Virus removal by drinking water treatment processes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Viruses are very small microorganisms that are parasites of human, animals, bacteria, and plants. In water, the only viruses that can be a health risk for man or animals are the enteric viruses: viruses that are excreted in feces by infected individuals. Some of these viruses are extremely resistant in the aquatic environment and can be found in relatively low numbers in most waters contaminated by fecal material. However, because as little as one to ten infectious viruses are sufficient to infect a susceptible individual, it is important to eliminate even minute numbers of these microorganisms from drinking water. Methods have been developed for the detection of viruses in volumes of water exceeding 10001. With the increase in sensitivity and the wider use of methods for their detection in drinking water, viruses have been detected in drinking water meeting current standards of water quality. This paper reviews the literature on these occurrences.