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Methods for Measuring Occurrence and Exposure From Viruses in Drinking and Recreational Water
Citation:
FOUT, G., N. BRINKMAN, M. Karim, E. RHODES, A. EGOROV, AND S. L. BARTELT-HUNT. Methods for Measuring Occurrence and Exposure From Viruses in Drinking and Recreational Water. Presented at Future Develiopment Director for Safe Drinking Water Management International Seminar, Incheon, SOUTH KOREA, March 25, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
The overarching objective of this task is to provide Agency scientists and others the methods they need to measure the occurrence of waterborne viral pathogens. The method improvements will facilitate the development of risk-based assessments and tools used by the Agency to set regulations, policies and priorities for protecting human health.
Description:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an active research program to develop and improve methods for detecting human enteric viruses in recreational, source, and drinking waters. EPA is also developing methods to measure exposure to waterborne viruses and applying these methods to studies to assess health benefits associated with EPA drinking water rules. This paper describes EPA’s recent research on three methodologies in these areas. First, in an effort to reduce the costs associated with virus occurrence studies, EPA evaluated the NanoCeram™ filter, a new positively charged cartridge filter for concentrating viruses from water. EPA’s results showed that this filter is equivalent to the Virosorb® 1MDS cartridge filter that is specified for use in the standardized total culturable virus assay from EPA’s Information Collection Rule. Second, EPA conducted a proof of concept study to demonstrate the usefulness of a generic microarray format for virus identification. This study showed that the generic microarray can accurately type noroviruses. Third, EPA has developed a microbead immunoassay for detection of salivary antibodies against potential waterborne pathogens, including noroviruses, rotaviruses, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma gondii, and Helicobacter pylori.