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Ayres, Peter Arthur (1979) Virus in sewage, polluted water and molluscan shellfish: a critical assessment of coliphage as a possible indicator organism. Doctoral thesis, City of London Polytechnic.
This thesis begins with a comprehensive review of bacterial indicator systems and. by drawing on published material related to the transmission of enteric viral disease in the marine environment shows that bacterial indicators are inadequate for assessing risks from viruses. Literature in respect of coliphages has also been reviewed as an introduction to the experimental section of this present study. which looks at some of the factors influencing bacteria, viruses and phage in sewage and the marine environment.
This study has thrown new light on the survival of coliphage and bacteria and has assisted in showing for the first time the interrelationship between factors thought to contribute to viral inactivation. It is evident that adsorption is the major factor involved and that this applies to bacteria and coliphage as well as viruses. Other factors such as salinity, temperature and pH may exert an influence by increasing or decreasing adsorption processes.
It is concluded that there are potentially serious limitations in the use of DNA T-type phages as virus models and that. while coliphages clearly have useful applications. the use of the single-stranded RNA coliphages is to be preferred. As indicators of risk from viral pathogens coliphage do not conform reliably to the criteria demanded of an indicator. However, they may be usefully applied in conjunction with the continued use of an accepted bacterial indicator such as E. coli. Ultimately the best indicators for viruses may be the viruses themselves.
It is apparent from the review of literature and experimental work undertaken for this present study that many questions remain unanswered. Suggestions have been made as to some priorities for future studies which it is envisaged would make a significant contribution to our knowledge of viruses in the marine environment.
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