Adsorption of Viruses by Diatomaceous Earth Coated with Metallic Oxides and Metallic Peroxides

Abstract

Diatomaceous earth coated with oxides of aluminium, calcium, iron, magnesium, or manganese were not found to be useful for recovering viruses from water. The oxide coatings were not stable in water or only adsorbed viruses in small volumes of water. Further modification of coatings of magnesium oxide to make magnesium peroxide produced a modified diatomaceous earth that efficiently adsorbed viruses in water. Filters containing 3.5 g of diatomaceous earth adsorbed an average of greater than 90% of MS2, polio 1, coxsackie B5, and echo 5 in tapwater at approximately pH 8.5, even after 100 liters of tapwater had passed through the filters. From 15 to 40% of MS2 or enteroviruses could be recovered from tapwater using filters containing diatomaceous earth coated with magnesium peroxide.