parameters involved in recovering indigenous enteric viruses from wastewater sludges aided by buffered beef extract elution and subsequent organic flocculation concentration were examined. Conditions were optimized to yield an overall effective method for use in environmental virus occurrence studies. Initial adsorption of viruses to the sludge solids was best accomplished by adjustment of the samples to pH 3.5 followed by supplementation with aluminum chloride. Elution of the solids-adsorbed viruses was achieved by agitating the solids for 30 minutes in five equivalent volumes of pH 7.4, buffered 10% beef extract solution. Concentration of viruses from the eluants was accomplished by organic flocculation at pH 3.5