Effect of goethite coating and humic acid on the transport of bacteriophage PRD1 in columns of saturated sand

Dual roles of goethite coating on the transport of plastic nanoparticles in heterogeneous porous media: The significance of collector surface roughness

This study systematically examines the roles of positive goethite on the retention and release of negative plastic nanoparticles (PSNPs) with different surface functional groups (Blank, -COOH, and -NH2). It provides the first evidence for the dual roles of goethite coatings on colloid transport; e.g., increased transport caused by surface morphology modification or decreased transport due to increased surface roughness and charge heterogeneity. Although previous work has shown that goethite-coated sand increases the retention of negative colloids, this work demonstrates that collector surface roughness can also reduce the retention of PSNPs due to increased interaction energy profiles. Nonmonotonic retention of all the different functionalized PSNPs was observed in goethite-coated rough sand, and the magnitude of variations was contingent on the PSNP functionalization, the solution ionic strength (IS), and the goethite coating. The release of PSNPs with IS decrease (phase I) and pH increase (phase II) varied significantly due to differences in energy barriers to detachment, e.g., release in phase I was inhibited in both goethite-coated sands, whereas release in phase II was enhanced in coated smooth sand but completely inhibited in rough sand. The findings of this study provide innovative insight into transport mechanisms for colloidal and colloid-associated contaminants.

E. coli phage transport in porous media: Response to colloid types and water saturation

Because of its long survival time, high migration ability and high pathogenicity, the migration of the virus in the subsurface environment deserves in-depth exploration and research. In this study we investigated the migration behavior of E. coli phage (VI) with organic colloids (HA) or inorganic colloids (SiO2) in the saturated or unsaturated bands and compared the differences in their migration mechanisms.The effects of different colloids on the surface characteristics of VI were analyzed according to particle size and zeta potential. Column experiments were conducted to simulate their migration in the subsurface environment. The results show that HA enhances the stability of VI-HA, promotes VI migration and plays a dominant role in its migration process under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. In contrast, SiO2 puts VI-SiO2 in an unstable state and is easily separated in the unsaturated state, thus promoting VI migration. Based on migration experiments, the extent of influence factors on VI migration was quantified and compared. The effect of colloids on VI migration is greater than that of moisture content, where the effect of HA is greater than that of SiO2. This study provides an experimental research idea to determine the dominant factors affecting virus migration, and provides a general direction and theoretical basis for the biological risk assessment of pathogenic microorganisms in complex underground environments, in order to enable the decision makers to make a response in time, accurately, and efficiently.

Physiological characteristics, geochemical properties and hydrological variables influencing pathogen migration in subsurface system: What we know or not?

The global outbreak of coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) draws attentions in the transport and spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in aerosols, wastewater, surface water and solid wastes. As pathogens eventually enter the subsurface system, e.g., soils in the vadose zone and groundwater in the aquifers, they might survive for a prolonged period of time owing to the uniqueness of subsurface environment. In addition, pathogens can transport in groundwater and contaminate surrounding drinking water sources, possessing long-term and concealed risks to human society. This work critically reviews the influential factors of pathogen migration, unravelling the impacts of pathogenic characteristics, vadose zone physiochemical properties and hydrological variables on the migration of typical pathogens in subsurface system. An assessment algorithm and two rating/weighting schemes are proposed to evaluate the migration abilities and risks of pathogens in subsurface environment. As there is still no evidence about the presence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in the vadose zones and aquifers, this study also discusses the migration potential and behavior of SARS-CoV-2 viruses in subsurface environment, offering prospective clues and suggestions for its potential risks in drinking water and effective prevention and control from hydrogeological points of view.

A Roadmap for Building Waterborne Virus Traps

Outbreaks of waterborne viruses pose a massive threat to human health, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year. Adsorption-based filtration offers a promising facile and environmentally friendly approach to help provide safe drinking water to a world population of almost 8 billion people, particularly in communities that lack the infrastructure for large-scale facilities. The search for a material that can effectively trap viruses has been mainly driven by a top-down approach, in which old and new materials have been tested for this purpose. Despite substantial advances, finding a material that achieves this crucial goal and meets all associated challenges remains elusive. We suggest that the road forward should strongly rely on a complementary bottom-up approach based on our fundamental understanding of virus interactions at interfaces. We review the state-of-the-art physicochemical knowledge of the forces that drive the adsorption of viruses at solid-water interfaces. Compared to other nanometric colloids, viruses have heterogeneous surface chemistry and diverse morphologies. We advocate that advancing our understanding of virus interactions would require describing their physicochemical properties using novel descriptors that reflect their heterogeneity and diversity. Several other related topics are also addressed, including the effect of coadsorbates on virus adsorption, virus inactivation at interfaces, and experimental considerations to ensure well-grounded research results. We finally conclude with selected examples of materials that made notable advances in the field.

Enhancing effects of dissolved and media surface-bound organic matter on titanium dioxide nanoparticles transport in iron oxide-coated porous media under acidic conditions

Natural organic matter (NOM) and iron oxides have been proved to be crucial factors controlling the behaviors of nanoparticles in heterogenous environment. Here, we conducted experimental and modeling study on the transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) in iron oxide-coated quartz in the presence of NOM under acidic conditions. Results showed the antagonistic effects of iron oxides and NOM on TiO₂ NPs mobility. The inhibition of iron oxides coated on quartz was crystal form-dependent other than quantity-dependent. Amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide with higher specific surface area brought more positive charge and favorable deposition sites onto quartz, and induced more retention of nanoparticles than two crystalline iron oxides, goethite and hematite. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) facilitated TiO₂ NPs transport in iron oxide-coated quartz. In comparation with the limited enhancing effects of DOM, the NOM coatings on media surface partially or largely offset the inhibition of goethite on nanoparticles mobility through direct occupation of attachment sites and sites screening due to the steric repulsion of the macromolecules. Owing to the higher steric hindrance, humic acid, both in dissolved and media surface-bound states, exerted stronger facilitating effects on TiO₂ NPs mobility relative to fulvic acid.

