Types Of Environmental Samples Research Articles

Feasibility of wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for a simplified analysis of bromine in water samples with the aid of a strong anion exchange disk

The feasibility of wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF) for a simplified analysis of bromine (Br) in water samples with the aid of strong anion exchange (SAX) disk was assessed in this study. Dissolved Br in the water sample was pre-concentrated on the SAX disk and directly analyzed by WDXRF without an elution step. The SAX disk was capable of fully adsorbing both bromide (Br−) and bromate (BrO3−) on its surface owing to their anionic properties, regardless of the pH level of environmental samples. The SAX–WDXRF system was examined using calibration standards (i.e., SAX disks with specific amounts of Br retained; 1, 10, 50, 100 and 500μg), and a determination coefficient of R2=0.9999 was yielded. The system had a low detection limit for Br (limit of detection=0.253μg for Br on the SAX disk) with good reproducibility (relative standard error (RSE)=4–7%). Spike and inter-comparison tests were performed to confirm the accuracy of the proposed SAX–WDXRF method. Both tests exhibited reasonable accuracy (RSE=3–6%). The method is simple and easy, indicating a great possibility of application in various environmental sample types, especially for which a simplified analytical system for the determination of Br is urgently required.

Methods for simultaneous detection of the cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA, and anatoxin-a in environmental samples

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can produce several different groups of toxins in the environment including hepatotoxins (microcystins), neurotoxic non-protein amino acids β-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), and 2,4-diaminobutyric (DABA), as well as the bicyclic amine alkaloid anatoxin-a. Few studies have addressed the methods necessary for an accurate determination of cyanotoxins in environmental samples, and none have been published that can detect these cyanotoxins together in a single sample. Cyanotoxins occur in a wide range of environmental samples including water, fish, and aquatic plant samples. Using polymeric cation exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD), and liquid chromatography ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), these compounds can for the first time be simultaneously quantified in a variety of environmental sample types. The extraction method for biological samples can distinguish bound and free cyanotoxins. Detection limits for water ranged from 5 to 7 μg/L using HPLC/FD, while detection limits for and LC/MS were in the range of 0.8–3.2 μg/L.

Considerations for environmental sample storage, laboratory analysis, and results reporting

A longitudinal birth cohort study, such as the U.S. National Children’s Study (NCS), presents several challenges when designing and implementing environmental sample collection, storage, analysis, and results reporting. In order to investigate many hypotheses, a variety of different types of environmental samples will be collected. Samples that cannot be stored will be analysed immediately, but for logistical reasons, many of the samples will be stored prior to analysis for an indeterminate time period. The approaches and factors that must be considered include storage stability of samples and target analytes, additional and yet unknown target analytes, maintaining analytical method comparability, and analysis results data reporting and storage. The NCS has prepared plans for storage stability studies of particulate matter, tap water, and various dust samples where quality control samples will be stored both prior to sample collection to evaluate the sample stability and stability of analytes in extracts and concurrently as the study samples are collected and stored. Based on the experiences in the Initial Vanguard Phase and experiences in other studies, the NCS plans to employ established analysis methods, when available, and consider alternate methodologies, when warranted. When analysis methods change, a number of study and stored QC samples will be analysed by both methods to maintain comparability. The NCS approach to sample analysis results reporting is to require electronic data deliverables in formats anticipated to be accessible decades after samples were collected: study and laboratory QC sample results in standardized, structured files either in XML or CSV, and the detailed measurement and background data in standard or customized data packages in PDF. The file structures and formats depend on the analytical method and target analytes in the method. The data are verified and validated before archiving.

Fast procedure for self-absorption correction for low γ energy radionuclide 210Pb determination in solid environmental samples.

Low-energy X and γ radiations (for example of 210Pb: E γ = 46.5 keV) are effectively self-absorbed even in thin environmental samples, including air filters with captured dust or contaminated soil, as well as in bottom sediment matrixes with limited quantities of the samples. In this paper, a simple method for the direct analysis of 210Pb (T 1/2 = 22.3 years) by gamma-ray spectrometry in environmental samples with self-absorption correction is described. The method is based on the comparison of two γ peak activities coming from other natural radionuclides, usually present in environmental samples. We have analyzed the dependence of the self-absorption correction factor for the 210Pb activity on the activity ratios of 911 and 209 keV peaks and 609 and 295 keV peaks coming from nuclides of 238U or 232Th rows, present in typical environmental samples.

