Removal of Coxsackie and Bacterial Viruses in Water by Flocculation

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Abstract
The efficiencies of alum and ferric chloride in removing Coxsackie and bacterial viruses by flocculation from water of known chemical content were found to be 86.3% and 93.5% for Coxsackie and bacterial viruses by 40 ppm of A12(SO4)3 and 99.3% and 99.9% respectively for 40 ppm FeCl3 under the testing conditions. The dosage removal relationship suggests a 2 to 2.5 fold increase in alum dosage for every 10 fold decrease in remaining virus. The optimum pH for the removal of both viruses by alum flocculation was in the 6.2 to 7.2 range in the presence of a bicarbonate buffer system. By rasing the pH of the settled alum-floc virus complex with resuspension in pH 8.5 to 9.0 carbonate-bicarbonate buffer, 60% of the Coxsackie and 10 to 25% of the bacterial viruses could be dissociated. Attempts to dissociate virus from the floc formed by FeCl3 were unsuccessful. Effects of stirring rate on virus removal are also presented.