Removal of mixtures of viruses using microfiltration membrane

Abstract

Membranes are finding wide spread applications in disinfection processes for raw water and municipal effluent reuse. This article describes a fundamental study for transmission of mixtures of real viruses through 0.22 μm hydrophobic microfiltration (MF) membrane. Two non-human animal viruses Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Infectious Bovine Respiratory (IBR) in dilute solution were selected as viruses and challenged with the membrane. An attempt was made to address the main questions for process performance in terms of transmission (or rejection) of virus and flux, under various operating conditions, including transmembrane pressure, stirring and time. The effect of the presence of large virus (IBR, 150 nm) on rejection of small virus (FMD, 25 nm) was elucidated. It was found that IBR virus was completely rejected by the membrane regardless of the operating conditions. The small FMD virus was significantly removed depending on the conditions being higher for lower transmembrane pressure. The presence of large IBR virus enhances the removal of small virus.

Although numerous studies have focused on phages (mainly viruses of bacteria), limited researchers investigated the MF capability for removal of human or animal viruses from water or wastewater. This study is an answer to the questions arising for removal of real viruses from water by MF membrane.

Keywords:

• Membrane
• Microfiltration
• Virus
• FMD
• IBR