Micro- and nanoplastics retention in porous media exhibits different dependence on grain surface roughness and clay coating with particle size

The presence and/or coating of natural colloids (e.g., clays and metal oxides or hydroxides) on collector surfaces has frequently been demonstrated to enhance the retention of engineered colloids that are negatively charged due to favorable electrostatic interactions. However, this work demonstrates that the presence of natural clay coating can lead to reduced or nonmonotonic retention of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs). Column experiments were carried out to systematically investigate the transport of MNPs with different sizes in relatively smooth and rough sands that had various clay coating fractions. These coating fractions on the collector were found to significantly influence MNP retention in a complex manner that changed with the colloid size and the roughness properties of the sand. This observation was attributed to the impact of clay coatings on the roughness and morphology properties of collector surfaces that were dominant over surface charge. Scanning electron microscopy and interaction energy calculations on surfaces with pillars or valleys indicate that mechanisms that contributed to MNP retention changed with the colloid size. In particular, retention of nanosized plastics was mainly controlled by interactions on convex/concave locations that changed with the solution chemistry, whereas microsized plastics were also strongly influenced by the applied hydrodynamic torque and straining processes. Additionally, the significant sensitivity of MNP retention under a low-level ionic strength also reflects the importance of roughness and charge heterogeneities. These observations are important for investigating the mechanisms of colloid transport in natural systems that ubiquitously exhibit clay coating on their surfaces.

Effects of selected functional groups on nanoplastics transport in saturated media under diethylhexyl phthalate co-contamination conditions

The production and degradation of plastic remains can result in nanoplastics (NPs) formation. However, insufficient information regarding the environmental behaviors of NPs impedes comprehensive assessment of their significant threats. In this study, the transport behavior of unmodified NPs (PSNPs), carboxyl-modified NPs (PSNPs-COOH), and amino-modified NPs (PSNPs-NH₂) was investigated using column experiments in the presence and absence of goethite (GT) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Quantum chemical computation was performed to reveal the transport mechanisms. The results showed that GT decreased the transport of NPs and the presence of DEHP decreased it further. Van der Waals forces and small electrostatic interactions coexisted between the PSNPs and GT and caused deposition. Ligand exchange caused greater deposition of PSNPs-COOH on GT-coated sand than that of PSNPs. Although hydrogen bonding existed between the DEHP and NPs with functional groups, an increase in the positive charge and chemical heterogeneity of the collector was the main reason for DEHP promoting the deposition of NPs. Because of low absolute negative zeta potential values, PSNPs-NH₂ was sensitive to chemical heterogeneity, and thus fully deposited (over 96.9%) in GT and GT-DEHP-coated columns. Generally, the deposition of NPs due to chemical heterogeneity was more significant than that due to the formation of chemical bonds and van der Waals, electrostatic, and hydrogen interactions. Our results highlight that the surface charge and functional groups significantly influence the transport behaviors of NPs and elucidate the fate of NPs in the terrestrial environment.

The influence of different charged poly (amido amine) dendrimer on the transport and deposition of bacteria in porous media

The influence of dendrimer on the bacterial transport and deposition behaviors in saturated porous media (quartz sand) was investigated in both NaCl (10 and 25 mM) and CaCl₂ solutions (1.2 and 5 mM). 3.5G and 4G poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimer was employed as negatively and positively charged dendrimer, respectively. Three dendrimer concentrations (10 μg/L, 1 and 10 mg/L) were considered in present study. We found that regardless of the solution chemistry (ionic strength and ion types) and dendrimer concentrations, the presence of negatively charged PAMAM 3.5G in suspensions enhanced bacterial transport and inhibited their deposition in quartz sand; while the presence of positive charged PAMAM 4G yet induced the opposite effects (decreased bacterial transport and increased their deposition in quartz sand). The increased repulsive force between cell and quartz sand due to the adsorption of PAMAM 3.5G onto both cell and sand surfaces, the competition deposition sites as well as the steric repulsion via the suspended PAMAM 3.5G drove to the increased bacterial transport with PAMAM 3.5G copresent in suspensions in quartz sand. While the reduced repulsive force between cell and quartz sand induced by the chemical heterogeneity on both cell and sand surfaces (due to the adsorption of positive charged PAMAM 4G) increased bacterial retention in quartz sand with copresence of PAMAM 4G (10 μg/L and 1 mg/L) in suspensions. Steric repulsion due to the presence of great amount of suspended PAMAM 4G yet lead to the enhanced bacterial transport with furthering increasing PAMAM 4G to 10 mg/L relative to the lower PAMAM 4G concentration.

Influence of physico-chemical characteristics of sediment on the in situ spatial distribution of F-specific RNA phages in the riverbed

Riverbed sediment is commonly described as an enteric virus reservoir and thought to play an important role in water column contamination, especially during rainfall events. Although the occurrence and fate of faecal-derived viruses are fairly well characterized in water, little information is available on their presence as their interactions with sediment. This study aimed at determining the main environmental factors responsible for the presence of enteric viruses in riverbed sediment. Using a combination of microbiological and physico-chemical analyses of freshly field-sampled sediments, we demonstrated their contamination by faecal phages. The in situ spatial distribution of phages in sediment was mainly driven by sediment composition. A preferential phage accumulation occurred along one bank of the river, where the quantity of fine sands and clay particles smaller than 0.2 mm was the highest. Additionally, a mineralogical analysis revealed the influence of the heterogeneous presence of virus sorbents such as quartz, calcite, carbonates and iron-bearing phases (goethite) on the phage spatial pattern. A more precise knowledge of the composition of riverbed sediment is therefore useful for predicting preferential areas of enteric virus accumulation and should allow more accurate microbial risk assessment when using surface water for drinking water production or recreational activities.

Transport of Escherichia coli phage through saturated porous media considering managed aquifer recharge

Virus is one of the most potentially harmful microorganisms in groundwater. In this paper, the effects of hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemical conditions on the transportation of the colloidal virus considering managed aquifer recharge were systematically investigated. Escherichia coli phage, vB_EcoM-ep3, has a broad host range and was able to lyse pathogenic Escherichia coli. Bacteriophage with low risk to infect human has been found extensively in the groundwater environment, so it is considered as a representative model of groundwater viruses. Laboratory studies were carried out to analyze the transport of the Escherichia coli phage under varying conditions of pH, ionic strength, cation valence, flow rate, porous media, and phosphate buffer concentration. The results indicated that decreasing the pH will increase the adsorption of Escherichia coli phage. Increasing the ionic strength, either Na⁺ or Ca²⁺, will form negative condition for the migration of Escherichia coli phage. A comparison of different cation valence tests indicated that changes in transport and deposition were more pronounced with divalent Ca²⁺ than monovalent Na⁺. As the flow rate increases, the release of Escherichia coli phage increases and the retention of Escherichia coli phage in the aquifer medium reduces. Changes in porous media had a significant effect on Escherichia coli phage migration. With increase of phosphate buffer concentration, the suspension stability and migration ability of Escherichia coli phage are both increased. Based on laboratory-scale column experiments, a one-dimensional transport model was established to quantitatively describe the virus transport in saturated porous medium.