Influence of real-world environments on the motion of catalytic bubble-propelled micromotors

Self-propelled autonomous micromachines have recently been tasked to carry out various roles in real environments. In this study, we expose the microjets to various types of water that are present in the real world, examples include tap water, rain water, lake water and sea water, and we sought to investigate their behaviors under real world conditions. We observed that the viability and mobility of the catalytic bubble jet engines are strongly influenced by the type of environmental water sample. Amongst the four water samples tested, the seawater sample exhibits the strongest influence, completely disabling any motions arising from the microjets. The motion of the microjets is also reduced in tap water, which contains large quantities of inorganic ions that have been purposely introduced into tap water via processing in water treatment plants. Lake water and rain water samples exhibited the least influence on the microjet's motion. All of the four water samples were also characterized by determining their ion compositions and conductivities, and we will show that there is a distinct correlation between the reduced mobility of the microjets with the ion content of the water found in real environments.

Impact of di-n-butyl phthalate on reproductive system development in European pikeperch (Sander lucioperca)

Phthalic acid, di-n-butyl ester known as di-n-butyl phthalate, is an organic chemical compound that belongs to the group of endocrine disruptor compounds that have a documented negative impact on mammalian endocrine systems. Di-n-butyl phthalate is used widely as a plasticizer in the manufacture of artificial materials, which is why it is found in all types of environmental samples including those from water basins. The aim of the study was to describe the impact of di-n-butyl phthalate on the development of the reproductive system of European pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) during the sex differentiation period (age 61–96 days post hatch). A total of 240 fish were divided into 6 groups (40 fish per tank). Treatments consisted of a control group (0 g di-n-butyl phthalate·kg-1 feed) and five trial groups with 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 g di-n-butyl phthalate·kg-1 feed, respectively. Histological changes of the fish gonads, sex ratio, survival and growth of fish were evaluated. Di-n-butyl phthalate seriously disturbed sex differentiation process of pikeperch. Histopathological analyses revealed that the administration of 2 g di-n-butyl phthalate·kg-1 significantly affected the sex ratio. The feminization process (intersex gonads) at concentrations of 1 g and 2 g di-n-butyl phthalate·kg-1 were observed. All analyzed concentrations delayed testicular development. Phthalate did not have a significant impact on the survival or growth rates of the pikeperch. This is the first report of disruption sex differentiation processes in fish by di-n-butyl phthalate.

Fluorometric Quantification of Polyphosphate in Environmental Plankton Samples: Extraction Protocols, Matrix Effects, and Nucleic Acid Interference

Polyphosphate (polyP) is a ubiquitous biochemical with many cellular functions and comprises an important environmental phosphorus pool. However, methodological challenges have hampered routine quantification of polyP in environmental samples. We tested 15 protocols to extract inorganic polyphosphate from natural marine samples and cultured cyanobacteria for fluorometric quantification with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) without prior purification. A combination of brief boiling and digestion with proteinase K was superior to all other protocols, including other enzymatic digestions and neutral or alkaline leaches. However, three successive extractions were required to extract all polyP. Standard addition revealed matrix effects that differed between sample types, causing polyP to be over- or underestimated by up to 50% in the samples tested here. Although previous studies judged that the presence of DNA would not complicate fluorometric quantification of polyP with DAPI, we show that RNA can cause significant interference at the wavelengths used to measure polyP. Importantly, treating samples with DNase and RNase before proteinase K digestion reduced fluorescence by up to 57%. We measured particulate polyP along a North Pacific coastal-to-open ocean transect and show that particulate polyP concentrations increased toward the open ocean. While our final method is optimized for marine particulate matter, different environmental sample types may need to be assessed for matrix effects, extraction efficiency, and nucleic acid interference.

