Inactivation of RNA and DNA viruses in water by copper and silver ions and their synergistic effect

Inactivation of RNA and DNA viruses in water by copper and silver ions and their synergistic effect

Soliman, Mona Youssef Moawad (TU Delft Sanitary Engineering)
Medema, G.J. (TU Delft Sanitary Engineering; KWR Water Cycle Research Institute)
Estrada Bonilla, B.A. (TU Delft BN/Stan Brouns Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
Brouns, S.J.J. (TU Delft BN/Stan Brouns Lab; Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft)
van Halem, D. (TU Delft Sanitary Engineering)

2020

Cu and Ag have been used as bactericidal agents since ancient times, yet their antiviral capacity in water remains poorly understood. This study tested the effect of copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) on model RNA and DNA viruses MS2 and PhiX 174 in solution at pH 6–8. Cu caused MS2 inactivation with similar rates at pH 6 and 7 but was inert towards PhiX 174 regardless of pH. Ag inactivated both viruses, causing denaturation of MS2 and loss of capsid spikes in PhiX 174. Ag inactivation rates were pH dependent and increased with increasing pH. At pH 8, 6.5 logs of PhiX were inactivated after 3 h and 3 logs of MS2 after only 10 min. The combined use of Cu and Ag revealed synergy in disinfecting MS2 at pH ≥ 7. Although metal concentrations used were higher than the desired values for drinking water treatment, the results prove a promising potential of Cu and Ag combinations as efficient viricidal agents.

Metals
MS2 bacteriophage
PhiX 174
Synergy
Virus
Water

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:6f32ca1d-25f6-46a2-8812-6358ac08a0dc

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100077

Water Research X, 9

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2020 Mona Youssef Moawad Soliman, G.J. Medema, B.A. Estrada Bonilla, S.J.J. Brouns, D. van Halem