Influence of Bisphenol A on the transport and deposition behaviors of bacteria in quartz sand

The influence of Bisphenol A (BPA) on the transport and deposition behaviors of bacteria in quartz sand was examined in both NaCl (10 and 25 mM) and CaCl₂ solutions (1.2 and 5 mM) by comparing the breakthrough curves and retained profiles of cell with BPA in suspensions versus those without BPA. Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis were employed as model cells in the present study. The extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek interaction energy calculation revealed that the presence of BPA in cell suspensions led to a lower repulsive interaction between the cells and the quartz sand. This suggests that, theoretically, increased cell deposition on quartz sand would be expected in the presence of BPA. However, under all examined solution conditions, the presence of BPA in cell suspensions increased transport and decreased deposition of bacteria in porous media regardless of cell type, ionic strength, ion valence, the presence or absence of extracellular polymeric substances. We found that competition by BPA through hydrophobicity for deposition sites on the quartz sand surfaces was the sole contributor to the enhanced transport and decreased deposition of bacteria in the presence of BPA.

Effect of bacteria on the transport and deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in saturated porous media

The influence of bacteria on the transport and deposition behaviors of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in quartz sand was examined in both NaCl (5 and 25 mM ionic strength) and CaCl2 (0.3 and 1.2 mM ionic strength) solutions at unadjusted pH (5.6-5.8) by direct comparison of both breakthrough curves and retained profiles in both the presence and absence of bacteria. Two types of widely utilized CNTs, i.e., carboxyl- and hydroxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH and MWCNT-OH, respectively), were employed as model CNTs and Escherichia coli was utilized as the model bacterium. The results showed that, for both types of MWCNTs under all examined conditions, the breakthrough curves were higher in the presence of bacteria, while the retained profiles were lower, indicating that the co-presence of bacteria in suspension increased the transport and decreased the deposition of MWCNTs in porous media, regardless of ionic strength or ion valence. Complementary characterizations and extra column tests demonstrated that competition by bacteria for deposition sites on the quartz sand surfaces was a major (and possibly the sole) contributor to the enhanced MWCNTs transport in porous media.

Transport and retention of bacteria and viruses in biochar-amended sand

The transport and retention of Escherichia coli and bacteriophages (PRD1, MS2 and ФX174), as surrogates for human pathogenic bacteria and viruses, respectively, were studied in the sand that was amended with several types of biochar produced from various feedstocks. Batch and column studies were conducted to distinguish between the role of attachment and straining in microbe retention during transport. Batch experiments conducted at various solution chemistries showed negligible attachment of viruses and bacteria to biochar before or after chemical activation. At any given solution ionic strength, the attachment of viruses to sand was significantly higher than that of biochar, whereas bacteria showed no attachment to either sand or biochar. Consistent with batch results, biochar addition (10% w/w) to sand reduced virus retention in the column experiments, suggesting a potential negative impact of biochar application to soil on virus removal. In contrast, the retention of bacteria was enhanced in biochar-amended sand columns. However, elimination of the fine fraction (<60μm) of biochar particles in biochar-amended sand columns significantly reduced bacteria retention. Results from batch and column experiments suggest that land application of biochar may only play a role in microbe retention via straining, by alteration of pore size distribution, and not via attachment. Consequently, the particle size distribution of biochar and sediments is a more important factor than type of biochar in determining whether land application of biochar enhances or diminishes microbial retention.

Stability of nTiO2 particles and their attachment to sand: Effects of humic acid at different pH

The fate and transport of nano-scale or micro-scale titanium dioxide particles (nTiO2) in subsurface environments are strongly influenced by the stability of nTiO2 and their attachment to sediment grains. nTiO2 may carry either positive or negative charges in natural water, therefore, environmental factors such as pH, humic substances, and Fe oxyhydroxide coatings on sediment grains, which are known to control the stability and transport of negatively-charged colloids, may influence nTiO2 in different manners. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of pH and humic acid (HA) on the stability and attachment of nTiO2 to sand at HA concentrations that are relevant to typical groundwater conditions, so that mechanisms that control nTiO2 immobilization and transport in natural systems can be elucidated. Stability and attachment of nTiO2 to quartz sand and Fe oxyhydroxide coated quartz sand are experimentally measured under a range of HA concentrations at pH5 and 9. Results show that at pH5, negatively-charged HA strongly adsorbs to positively-charged nTiO2 and Fe oxyhydroxide, which, at low HA concentrations, partially neutralizes the positive charges on nTiO2 and Fe oxyhydroxide, and therefore decreases the repulsive electrostatic forces between the surfaces, resulting in nTiO2 aggregation and attachment. At high HA concentrations, adsorbed HA reverses the surface charges of nTiO2 and Fe oxyhydroxide, and makes nTiO2 and Fe oxyhydroxide strongly negatively charged, resulting in stable nTiO2 suspension and low nTiO2 attachment. At pH9, HA, nTiO2, and Fe oxyhydroxide are all negatively charged, and HA adsorption is low and does not have a strong impact on the stability and attachment of nTiO2. Overall, this study shows that changes in surface charges of nTiO2 and Fe oxyhydroxide coating caused by HA adsorption is a key factor that influences the stability and attachment of nTiO2.