Fabrication and characterization of rhodamine 6G entrapped sol–gel film test strip for virtually specific and sensitive sensing of nitrite

Abstract A test strip sensor was developed for nitrite by the entrapment of rhodamine 6G in sol–gel film. Evidence for successful fabrication of the test strip is provided by characterizations using UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis), spectrofluorimetry, surface area analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pink coloured sol–gel films turns orange on treatment with nitrite containing samples, acidified with sulphuric acid. Linear calibration graph (R2 = 0.9980) for nitrite was obtained in the range 40–120 ppb with a limit of detection of 7 ppb and this method is by far the most selective amongst the existing ones. The test strip also showed a reproducible result with RSD of 6% for 40 ppb of nitrite with response time of 10 min and 95% confidence limit for determinations of 40 ± 2 ppb of nitrite. A possible sensing mechanism is also proposed. The method was applied for the determination of nitrite in different types of environmental samples and the results obtained were in good correlation with those obtained by a standard method.

High throughput phospholipid fatty acid analysis of soils

Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis is widely used to measure microbial biomass and community composition in soil and other types of environmental samples. As typically performed, the analysis involves many steps and 1.5–3days are required to prepare a small batch (i.e. 20–24 samples and blanks), depending on the exact equipment employed in each laboratory. Gas chromatography (GC) or gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is then used to analyze the samples, requiring further time to obtain the data. We have developed a method for preparing 96 soil samples and blanks in 1.5days, a 4- to 5-fold increase in throughput. All drying and centrifuging steps take place in a centrifugal evaporator. Soil samples in test tubes are dried overnight and then a Bligh–Dyer lipid extraction is performed. The extract is dried, dissolved in chloroform, and loaded onto a 96-well solid phase extraction plate. Phospholipids are eluted into glass vials in a 96-well format, dried, and transesterified. The resulting fatty acid methyl esters are analyzed by GC and quantified relative to an internal standard. The high throughput protocol uses much smaller solvent volumes than the traditional protocol, which combined with the use of the 96-well format leads to much faster sample preparation. Biomarker PLFA concentrations for 10 different soils were highly correlated, although not identical, between the two protocols. Multivariate analysis of the PLFA biomarkers indicated that the two protocols produced similar patterns for the different soils. The high throughput protocol may be useful to laboratories performing large numbers of PLFA analyses.

High-Coverage ITS Primers for the DNA-Based Identification of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes in Environmental Samples

The kingdom Fungi is estimated to include 1.5 million or more species, playing key roles as decomposers, mutualists, and parasites in every biome on the earth. To comprehensively understand the diversity and ecology of this huge kingdom, DNA barcoding targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear ribosomal repeat has been regarded as a prerequisite procedure. By extensively surveying ITS sequences in public databases, we designed new ITS primers with improved coverage across diverse taxonomic groups of fungi compared to existing primers. An in silico analysis based on public sequence databases indicated that the newly designed primers matched 99% of ascomycete and basidiomycete ITS taxa (species, subspecies or varieties), causing little taxonomic bias toward either fungal group. Two of the newly designed primers could inhibit the amplification of plant sequences and would enable the selective investigation of fungal communities in mycorrhizal associations, soil, and other types of environmental samples. Optimal PCR conditions for the primers were explored in an in vitro investigation. The new primers developed in this study will provide a basis for ecological studies on the diversity and community structures of fungi in the era of massive DNA sequencing.

The Potential of TaqMan Array Cards for Detection of Multiple Biological Agents by Real-Time PCR

The TaqMan Array Card architecture, normally used for gene expression studies, was evaluated for its potential to detect multiple bacterial agents by real-time PCR. Ten PCR assays targeting five biological agents (Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Francisella tularensis, and Yersinia pestis) were incorporated onto Array Cards. A comparison of PCR performance of each PCR in Array Card and singleplex format was conducted using DNA extracted from pure bacterial cultures. When 100 fg of agent DNA was added to Array Card channels the following levels of agent detection (where at least one agent PCR replicate returned a positive result) were observed: Y. pestis 100%, B. mallei & F. tularensis 93%; B. anthracis 71%; B. pseudomallei 43%. For B. mallei & pseudomallei detection the BPM2 PCR, which detects both species, outperformed PCR assays specific to each organism indicating identification of the respective species would not be reproducible at the 100 fg level. Near 100% levels of detection were observed when 100 fg of DNA was added to each PCR in singleplex format with singleplex PCRs also returning sporadic positives at the 10 fg per PCR level. Before evaluating the use of Array Cards for the testing of environmental and clinical sample types, with potential levels of background DNA and PCR inhibitors, users would therefore have to accept a 10-fold reduction in sensitivity of PCR assays on the Array Card format, in order to benefit for the capacity to test multiple samples for multiple agents. A two PCR per agent strategy would allow the testing of 7 samples for the presence of 11 biological agents or 3 samples for 23 biological agents per card (with negative control channels).

