Ultrafiltration: an Efficient Second Step for Hepatitis A Virus and Poliovirus Concentration

The efficiency of seeded hepatitis A virus and poliovirus recovery from 1 l of dechlorinated tap water or different buffer was evaluated using a molecular filtration system. All the experiments were performed using a polysulfonate membrane of 10,000 molecular weight limit. Under standard conditions hepatitis A virus recovery was 100% of the input, but the percentage was reduced dramatically when the inflow pressure was increased. In contrast, poliovirus recovery was low under standard conditions, but it improved when the membranes were pretreated with different buffers. The best recovery was obtained using beef extract at neutral pH.