One-year survey of enteroviruses, adenoviruses, and reoviruses isolated from effluent at an activated-sludge purification plant

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Abstract
Samples of raw sewage, primary effluent and secondary effluent from a large activated-sludge purification plant near Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) were collected every 2nd wk for 1 yr. Viruses were detected in all secondary effluent aamples and in 6 of 7 samples obtained after final chlorination. Adenoviruses (85% reduction) and reoviruses (28% reduction) were removed less efficiently by this treatment process than were enteroviruses (93% reduction). Of 171 effluent samples tested, 57 were positive for adenoviruses and/or reoviruses when enteroviruses were not isolated. This clearly shows that the use of enteroviruses as sole indicators of viruses in water may miss up to 1/3 of instances of viral contamination. Enteroviruses and adenoviruses were isolated most frequently in HeLa-R [human cervical carcinoma] cell cultures; reoviruses were most often isolated in primary monkey kidney cells.