Quantification of levoglucosan and its isomers by High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Electrospray Ionization tandem Mass Spectrometry and its applications to atmospheric and soil samples

Abstract. The determination of atmospheric concentrations of levoglucosan and its two isomers, unambiguous tracers of biomass burning emissions, became even more important with the development of wood as renewable energy for domestic heating. Many researches demonstrated the increase during recent years of atmospheric particulate matter load due to domestic biomass combustion in developed countries. Analysis of biomass burning tracers is traditionally performed with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) technique after derivatization and requires an organic solvent extraction. A simpler and faster technique using Liquid Chromatography – Electrospray Ionisation – tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was optimized for the analysis of levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan isomers after an aqueous extraction. This technique allows a good separation between the three compounds in a very reduced time (runtime ~5 min). LOD and LOQ of this method are 30 μg l−1 and 100 μg l−1 respectively, allowing the use of filters from low-volume sampler (as commonly used in routine campaigns). A comparison of simultaneous levoglucosan measurements by GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS/MS for about 50 samples coming from different types of sampling sites and seasons was realized and shows very good agreement between the two methods. Therefore LC-ESI-MS/MS method can be used as an alternative to GC-MS particularly for measurement campaigns in routine where analysis time is important and detection limit is reduced. This paper shows that this method is also applicable to other environmental sample types like soil.

PCR Amplification-Independent Methods for Detection of Microbial Communities by the High-Density Microarray PhyloChip

Environmental microbial community analysis typically involves amplification by PCR, despite well-documented biases. We have developed two methods of PCR-independent microbial community analysis using the high-density microarray PhyloChip: direct hybridization of 16S rRNA (dirRNA) or rRNA converted to double-stranded cDNA (dscDNA). We compared dirRNA and dscDNA communities to PCR-amplified DNA communities using a mock community of eight taxa, as well as experiments derived from three environmental sample types: chromium-contaminated aquifer groundwater, tropical forest soil, and secondary sewage in seawater. Community profiles by both direct hybridization methods showed differences that were expected based on accompanying data but that were missing in PCR-amplified communities. Taxon richness decreased in RNA compared to that in DNA communities, suggesting a subset of 20% in soil and 60% in groundwater that is active; secondary sewage showed no difference between active and inactive populations. Direct hybridization of dscDNA and RNA is thus a viable alternative to PCR-amplified microbial community analysis, providing identification of the active populations within microbial communities that attenuate pollutants, drive global biogeochemical cycles, or proliferate disease states.

Pathogen Quantitation in Complex Matrices: A Multi-Operator Comparison of DNA Extraction Methods with a Novel Assessment of PCR Inhibition

Background Mycobacterium bovis is the aetiological agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), an important recrudescent zoonosis, significantly increasing in British herds in recent years. Wildlife reservoirs have been identified for this disease but the mode of transmission to cattle remains unclear. There is evidence that viable M. bovis cells can survive in soil and faeces for over a year.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe report a multi-operator blinded trial for a rigorous comparison of five DNA extraction methods from a variety of soil and faecal samples to assess recovery of M. bovis via real-time PCR detection. The methods included four commercial kits: the QIAamp Stool Mini kit with a pre-treatment step, the FastDNA® Spin kit, the UltraClean™ and PowerSoil™ soil kits and a published manual method based on phenol:chloroform purification, termed Griffiths. M. bovis BCG Pasteur spiked samples were extracted by four operators and evaluated using a specific real-time PCR assay. A novel inhibition control assay was used alongside spectrophotometric ratios to monitor the level of inhibitory compounds affecting PCR, DNA yield, and purity. There were statistically significant differences in M. bovis detection between methods of extraction and types of environmental samples; no significant differences were observed between operators. Processing times and costs were also evaluated. To improve M. bovis detection further, the two best performing methods, FastDNA® Spin kit and Griffiths, were optimised and the ABI TaqMan environmental PCR Master mix was adopted, leading to improved sensitivities.Conclusions M. bovis was successfully detected in all environmental samples; DNA extraction using FastDNA® Spin kit was the most sensitive method with highest recoveries from all soil types tested. For troublesome faecal samples, we have used and recommend an improved assay based on a reduced volume, resulting in detection limits of 4.25×105 cells g−1 using Griffiths and 4.25×106 cells g−1 using FastDNA® Spin kit.

