FEMS MicrobiologyLetters 44 (1987) 335-341 335 Published by Elsevier FEM 02929 The behavior of viruses on disinfection by chlorine dioxide and other disinfectants in effluent Steve Harakeh International Medical Marketing and Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, U.S.A. Received 22 June 1987 Accepted 23 June 1987 Key words: Disinfection; Virus; Chlorine dioxide; Ozone; Peracetic acid; Effluent 1. SUMMARY A comparative study on the efficacy of chlorine dioxide, chlorine, ozone and peracetic acid in in- activating viruses was carried out against 6 viruses in a municipal sewage effluent. The viruses selected were bacteriophage fz and poliovirus 1, which have been commonly used; also echovirus 1 and coxsackievirus B5 to extend the range of enter- oviruses; and simian rotavirus (SAIl) and human rotavirus, the latter being one of the most im- portant enteric viral pathogens present in waste water. The results indicated a wide range in the response of these viruses to chlorine dioxide. Of the 3 enteroviruses tested, coxsackievirus B5 was the most resistant, with a dose of 17.25 ppm required for 99.99% inactivation in 5 rain. In the case of the 2 rotaviruses tested, human rotavirus was distinctly more resistant than SAIl. On the other hand, the other viruses tested responded differently to the other disinfectants. The most resistant virus on nearly all occasions under selected conditions was the human rotavirus; the Correspondence to: Steve Harakeh, International Medical Marketing and Gonzaga University, West 703 7th Avenue, Spokane, WA 99204, U.S.A. least resistant virus was SAll. The enteroviruses, with phage, were somewhat similar in their re- sponse, although coxsackievirus B5 was usually the most resistant. 2. INTRODUCTION There is a considerable degree of ambiguity and contradiction in the efficacy of various wastewater disinfectants. This largely reflects the absence of standardization in these studies and the use of only a single disinfectant and virus rather than multiple studies. It thus seemed appropriate to carry out a comparative study on several com- monly used wastewater disinfectants against rep- resentative enteric viruses and of a bacteriophage. The disinfectants chosen were chlorine dioxide, chlorine, ozone and peracetic acid, because they represent those most likely to be useful in waste- water disinfection. The use of chlorine for the disinfection of water and wastewater has been an accepted practice in many countries. However, chlorination, as is prac- tised in water and wastewater, results in the for- mation of certain potentially toxic by-products. An alternative disinfectant to chlorine should be cheap, easy to produce, transport and store. It 0378-1097/87/$03.50 © 1987 Federation of European Microbiological Societies Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/44/3/335/554262 by guest on 24 June 2022