DLVO and XDLVO calculations for bacteriophage MS2 adhesion to iron oxide particles

In this study, batch experiments were performed to examine the adhesion of bacteriophage MS2 to three iron oxide particles (IOP1, IOP2 and IOP3) with different particle properties. The characteristics of MS2 and iron oxides were analyzed using various techniques to construct the classical DLVO and XDLVO potential energy profiles between MS2 and iron oxides. X-ray diffractometry peaks indicated that IOP1 was mainly composed of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), but also contained some goethite (α-FeOOH). IOP2 was composed of hematite (α-Fe2O3) and IOP3 was composed of iron (Fe), magnetite (Fe3O4) and iron oxide (FeO). Transmission electron microscope images showed that the primary particle size of IOP1 (γ-Fe2O3) was 12.3±4.1nm. IOP2 and IOP3 had primary particle sizes of 167±35nm and 484±192nm, respectively. A surface angle analyzer demonstrated that water contact angles of IOP1, IOP2, IOP3 and MS2 were 44.83, 64.00, 34.33 and 33.00°, respectively. A vibrating sample magnetometer showed that the magnetic saturations of IOP1, IOP2 and IOP3 were 176.87, 17.02 and 946.85kA/m, respectively. Surface potentials measured in artificial ground water (AGW; 0.075mM CaCl2, 0.082mM MgCl2, 0.051mM KCl, and 1.5mM NaHCO3; pH7.6) indicated that iron oxides and MS2 were negatively charged in AGW (IOP1=-0.0185V; IOP2=-0.0194V; IOP3=-0.0301V; MS2=-0.0245V). Batch experiments demonstrated that MS2 adhesion to iron oxides was favorable in the order of IOP1>IOP2>IOP3. This tendency was well predicted by the classical DLVO model. In the DLVO calculations, both the sphere-plate and sphere-sphere geometries predicted the same trend of MS2 adhesion to iron oxides. Additionally, noticeable differences were not found between the DLVO and XDLVO interaction energy profiles, indicating that hydrophobic interactions did not play a major role; electrostatic interactions, however, did influence MS2 adhesion to iron oxides. Furthermore, the aggregation of iron oxides was investigated with a modified XDLVO model. This model included magnetic interactions between the particles in order to predict the aggregation of iron oxides. Even though iron oxide particle aggregation could occur under experimental conditions, the DLVO model results using primary particle size were more suitable for the interactions between MS2 and the iron oxides because of fast sorption of MS2 onto the surfaces of iron oxides.

Transport of Human Adenoviruses in Water Saturated Laboratory Columns

Groundwater may be contaminated with infective human enteric viruses from various wastewater discharges, sanitary landfills, septic tanks, agricultural practices, and artificial groundwater recharge. Coliphages have been widely used as surrogates of enteric viruses, because they share many fundamental properties and features. Although a large number of studies focusing on various factors (i.e. pore water solution chemistry, fluid velocity, moisture content, temperature, and grain size) that affect biocolloid (bacteria, viruses) transport have been published over the past two decades, little attention has been given toward human adenoviruses (hAdVs). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pore water velocity on hAdV transport in water saturated laboratory-scale columns packed with glass beads. The effects of pore water velocity on virus transport and retention in porous media was examined at three pore water velocities (0.39, 0.75, and 1.22 cm/min). The results indicated that all estimated average mass recovery values for hAdV were lower than those of coliphages, which were previously reported in the literature by others for experiments conducted under similar experimental conditions. However, no obvious relationship between hAdV mass recovery and water velocity could be established from the experimental results. The collision efficiencies were quantified using the classical colloid filtration theory. Average collision efficiency, α, values decreased with decreasing flow rate, Q, and pore water velocity, U, but no significant effect of U on α was observed. Furthermore, the surface properties of viruses and glass beads were used to construct classical DLVO potential energy profiles. The results revealed that the experimental conditions of this study were unfavorable to deposition and that no aggregation between virus particles is expected to occur. A thorough understanding of the key processes governing virus transport is pivotal for public health protection.

Efficacy of biochar to remove Escherichia coli from stormwater under steady and intermittent flow

Biofilters, designed to facilitate the infiltration of stormwater into soil, are generally ineffective in removing bacteria from stormwater, thereby causing pollution of groundwater and receiving surface waters. The bacterial removal capacity of biofilters has been shown to be lower in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) and during intermittent infiltration of stormwater. To improve the removal of fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli) under these conditions, we amended sand with 5% (by weight) biochar, a carbonaceous geomedia produced by pyrolysis of biomass, and investigated the removal and remobilization of E. coli. Three types of biochar were used to evaluate the role of biochar properties on the removal. Compared to sand, biochar not only retained up to 3 orders of magnitude more E. coli, but also prevented their mobilization during successive intermittent flows. In the presence of NOM, the removal capacity of biochar was lower, but remained higher than sand alone. The improved retention with the biochar amendment is attributed to an increase in the attachment of E. coli at the primary minimum and to an increase in the water-holding capacity of biochar-amended sand, which renders driving forces such as moving air-water interfaces less effective in detaching bacteria from grain surfaces. Biochars with lower volatile matter and polarity appear to be more effective in removing bacteria from stormwater. Overall, our results suggest that a biochar amendment to biofilter media has the potential to effectively remove bacteria from stormwater.

Transport and removal of bacteriophages MS2 and PhiX174 in steel slag-amended soils: column experiments and transport model analyses

The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of bacteriophages MS2 and PhiX174 in soils amended with converter furnace steel slag. Column experiments were performed to examine the bacteriophage removal in slag-amended (slag content: 0%, 25%, and 50%) loam soils. For comparison, column experiments were also conducted with Escherichia coli. In addition, chloride (Cl) was used as a conservative tracer to determine transport characteristics. Results showed mass recoveries of Cl of 98.6 +/- 3.5%, indicating that the experiments were conducted successfully. The mass recovery of MS2 was 86.7% in no slag (100% soil), decreasing to 0% in slag contents of 25% and 50%. The mass recovery of PhiX174 decreased from 87.8% to 51.5% with increasing slag content from 0% to 50%. In the case of E. coli, the mass recoveries decreased from 47.0% to 10.5% with increasing slag content from 0% to 50%. In the transport models analyses, the HYDRUS-1D code was used to quantify the sorption parameters from breakthrough curves. For the 100% soil column, a one-site kinetic sorption model was fitted to the data, whereas a two-site kinetic sorption model was fitted for slag-amended (25% and 50% slag) soil data. Results demonstrate that the addition of steel slag to soil enhances the removal of bacteriophages due to the presence of FeO in the steel slag. However, CaO could not contribute to the bacteriophage removal in our experimental conditions because the effluent pH (7.7-8.9) in slag-amended (25% and 50% slag) soils was not high enough to promote the bacteriophage inactivation.