Oxygen requirements of zebrafish ( Danio rerio) embryos in embryo toxicity tests with environmental samples

The zebrafish embryo test is a widely used bioassay for the testing of chemicals, effluents and other types of environmental samples. Oxygen depletion in the testing of sediments and effluents is especially important and may be a confounding factor in the interpretation of apparent toxicity. In order to identify oxygen levels critical to early developmental stages of zebrafish, oxygen consumption of zebrafish embryos between 0 and 96 h post-fertilization, minimum oxygen levels required by the embryos for survival as well as the effects of oxygen depletion following exposure to model sediments were determined. No significant effects on zebrafish embryo development were observed for oxygen concentrations between 7.15 and 3.33 mg/L, whereas at concentrations between 3.0 and 2.0 mg/L minor developmental retardations were observed, yet without any pathological consequences. Oxygen concentrations lower than 0.88 mg/L were 100% lethal. In the sediment contact tests with zebrafish embryos, native sediments rich in organic materials rapidly developed strongly hypoxic conditions, particularly at the sediment–water interface (0 to 500 μm distance to the sediment).

Apportionment of TEQs from four major dioxin sources in Japan on the basis of five indicative congeners

The major sources of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs)) in the environment in Japan have been considered to be combustion by-products, pentachlorophenol (PCP) formulations, chlornitrofen (CNP, 4-nitrophenyl-2,4,6-trichlorophenyl ether) formulations, and PCB products. Data on PCDDs, PCDFs and DL-PCBs from the four sources were analyzed, and indicative congeners whose concentrations were highly correlated with WHO-2006 toxic equivalencies (TEQs) were identified for each source sample. The indicative congeners for combustion by-products, PCP formulations, and CNP formulations were 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin, and 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin, respectively; for PCB products, the indicative congeners were IUPAC Nos. #126- and #105-pentachlorobiphenyls. Moreover, using the data on PCDDs, PCDFs and DL-PCBs, we developed a set of equations for estimating the apportionment of TEQs from the four sources by using only the concentrations of the above-mentioned five indicative congeners. The equations were used along with the analysis results of different types of environmental samples collected from Japan, to determine the TEQ contributions of the four sources. The obtained values of TEQ contributions seemed to be reasonable. The estimation method was developed by using the data on major dioxin sources in Japan, and therefore, it is generally adaptable to environmental samples from any part of Japan. The method may be usable for regions outside Japan if source identification is carried out and the estimation equations are modified appropriately.

Potential contributions of asphalt and coal tar to black carbon quantification in urban dust, soils, and sediments

Measurements of black carbon (BC) using either chemical or thermal oxidation methods are generally thought to indicate the amount of char and/or soot present in a sample. In urban environments, however, asphalt and coal-tar particles worn from pavement are ubiquitous and, because of their pyrogenic origin, could contribute to measurements of BC. Here we explored the effect of the presence of asphalt and coal-tar particles on the quantification of BC in a range of urban environmental sample types, and evaluated biases in the different methods used for quantifying BC. Samples evaluated were pavement dust, residential and commercial area soils, lake sediments from a small urban watershed, and reference materials of asphalt and coal tar. Total BC was quantified using chemical treatment through acid dichromate (Cr 2O 7) oxidation and chemo-thermal oxidation at 375 °C (CTO-375). BC species, including soot and char/charcoal, asphalt, and coal tar, were quantified with organic petrographic analysis. Comparison of results by the two oxidation methods and organic petrography indicates that both coal tar and asphalt contribute to BC quantified by Cr 2O 7 oxidation, and that coal tar contributes to BC quantified by CTO-375. These results are supported by treatment of asphalt and coal-tar reference samples with Cr 2O 7 oxidation and CTO-375. The reference asphalt is resistant to Cr 2O 7 oxidation but not to CTO-375, and the reference coal tar is resistant to both Cr 2O 7 oxidation and CTO-375. These results indicate that coal tar and/or asphalt can contribute to BC measurements in samples from urban areas using Cr 2O 7 oxidation or CTO-375, and caution is advised when interpreting BC measurements made with these methods.

