Study on the forms of pathogenic viruses present in surface water and their association with suspended solids, dissolved organic matter, and pharmaceuticals

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K04680
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 22060:Environmental systems for civil engineering-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Miura Takayuki 国立保健医療科学院, その他部局等, 主任研究官 (70770014)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 越後 信哉 京都大学, 地球環境学堂, 教授 (70359777)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 水道水源 / 表流水 / 胃腸炎 / ノロウイルス / ロタウイルス / トウガラシ微斑ウイルス / カルバマゼピン / スルファメトキサゾール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, present forms of viruses in surface water used for drinking water production and pharmaceuticals associated with the occurrence of viruses were investigated. Surface water samples were fractionated by filtration through 10- and 0.45-μm-pore-size membranes, and viruses present in suspended and dissolved forms were quantitatively detected by using a real-time PCR method. Pharmaceuticals were concentrated with the solid-phase extraction and measured by using a LC-MS/MS method. Based on the analyses of raw water samples collected at 21 drinking water treatment plants all over Japan, we found that rotavirus A and pepper mild mottle virus were predominant in the dissolved fraction, and their concentrations were positively correlated with the concentrations of carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに表流水に含まれるウイルスは，その多くが細菌や粘土等の懸濁物質に吸着していると考えられてきたが，溶存態画分に多く含まれるウイルスも存在することがわかった。ヒトのふん便に高濃度で含まれるトウガラシ微斑ウイルスや小児における下痢症の原因として重要なロタウイルスはそれに該当し，水道原水における濃度は下水汚染を示す化学物質マーカーであるカルバマゼピンやスルファメトキサゾールの濃度と正に相関していた。これまでに水中の病原ウイルスと医薬品の濃度の相関を報告した研究はほとんどなく，化学物質マーカーがウイルス汚染の評価にも有用であることを示す重要な知見が得られた。