Removal of Coliphages from Wastewater Effluent by Phototrophic Bacteria

A wastewater purifying process using a phototrophic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonascapsulata, is presently operating in several countries. Removal of coliphage during the process was assessed by a field-test and a model study. It was found that 97.4% of coliphage was removed during the purification of wastewater from a pigpen. The model study was performed to ensure that the removal was due to biomass of the phototrophic bacterium, which produces an antiviral substance. Phage inactivation by chloroform-methanol extract from the bacterium with the presence of kaolinite as a contaminating particulate is also shown to describe the efficiency of the antiviral substance from the phototrophic bacterium to wastewater.