Effects of environmental and clinical interferents on the host capture efficiency of immobilized bacteriophages

Bacteriophage-functionalized surfaces are a new class of advanced functional material and have been demonstrated to be applicable for use as antimicrobial surfaces in medical applications (e.g., indwelling medical devices or wound dressings) or as biosensors for bacterial capture and detection. However, the complex composition of many real life samples (e.g., blood, natural waters, etc.) can potentially interfere with the interaction of phage and its bacterial host, leading to a decline in the efficiency of the phage-functionalized surface. In this study, the bacterial capture efficiency of two model phage-functionalized surfaces was assessed in the presence of potential environmental and biomedical interferents. The two phage-bacteria systems used in this study are PRD1 with Salmonella Typhimurium and T4 with Escherichia coli. The potential interferents tested included humic and fulvic acids, natural groundwater, colloidal latex microspheres, host extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), albumin, fibrinogen, and human serum. EPS and human serum decreased the host capture efficiency for immobilized PRD1 and T4, and also impaired the infectivity of the nonimmobilized (planktonic) phage. Interestingly, humic and fulvic acids reduced the capture efficiency of T4-functionalized surfaces, even though they did not lead to inactivation of the suspended virions. Neither humic nor fulvic acids affected the capture efficiency of PRD1. These findings demonstrate the inadequacy of traditional phage selection methods (i.e., infectivity of suspended phage toward its host in clean buffer) for designing advanced functional materials and further highlight the importance of taking into account the environmental conditions in which the immobilized phage is expected to function.

Influence of natural organic matter on transport and retention of polymer coated silver nanoparticles in porous media

Interactions between organic matter (OM) and engineered polymer coatings as they affect the retention of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were studied. Two distinct types of OM-cysteine representing low molecular weight multivalent functional groups, and Suwannee River Humic Acid (HA) representing high molecular weight polymers, were investigated with respect to their effects on particle stability in aggregation and deposition. Aggregation of the PVP coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs) was enhanced by cysteine addition at high ionic strengths, which was attributed to cysteine binding to the AgNPs and replacing the otherwise steric stabilizing agent PVP. In contrast the addition of HA did not increase aggregation rates and decreased PVP-AgNP deposition to the silica porous medium, consistent with enhanced electrosteric stabilization by the HA. Although cysteine also reduced deposition in the porous medium, the mechanisms of reduced deposition appear to be enhanced electric double layer (EDL) interaction at low ionic strengths. At higher ionic strengths, aggregation was favored leading to lower deposition due to smaller diffusion coefficients and single collector efficiencies despite the reduced EDL interactions.

Effect of carbon nanotubes on the transport and retention of bacteria in saturated porous media

This study investigated the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the transport and retention behaviors of bacteria (E. coli) in packed porous media at both low and high ionic strength in NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. At low ionic strengths (5 mM NaCl and 0.3 mM CaCl2), both breakthrough curves and retained profiles of bacteria with CNTs (both 5 and 10 mg L(-1)) were equivalent to those without CNTs, indicating the presence of CNTs did not affect the transport and retention of E. coli at low ionic strengths. The results were supported by those from cell characterization tests (i.e., viability, surface properties, sizes), which showed no significant difference between with and without CNTs. In contrast, breakthrough curves of bacteria with CNTs were lower than those without CNTs at high ionic strengths (25 mM NaCl and 1.2 mM CaCl2), suggesting that the presence of CNTs decreased cell transport at high ionic strengths. The enhanced bacterial deposition in the presence of CNTs was mainly observed at segments near the column inlet, leading to much steeper retained profiles relative to those without CNTs. Additional transport experiments conducted with sand columns predeposited with CNTs revealed that the codeposition of bacteria with CNTs, as well as the deposition of the cell-CNTs cluster formed in cell suspension due to cell bridging effect, largely contributed to the increased deposition of bacteria at high ionic strengths in porous media.

Effect of dissolved calcium on the removal of bacteriophage PRD1 during soil passage: the role of double-layer interactions

The objective of this work was to investigate and obtain quantitative relations for the effects of Ca(2+) concentration on virus removal in saturated soil and to compare the experimental findings with predictions of the DLVO theory. In order to do so, a systematic study was performed with a range of calcium concentrations corresponding to natural field conditions. Experiments were conducted in a 50-cm column with clean quartz sand under saturated conditions. Inflow solutions were prepared by adding CaCl(2,) NaCl and NaHCO(3) to de-ionized water. Values of pH and ionic strength were fixed at 7 and 10mM, respectively. Bacteriophage PRD1 was used as a conservative model virus for virus removal. The samples were assayed using the plaque forming technique. Attachment, detachment and inactivation rate coefficients were determined from fitting breakthrough curves. Attachment rate coefficients were found to increase with increasing calcium concentration. Results were used to calculate sticking efficiency, for which an empirical formula as a function of Ca(2+) was developed. Numerical solutions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation were obtained to evaluate the effect of Ca(2+) on the double-layer interactions between quartz and PRD1. Based on these results, the DLVO interaction energies were calculated. It turned out that the experimental findings cannot be explained with the distance profiles of the DLVO interaction. The discrepancy between theory and experiment can be attributed to underestimation of the van der Waals interactions, chemisorption of Ca(2+) onto the surfaces, or by factors affecting the double-layer interactions, which are not included in the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. When abruptly changing from inflow solution containing Ca(2+) to a Ca(2+)-free solution, pronounced mobilization of viruses was observed. This indicates virus removal is not irreversible and that chemical perturbations of the groundwater can cause a burst of released viruses.

