Random sequential adsorption of human adenovirus 2 onto polyvinylidene fluoride surface influenced by extracellular polymeric substances.

Virus removal by membrane bioreactors depends on virus-membrane and virus-foulant interactions. The adsorption of human adenovirus 2 (HAdV-2) on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane and a major membrane foulant, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), were measured in a quartz crystal microbalance. In 3-100mM CaCl2 solutions, irreversible adsorption of HAdV-2 was observed on both pristine and EPS-fouled PVDF surfaces. The HAdV-2 adsorption kinetics was successfully fitted with the random sequential adsorption (RSA) model. The applicability of the RSA model for HAdV-2 adsorption is confirmed by comparing the two fitting parameters, adsorption rate constant k(a) and area occupied by each adsorbed HAdV-2 particle a, with experimentally measured parameters. A linear correlation between the fitting parameter k(a) and the measured attachment efficiency was found, suggesting that the RSA model correctly describes the interaction forces dominating the HAdV-2 adsorption. By comparing the fitting parameter d(ads) with the hydrodynamic diameter of HAdV-2, we conclude that virus-virus and virus-surface interactions determine the area occupied by each adsorbed HAdV-2 particle, and thus influence the adsorption capacity. These results provide insights into virus retention and will benefit improving virus removal in membrane filtration.