HYDROPHOBIC AND ELECTROSTATIC CELL-SURFACE PROPERTIES OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM-PARVUM

Microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons and microelectrophoresis were inves tigated in order to characterize the surface properties of Cryptospori dium parvum, Oocysts exhibited low removal rates by octane (only 20% o n average), suggesting that the Cryptosporidium sp. does not demonstra te marked hydrophobic properties, A zeta potential close to -25 mV at pH 6 to 6.5 in deionized water was observed for the parasite, Measurem ents of hydrophobicity and zeta potential were performed as a function of pH and ionic strength or conductivity, Hydrophobicity maxima were observed at extreme pH values, with 40% of adhesion of oocysts to octa ne, It also appeared that ionic strength (estimated by conductivity) c ould influence the hydrophobic properties of oocysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts showed a pH-dependent surface charge, with zeta potentials bec oming less negative as pH was reduced, starting at -35 mV for alkaline pH and reaching 0 at isoelectric points for pH 2.5, On the other hand , variation of surface charge with respect to conductivity of the susp ension tested in this work was quite small, The knowledge of hydrophob ic properties and surface charge of the parasite provides information useful in, for example, the choice of various flocculation treatments, membrane filters, and cleaning agents in connection with oocyst recov ery.