USE OF DOEHLERT MATRICES FOR STUDY OF POLIOVIRUS-1 ADSORPTION

Experiments designed according to Doehlert matrices were carried out t o study poliovirus-l adsorption to Na-montmorillonite in a complex aqu eous environment. Salt concentration and valence, Virus load, clay con centration, and organic matter concentration were included in the desi gn as selected parameters for possible or known involvement in viral a dsorption in environmental waters. Use of this experimental design not only allowed to detect and quantify direct influence of the tested pa rameters upon the viral response, but also to reveal the influence of interactions between these tested factors. Thus, beyond the reassessme nt of the higher efficiency of multivalent cations on virus adsorption , as opposed to monovalent ones, detection was enabled of a tannic aci d/aluminium specific interaction that seemed to be responsible for the nonavailability of these elements for interaction with viruses. Such a statistical tool allows for a gain in experimental accuracy beyond t echnical improvements and is particularly suited for low-cost study of multifactorial phenomena. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.