Anthropogenic 129I in the atmosphere: Overview over major sources, transport processes and deposition pattern

Wet and, to a lesser extent, dry deposition of atmospheric 129I are known to represent the dominating processes responsible for 129I in continental environmental samples that are remote from 129I sources and not directly influenced by any liquid 129I release of nuclear installations. Up to now, however, little is known about the major emitters and the related global deposition pattern of 129I. In this work an overview over major sources of 129I is given, and hitherto unknown time-dependent releases from these were estimated. Total gaseous 129I releases from the US and former Soviet reprocessing facilities Hanford, Savannah River, Mayak, Seversk and Zheleznogorsk were found to have been 0.53, 0.27, 1.05, 0.23 and 0.14 TBq, respectively. These facilities were thus identified as major airborne 129I emitters. The global deposition pattern due to the 129I released, depending on geographic latitude and longitude, and on time was studied using a box model describing the global atmospheric transport and deposition of 129I. The model predictions are compared to 129I concentrations measured by means of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) in water samples that were collected from various lakes in Asia, Africa, America and New Zealand, and to published values. As a result, both pattern and temporal evolution of 129I deposition values measured in and calculated for different types of environmental samples are, in general, in good agreement. This supports our estimate on atmospheric 129I releases and the considered substantial transport and deposition mechanisms in our model calculations.

Aspects of proficiency testing studies of trace elements in environmental samples with a focus on laboratory performance

Four proficiency tests of environmentally significant elements in soil and water are described. The effects of sample matrix, analyte, sample preparation procedure, extraction method efficiency and instrumental technique on laboratory performance were assessed. Participants’ performance was evaluated using z scores and En scores. One study included dried sediment and sediment digest as test samples. By testing both dried sediment and sediment digest in the same study, differences in laboratories’ results due to the extraction method or instrumental technique were evaluated. Cadmium and nickel were the elements with the most unsatisfactory z scores for dried sediment compared to sediment digest. The second study had as test samples river water and river water fortified with biosolid. For an evaluation of the efficiency of participants’ extraction method, the results reported for the analysis of river water were compared to the results for analysis of the same river water fortified with biosolid. No consensus could be found between participants’ results for Cr and Ni in this study as the extraction method employed by them produced results that were too variable. The last two studies included saline and fresh water samples. The analysis of fresh and saline water samples with similar analyte concentrations assisted laboratories in developing their methods for trace elements in saline water. For Cr, Pb and Se, the assigned values were reference values traceable to SI, measured using isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Saline water containing low concentrations of analytes presented difficulties to some laboratories. Arsenic and selenium were the analytes most difficult to analyse in all types of environmental samples.

A novel method for concentrating hepatitis A virus and caliciviruses from bottled water

Human enteric viruses are detected frequently in various types of environmental water samples, such as irrigation water, wastewater, recreational water, ground or subsurface water and even drinking water, constituting a primary source of gastroenteritis or hepatitis outbreaks. Only a few, but still infective number of viral particles are normally present in water samples, therefore an efficient virus concentration procedure is essential prior to molecular detection of the viral nucleic acid. In this study, a novel chromatographic technology, Convective Interaction Media ® (CIM) monolithic supports, were optimized and applied to the concentration of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and feline calicivirus (FCV), a surrogate of norovirus (NoV), from water samples. Two-step real-time RT-qPCR was used for quantitation of the virus concentration in the chromatographic fractions. Positively charged CIM QA (quaternary amine) monolithic columns were used for binding of HAV and FCV present in previously inoculated 1.5 l bottled water samples. Column bound viruses were eluted from the monolith using 1 M NaCl to a final volume of 15 ml. Elution volume was concentrated further by ultracentrifugation. When the CIM/ultracentrifugation method was compared with another concentration method employing positively charged membranes and ultrafiltration, the recovery of HAV was improved by approximately 20%.