CONCENTRATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES FROM NATURAL-WATERS

The methods used for concentrating animal viruses from drinking water were found to be unsuitable for the concentration of bacteriophages from natural waters. The factors affecting recovery were investigated and a concentration procedure devised which is amenable to larger scale and field use. This procedure involves: (1) passage of the water through a sand filter; (2) removal of dissolved organic material with an anion exchange resin; (3) addition of MgCl2 to a final concentration of 5 times 10‐4m; (4) adjustment of the pH value to 3°8; (5) adsorption of the bacteriophages on to fibre glass and cellulose nitrate filters; (6) elution of bound phage with 3% (w/v) beef extract, and (7) concentration by ultrafiltration of the resulting eluates. Using this procedure a wide range of test bacteriophages was concentrated from 41 to 5 ml with recoveries ranging from 18–80%—concentration factors of 200–900 fold. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved