Sorption of MS2 Bacteriophage to Layered Double Hydroxides: Effects of Reaction Time, pH, and Competing Anions

Batch sorption and column breakthrough studies were conducted to investigate the potential of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) to remove bacteriophage MS2 from contaminated waters. All four of the LDHs evaluated in this study had very high retention capacities for MS2. Sorption results showed that MS2 could be completely removed from 5.2 x 10^2 plaque-forming units (pfu)/mL solution by Mg–Al LDH 2 (i.e., 2:1 Mg to Al ratio LDH), with the highest sorption capacity observed in this study of 1.51 x 10^10 pfu/g. Attachment of MS2 to LDHs was a rapid process and reached quasi-equilibrium after a 1-h reaction time. Within the pH range studied (pH 4–9), Mg–Al LDH 2 showed high sorption potential for MS2 at all pH values but sorption decreased slightly with increasing solution pH. Background solution anions influenced virus sorption, with SO^2-4 and HPO^2-4 decreasing sorption significantly whereas the presence of NO-3 had little effect on the attachment of MS2 to Mg–Al LDH 2. The addition of another virus ((phi)X174) only caused a slight decrease in the retention of MS2 by Mg–Al LDH 2, suggesting that there was insignificant competitive sorption between MS2 and (phi)X174 on LDH surfaces. Results from column experiments indicate that there was no MS2 breakthrough from columns packed with Mg–Al LDH 2–coated sand, suggesting complete MS2 retention at the virus concentration tested. The high mass recovery by beef extract solution revealed that the removal of viruses by the LDH was due to sorption of MS2 to LDH surfaces, rather than inactivation.