Inactivation of f2 coliphage in municipal effluent by the use of various disinfectants

Bromine chloride, chlorine and peracetic acid inactivated f2 coliphages in effluent but in order to achieve 99.99% inactivation the three disinfectants were required at about 1, 10 and 100 mg/l respectively. The activity of chlorine was halved by the presence of added organic matter, whereas bromine chloride and peracetic acid were very little affected. When a second successive dose of virus was added to the reaction mixture, the virus was inactivated only by peracetic acid despite the fact that in the chlorine-treated effluent residual chlorine was detected. The addition of a second dose of disinfectant inactivated residual virus in the same way as the first dose.