Abstract
Tangential flow filtration (TFF), which has been widely adopted to concentrate a diverse array of microbes from water, is a promising method of microbial separation or removal. However, it is essential to select an optimal membrane suitable for the specific filtration application. This study evaluated two different scales of TFF systems for concentrating and separating microbes (including bacteria and viruses) from contrasting marine waters. Among bacteria-size membranes, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes showed higher bacterial recovery, but lower viral permeation efficiencies than polyethersulfone (PES) membranes, regardless of environments and scales of TFF. Estuary samples showed significantly higher percentages of bacterial retention than nearshore and ocean samples. For virus-size membranes, a higher viral recovery and lower sorption was observed for regenerated cellulose membrane than PES membranes in the small-scale TFF. Similar viral recoveries were observed between PES membranes in the large-scale TFF, with higher viral concentrations being observed in estuary samples than in nearshore samples. Deep ocean samples showed the lowest recovery of viruses, which was consistent with observations of bacterial recovery. Synthetically, PVDF may be more suitable for the concentration of bacterial cells, while PES would be a better choice for the collection of viruses. When compared with the PES membrane, regenerated cellulose is better for viral concentration, while PES is recommended to obtain bacteria- and virus-free seawater.
Highlights
Marine microbes, including bacteria, archaea, viruses and picoeukaryotes, are the most abundant biological group in the ocean [1,2,3]
In order to evaluate the influence of feed property on the filtration efficiency, small-scale Tangential flow filtration (TFF) systems equipped with polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) 0.22 μm and PES 1000 kDa membranes were both tested in three types of environments
The highest bacterial recovery was observed for estuarine environments and the lowest for oceanic samples (33.92% and 25.18%, respectively) (Fig 3A)
Summary
Marine microbes, including bacteria, archaea, viruses and picoeukaryotes, are the most abundant biological group in the ocean [1,2,3]. These organisms are vital drivers of biogeochemical cycles via their impact on nutrient use and energy flow. Because of their small individual size and biomass, it is necessary to concentrate microbes in environmental samples prior to analysis to obtain sufficient experimental materials. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0136741 August 25, 2015
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