Modeling colloid deposition on a protein layer adsorbed to iron-oxide-coated sand

Our recent study reported that conformation change of granule-associated Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) may influence the role of the protein controlling colloid deposition in porous media (Flynn et al., 2012). The present study conceptualized the observed phenomena with an ellipsoid morphology model, describing BSA as an ellipsoid taking a side-on or end-on conformation on granular surface, and identified the following processes: (1) at low adsorbed concentrations, BSA exhibited a side-on conformation blocking colloid deposition; (2) at high adsorbed concentrations, BSA adapted to an end-on conformation promoted colloid deposition; and (3) colloid deposition on the BSA layer may progressively generate end-on molecules (sites) by conformation change of side-on BSA, resulting in sustained increasing deposition rates. Generally, the protein layer lowered colloid attenuation by the porous medium, suggesting the overall effect of BSA was inhibitory at the experimental time scale. A mathematical model was developed to interpret the ripening curves. Modeling analysis identified the site generation efficiency of colloid as a control on the ripening rate (declining rate in colloid concentrations), and this efficiency was higher for BSA adsorbed from a more dilute BSA solution.

Interactions between rotavirus and Suwannee River organic matter: aggregation, deposition, and adhesion force measurement

Interactions between rotavirus and Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM) were studied by time-resolved dynamic light scattering, quartz crystal microbalance, and atomic force microscopy. In NOM-containing NaCl solutions of up to 600 mM, rotavirus suspension remained stable for over 4 h. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement for interaction force decay length at different ionic strengths showed that nonelectrostatic repulsive forces were mainly responsible for eliminating aggregation in NaCl solutions. Aggregation rates of rotavirus in solutions containing 20 mg C/L increased with divalent cation concentration until reaching a critical coagulation concentration of 30 mM CaCl(2) or 70 mM MgCl(2). Deposition kinetics of rotavirus on NOM-coated silica surface was studied using quartz crystal microbalance. Experimental attachment efficiencies for rotavirus adsorption to NOM-coated surface in MgCl(2) solution were lower than in CaCl(2) solution at a given divalent cation concentration. Stronger adhesion force was measured for virus-virus and virus-NOM interactions in CaCl(2) solution compared to those in MgCl(2) or NaCl solutions at the same ionic strength. This study suggested that divalent cation complexation with carboxylate groups in NOM and on virus surface was an important mechanism in the deposition and aggregation kinetics of rotavirus.

The impact of temperature on the inactivation of enteric viruses in food and water: a review

Temperature is considered as the major factor determining virus inactivation in the environment. Food industries, therefore, widely apply temperature as virus inactivating parameter. This review encompasses an overview of viral inactivation and virus genome degradation data from published literature as well as a statistical analysis and the development of empirical formulae to predict virus inactivation. A total of 658 data (time to obtain a first log(10) reduction) were collected from 76 published studies with 563 data on virus infectivity and 95 data on genome degradation. Linear model fitting was applied to analyse the effects of temperature, virus species, detection method (cell culture or molecular methods), matrix (simple or complex) and temperature category (<50 and ≥50°C). As expected, virus inactivation was found to be faster at temperatures ≥50°C than at temperatures <50°C, but there was also a significant temperature-matrix effect. Virus inactivation appeared to occur faster in complex than in simple matrices. In general, bacteriophages PRD1 and PhiX174 appeared to be highly persistent whatever the matrix or the temperature, which makes them useful indicators for virus inactivation studies. The virus genome was shown to be more resistant than infectious virus. Simple empirical formulas were developed that can be used to predict virus inactivation and genome degradation for untested temperatures, time points or even virus strains.

Influence of ionic strength and pH on the limitation of latex microsphere deposition sites on iron-oxide coated sand by humic acid

This study, for the first time, investigates and quantifies the influence of slight changes in solution pH and ionic strength (IS) on colloidal microsphere deposition site coverage by Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) in a column matrix packed with saturated iron-oxide coated sand. Triple pulse experimental (TPE) results show adsorbed SRHA enhances microsphere mobility more at higher pH and lower IS and covers more sites than at higher IS and lower pH. Random sequential adsorption (RSA) modelling of experimental data suggests 1 μg of adsorbed SRHA occupied 9.28 ± 0.03 × 10(9) sites at pH7.6 and IS of 1.6 mMol but covered 2.75 ± 0.2 × 10(9) sites at pH6.3 and IS of 20 mMol. Experimental responses are suspected to arise from molecular conformation changes whereby SRHA extends more at higher pH and lower ionic strength but is more compact at lower pH and higher IS. Results suggest effects of pH and IS on regulating SRHA conformation were additive.

Systematic study of effects of pH and ionic strength on attachment of phage PRD1

Objectives of this work are to investigate effects of pH and ionic strength (IS) on virus transport in saturated soil and to develop a quantitative relationship for these effects. A series of 50-cm column experiments with clean quartz sand under saturated conditions and with pH values of 5, 6, 7, 8, and IS values of 1, 10, and 20 mM were conducted. Bacteriophage PRD1 was used as a model virus. Applying a one-site kinetic model, attachment, detachment, and inactivation rate coefficients were determined from fitting breakthrough curves using the software package Hydrus-1D. Attachment rate coefficients increased with decreasing pH and increasing IS, in agreement with DLVO theory. Sticking efficiencies were calculated from the attachment rate coefficients and used to develop an empirical formula for sticking efficiency as a function of pH and IS. This relationship is applicable under unfavorable conditions for virus attachment. We compared sticking efficiencies predicted by the empirical formula with those from field and column experiments. Within the calibrated range of pH and IS, the predicted and observed sticking efficiencies are in reasonable agreement for bacteriophages PRD1 and MS2. However, the formula significantly overestimates sticking efficiencies for IS higher than 100 mM. In addition, it performs less well for viruses with different surface reactivity than PRD1 and MS2. Effects of pH and IS on detachment and inactivation rate coefficients were also investigated but the experimental results do not allow constraining these parameters with sufficient certainty.

Quantifying the influence of humic acid adsorption on colloidal microsphere deposition onto iron-oxide-coated sand

This article describes an approach for quantifying microsphere deposition onto iron-oxide-coated sand under the influence of adsorbed Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA). The experimental technique involved a triple pulse injection of model latex microspheres (microspheres) in pulses of (1) microspheres, followed by (2) SRHA, and then (3) microspheres, into a column filled with iron-coated quartz sand as a water-saturated porous medium. A random sequential adsorption model (RSA) simulated the gradual rise in the first (microsphere) breakthrough curve (BTC). Using the same model calibration parameters a dramatic increase in concentration at the start of the second particle BTC, generated after SRHA injection, could be simulated by matching microsphere concentrations to extrapolated RSA output. RSA results and microsphere/SRHA recoveries showed that 1 μg of SRHA could block 5.90 ± 0.14 × 10(9) microsphere deposition sites. This figure was consistent between experiments injecting different SRHA masses, despite contrasting microsphere deposition/release regimes generating the second microsphere BTC.

