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Application of a Hollow‐Fiber, Tangential‐Flow Device for Sampling Suspended Bacteria and Particles from Natural Waters
Author(s) -
Kuwabara James S.,
Harvey Ronald W.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1990.00472425001900030045x
Subject(s) - dewatering , filtration (mathematics) , particle (ecology) , groundwater flow , fiber , sedimentation , environmental science , groundwater , materials science , chemistry , aquifer , geotechnical engineering , geology , composite material , sediment , mathematics , paleontology , statistics , oceanography
Abstract The design and application of a hollow‐fiber tangential‐flow filtration device has been used to concentrate bacteria and suspended particles from large volume surface water and groundwater samples (i.e., hundreds of liters). Filtrate flux rates (4–8 L min −1 ) are equal to or faster than those of other devices that are based on continuous flow centrifugation and plate and frame filtration. Particle recovery efficiencies for inorganic particles (approximately 90%) were similar to other dewatering devices, but microbial cell recoveries (30–90%) were greatly improved by this technique relative to other currently available methods. Although requirements for operation and maintenance of the device are minimal, its size, as with other dewatering devices, limits its applicability at remote sample sites. Nevertheless, it has proven useful for sample collection in studies involving microbial transport and analysis of particle‐associated trace inorganic solutes.