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

•HAdV-2 adsorption to pristine and EPS-fouled PVDF surfaces is irreversible.•The RSA model sufficiently describes the kinetics of HAdV-2 adsorption onto pristine and EPS-fouled PVDF surfaces.•Virus–membrane and virus–virus interactions determine HAdV-2 adsorption.

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 3–100 mM 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 ka and area occupied by each adsorbed HAdV-2 particle a, with experimentally measured parameters. A linear correlation between the fitting parameter ka 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 dads 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.

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