Virus' (MS2, phiX174, and Aichi) attachment on sand measured by atomic force microscopy and their transport through sand columns

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the attachment of phiX174, MS2, and Aichi viruses on sands of different surface properties: oxide-removed (clean), goethite-coated, and aluminum oxide-coated. Interaction forces between viruses and sand surfaces were measured by contact mode AFM using tips coated with particles of each virus. Column experiments were conducted to quantify the macroscopic transport and retention of the viruses in sand. The average adhesion force measured with AFM was highest between aluminum oxide-coated sand and all three viruses, followed by goethite-coated sand, and was significantly lower on oxide-removed sand. Among the viruses, adhesion on goethite-coated and aluminum oxide-coated sands followed the order of MS2 > Aichi > phiX174, and on oxide-removed sand it was phiX174 > Aichi > MS2. Column breakthrough results revealed the same retention trend, which was completely consistent with AFM force measurements. Strong electrostatic attraction and, to a lesser extent, hydrophobic interactions are responsible for the much greater removal of all three viruses observed in the oxide-coated sands compared to the oxide-removed sand. Mass recovery data indicate that the removal of phiX174, MS2, and Aichi was largely reversible when eluted with 3% beef extract solution at pH 9.5. The Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) and extended DLVO theories provided correct qualitative predictions on the deposition trend observed in the experiments. This study, to the best of our knowledge, was the first to employ AFM to directly measure interaction forces between viruses and solid surfaces; and it was the first to evaluate the retention and transport behavior of Aichi virus, a human pathogen.

Vulnerability of unconfined aquifers to virus contamination

An empirical formula was developed for determining the vulnerability of unconfined sandy aquifers to virus contamination, expressed as a dimensionless setback distance r(s)(*). The formula can be used to calculate the setback distance required for the protection of drinking water production wells against virus contamination. This empirical formula takes into account the intrinsic properties of the virus and the unconfined sandy aquifer. Virus removal is described by a rate coefficient that accounts for virus inactivation and attachment to sand grains. The formula also includes pumping rate, saturated thickness of the aquifer, depth of the screen of the pumping well, and anisotropy of the aquifer. This means that it accounts also for dilution effects as well as horizontal and vertical virus transport. Because the empirical model includes virus source concentration it can be used as an integral part of a quantitative viral risk assessment.

Optimal preparation and purification of PRD1-like bacteriophages for use in environmental fate and transport studies

Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses with unique characteristics that make them excellent surrogates for mammalian pathogenic viruses in environmental studies. Simple and reliable methodologies for isolation, detection, characterization and enumeration of somatic and F-specific bacteriophage are available in the literature. Limited information or methods are available for producing high-titer purified phage suspensions for studying microbial transport and survival in natural and engineered environments. This deficiency arises because most research on the production of high-titer phage suspensions was completed over half a century ago and more recent advances on these methods have not been compiled in a single publication. We present a review of the available methods and new data on the propagation, concentration and purification of two bacteriophage host systems (somatic PRD1/Salmonella thyphimurium and F-specific PR772/Escherichia coli) that are commonly utilized in laboratory and field-scale assessments of subsurface microbial transport and survival. The focus of the present study is to recommend the approach(es) that will ensure maximum bacteriophage yields while optimizing suspension purification (i.e. avoiding modification of surface charge of the phage capsids and/or inadvertent introduction of dissolved organic matter to the study system).

Effects of pH, ionic strength, dissolved organic matter, and flow rate on the co-transport of MS2 bacteriophages with kaolinite in gravel aquifer media

Viruses are often associated with colloids in wastewater and could be transported with colloids into groundwater from land disposal of human and animal effluent and sludge, causing contamination of groundwater. To investigate the role of colloids in the transport of viruses in groundwater, experiments were conducted using a 2m long column packed with heterogeneous gravel aquifer media. Bacteriophage MS2 was used as the model virus and kaolinite as the model colloid. Experimental data were analyzed using Temporal Moment Analysis and Filtration Theory. In the absence of kaolinite colloid, MS2 phage traveled slightly faster than the conservative tracer bromide (Br), with little differences observed between unfiltered and filtered MS2 phage (0.22 microm as the operational cut-off for colloid-free virus). In the presence of kaolinite colloids, MS2 phage breakthrough occurred concurrently with that of the colloidal particles and the time taken to reach the peak virus concentration was reduced, suggesting a colloid-facilitated virus transport in terms of peak-concentration time and velocity. Meanwhile mass recovery and magnitude of concentrations of the phages were significantly reduced, indicating colloid-assisted virus attenuation in terms of concentrations and mass. Decreasing the pH or increasing the ionic strength increased the level of virus attachment to the aquifer media and colloids, and virus transport became more retarded, resulting in lower peak-concentration, lower mass recovery, longer peak-concentration time, and greater apparent collision efficiency. Increasing the concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM) or flow rate resulted in faster virus transport velocity, higher peak-concentrations and mass recoveries, and lower apparent collision efficiencies. The dual-role of colloids in transport viruses has important implications for risk analysis and remediation of virus-contaminated sites.

Salinity and soluble organic matter on virus sorption in sand and soil columns

The objective of this research was to study the sorption and transport of bacteriophage MS-2 (a bacterial virus) in saturated sediments under the effect of salinity and soluble organic matter (SOM). One-dimensional column experiments were conducted on washed high-purity silica sand and sandy soil. In sand column tests, increasing salinity showed distinct effect on enhancing MS-2 sorption. However, SOM decreased MS-2 sorption. Using a two-site reversible-irreversible sorption model and the double layer theory, we explained that pore-water salinity potentially compressed the theoretical thickness of double layers of MS-2 and sand, and thus increased sorption on reversible sorption sites. On irreversible sorption sites, increasing salinity reversed charges of some sand particles from negative to positive, and thus converted reversible sorption sites into irreversible sites and enhanced sorption of MS-2. SOM was able to expand the double layer thickness on reversible sites and competed with MS-2 for the same binding place on irreversible sites. In sandy soil column tests, the bonded and dissolved (natural) soil organic matters suppressed the effects of pore-water salinity and added SOM and significantly reduced MS-2 adsorption. This was explained that the bonded soil organic matter occupied a great portion of sorption sites and significantly reduced sorption sites for MS-2. In addition, the dissolved soil organic matter potentially expanded the double layer thickness of MS-2 and sandy soil on reversible sorption sites and competed with MS-2 for the same binding place.

