Premium
Rapid bacteriophage MS2 transport in an oxic sandy aquifer in cold climate: Field experiments and modeling
Author(s) -
Kvitsand Hanne M. L.,
Ilyas Aamir,
Østerhus Stein W.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1002/2015wr017863
Subject(s) - aquifer , bacteriophage ms2 , groundwater , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , residence time (fluid dynamics) , bacteriophage , geology , environmental engineering , soil science , geotechnical engineering , chemistry , gene , biochemistry , escherichia coli
Virus removal during rapid transport in an unconfined, low‐temperature (6°C) sand and gravel aquifer was investigated at a riverbank field site, 25 km south of Trondheim in central Norway. The data from bacteriophage MS2 inactivation and transport experiments were applied in a two‐site kinetic transport model using HYDRUS‐1D, to evaluate the mechanisms of virus removal and whether these mechanisms were sufficient to protect the groundwater supplies. The results demonstrated that inactivation was negligible to the overall removal and that irreversible MS2 attachment to aquifer grains, coated with iron precipitates, played a dominant role in the removal of MS2; 4.1 log units of MS2 were removed by attachment during 38 m travel distance and less than 2 days residence time. Although the total removal was high, pathways capable of allowing virus migration at rapid velocities were present in the aquifer. The risk of rapid transport of viable viruses should be recognized, particularly for water supplies without permanent disinfection.