Removal of micro-organisms and viruses by a pyridinium-type polymer

Abstract

Nonwoven cloth coated with 32 mg/g of a copolymer of N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride and styrene, a pyridinium-type polymer, was found to be effective in removing micro-organisms from water. In experiments demonstrating removal of Escherichia coli by filtration through ten sheets of the non-woven cloth, the rate of removal was 99% at a filtration rate of 300 cm/h. Seven other bacteria and two yeasts were effectively removed by filtration through the nonwoven cloth. Filtration through the nonwoven cloth was also effective in removing spores of fungi but was not very effective in removing virus. However, ultrafiltration using one sheet of a membrane made of cellulose nitrate and coated with 1.7 mg/g of the pyridinium-type polymer showed 99.4% removal of bacteriophage T4. In addition, a composite material consisted of cross-linked poly (N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride) and nonwoven cloth was also found to be an effective filter material in removing bacteriophage T4. Filtration through two sheets of the composite material at a filtration rate of 34.2 cm/h showed 100% removal of the bacteriophage from water.