Pathogen and indicator organism reduction through secondary effluent filtration: implications for reclaimed water production

The reduction of pathogens and indicator organisms through secondary effluent filtration was investigated at six full-scale treatment facilities, ranging in capacity from 0.04 to 1 m3/s (1 to 25 mgd). Grab samples were assayed for pathogens (cultivable enteric viruses, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium) and indicator organisms (coliforms, enterococci, Clostridium perfringens, and coliphages) quarterly under peak flow conditions from each facility over the course of 1 calendar year. Log10 removals resulting from filtration averaged 0.3 to 0.8 log10 for cultivable enteric viruses, 0.4 to 1.5 log10 for protozoan parasites, 0.01 to 3.7 log10 for indicator bacteria, and 0.3 to 1.1 log10 for coliphages. In addition to filter design (cloth, monomedium shallow- or deep-bed, or dual-media filters), differences in reduction of pathogens and indicators could be attributed to the combined effects of hydraulic loading rates, chemical addition practices, backwashing and postbackwashing operating strategies, and the effectiveness of upstream biological treatment and sedimentation.

Interactions between viruses and goethite during saturated flow: effects of solution pH, carbonate, and phosphate

Metal oxides have great potential for controlling the fate and transport of viruses in the subsurface and water-treatment systems. The processes, however, are subject to solution chemistry. In this study, a number of column experiments were conducted to examine the effects of solution pH and anions (carbonate and phosphate) on attachment, transport, and inactivation of two bacteriophages (phiX174 and MS-2) in goethite-coated sand medium. Removal of both viruses on goethite-coated sand increased as solution pH decreased from 9.3 to 7.5, due mostly to virus inactivation. MS-2, a relatively hydrophobic virus with a lower isoelectric point (3.9), was more sensitive to the change of solution pH than phiX174, a relatively hydrophilic virus with a higher isoelectric point (6.6), in terms of their attachment and inactivation on goethite. About 90% of the MS-2 particles removed by goethite (accounting for 81% of the total input) were inactivated at pH 7.5, whereas all of the removed MS-2 particles (accounting for 10% of the total input) still remained infectious at pH 9.3. In comparison, approximately 74% of the goethite-bound phiX174 particles (accounting for 95% of the total input) lost their infectivity at pH 7.5, in contrast to a complete recovery at pH 9.3 (accounting for 65% of the total input) when the columns were eluted using a beef extract solution (pH 9.5). Presence of phosphate (20 mM H(2)PO(4)(-)) in input solution reduced virus attachment and appeared to protect the viruses from being inactivated during transport; this effect was more significant on MS-2 than on phiX174. Specifically, approximately 29% of the phiX174 particles and approximately 49% of MS-2 particles injected into the column were removed during transport. Mass recovery data showed that no phiX174 was inactivated in the presence of phosphate, whereas about 38% of the MS-2 particles attached on goethite lost their infectivity. Conversely, presence of carbonate on goethite increased virus attachment and inactivation due to contribution of additional attachment sites from protonated surface groups of the carbonate ions that were adsorbed on goethite. About 70% of the total input viruses (both phiX174 and MS-2) were removed during transport, of which 35% phiX174 and 85% MS-2 were eventually inactivated.

Effect of humic acid on the attachment of Escherichia coli in columns of goethite-coated sand

Though coliform bacteria are used worldwide to indicate faecal pollution of groundwater, the parameters determining the transport of Escherichia coli in aquifers are relatively unknown. To investigate the effect of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the attachment of E. coli to saturated goethite-coated sand, we carried out column experiments with E. coli with and without humic acid (HA) in monovalent and divalent salt solutions. To characterize sorption of DOC and attachment of E. coli, we measured the pH of the influent and effluent, the cation concentrations and the zeta potential of particles. Depending on the chemistry of the E. coli suspension, the normalized breakthrough concentrations were over 80 times higher in columns treated with HA compared with columns not treated with HA. However, this difference was not constant: there were time-dependent variations in attachment of E. coli to the collector surface, and in the chemical composition of the bacterial suspension. Reduction in removal occurred because HA altered the surface charge of the collector and also sterically hindered E. coli. In addition, reduction of removal in a CaCl(2) bacterial suspension was probably caused by site-blocking mechanisms between HA and Ca(2+) ions. Our results indicate that in the presence of DOC, the concept of geochemical heterogeneity in explaining attachment of biocolloids has limited relevance.

Transport of coliphage in the presence and absence of manure suspension

Mechanisms of coliphage transport and fate in the presence and absence of manure suspension were studied in saturated column experiments. In the presence of manure suspension, little inactivation of indigenous somatic coliphage occurred and the transport was controlled by deposition. The deposition followed a power law distribution with depth, and the magnitude increased with decreasing sand size. Comparison of the cumulative size distribution of manure components in the suspension initially and after passage through sand, suggested that particles retained by mechanical filtration and/or straining decreased the effective pore size and potentially induced straining of the somatic coliphage. A 2-site kinetic deposition model was used to estimate the magnitudes of attachment and straining in the presence of manure suspension, and provided a good description of the data. Modeling results indicated that straining accounted for 16 to 42% of the deposited somatic coliphage, and that both straining and attachment increased with decreasing sand size due to smaller pores and higher surface area, respectively. In the absence of manure suspension, phiX174 (a representative somatic coliphage) and MS2 (a male-specific RNA coliphage) transport was controlled by inactivation induced by the solid phase. This conclusion was based on comparison of coliphage transport behavior at 5 and 20 degrees C, mass balance information, and numerical modeling. Comparison of somatic coliphage transport data in the presence and absence of manure suspension revealed much higher effluent concentrations in the presence of manure. This difference was attributed to lower inactivation and higher detachment rates. The observed coliphage transport behavior suggests that survival of viruses may be extended in the presence of manure suspensions, and that transport studies conducted in the absence of manure suspension may not accurately characterize the transport potential of viruses in manure-contaminated environments.