DISINFECTION OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS AND MS-2 COLIPHAGE IN WATER BY ULTRAVIOLET-IRRADIATION - COMPARISON OF UV-SUSCEPTIBILITY

Ultraviolet irradiation is gaining importance as a disinfection procedure for drinking water and in waste water treatment. Since water is one of the main transmission routes of hepatitis A virus the susceptibility of HAV to UV rays is of special interest. MS-2 coliphage resembles HAV in size and structure, is easy to handle, and might therefore serve as indicator organism for the assessment of water quality and for evaluating the quality of water treatment processes. Hepatitis A virus and MS-2 coliphage were suspended in 0.9% sodium chloride solution and were irradiated in a 20-ml quarz cuvette at 254 nm. For a reduction rate of four log units a three times higher UV dose was required with MS-2 than with HAV.