POTENTIATION OF THE VIRUCIDAL ACTIVITY OF STERILIZED NATURAL-WATERS

After heat, conductivity has been described as the second most inactiv ating factor of viruses in surface waters. Using poliovirus-1, we show ed that a highly significant linear relationship between virus inactiv ation rate and water conductivity can be obtained for most of the test ed sterilized water samples. Using sterile saline solutions, we demons trated that this apparent relationship is false, i.e., virus inactivat ion rate is not affected by water conductivity alone. With the hypothe sis that salts may serve to potentiate the antiviral activities of cer tain microbiological substances that are supposed to be found in the t ested samples, we can explain the apparent relationship observed in th is study and in similar ones. As a consequence, an effective water tre atment could be responsible for the removal of both viruses and some v irus-inactivating factors. Alternatively, virus-inactivating capabilit y of a given water resource could be enhanced along with its hardness or its degree of mineralization.