Geochemical influences on H40/1 bacteriophage inactivation in glaciofluvial sands

Geochemical heterogeneities may cause spatial variations in virus inactivation rates resulting from interactions with minerals leading to differences in natural disinfection capacity within an aquifer. Column studies investigating the interaction of the bacteriophage H40/1 with natural sands sampled from the Kappelen test site (Kappelen), Bern, Switzerland indicated that inactivation rates are higher for adsorbed bacteriophages than for those suspended in groundwater. Moreover, breakthrough curves obtained from field-based tracer tests at Kappelen indicated that the adsorbed H40/1 is inactivated in-situ at comparable rates. Statistical analyses of mineralogical data failed to demonstrate significant spatial variations in aquifer composition either across the site or with depth. In contrast hydrochemical analyses of groundwater samples collected at Kappelen demonstrated that iron-reducing groundwater occurs below aerobic waters. Tracer breakthrough curves indicate that H40/1 survival is not affected by variable redox conditions. Investigation results suggest that spatial geochemical variability does not significantly affect H40/1s inactivation rate at Kappelen.