Coliphage inactivation in seawater
Abstract
Seawater has been shown to possess a self-purifying capacity which enables it to inactivate foreign microorganisms. The present report deals with biological and chemical factors involved in the inactivation of coliphage T2 in seawater. It was found that a typical inactivation curve of T2 phage in fresh seawater involved a lag phase after which a decrease in the titer occurs. When marine bacteria were added to sterile seawater, the decrease in phage titer occurred without a lag phase. Nutrient broth in low concentration was found to inhibit the antiviral activity of seawater. Pre-incubated seawater exhibits the anticoliphage activity without any lag period. Two alternative explanations for the anticoliphage activity in seawater are suggested: a) phage are digested by proteolitic enzymes of marine bacteria b) bacterial exocellular polymers cause biological flocculation.
