GROUNDWATER PROTECTION BY SOIL MODIFICATION.

Certain soils exhibit a limited capacity for removal of microbes when domestic sewage effluent percolates through the soil. In this study metallic aluminum was added to soil in an attempt to enhance the removal of viruses. Water and sewage containing the bacterial virus MS-2 virus was passed through 20 cm columns of sandy soil to which 5. 0 gm of aluminum was added. The soil columns were flooded in cycles of 7 days flooding and 3 days drying. Modification of the soil by addition of metallic aluminum caused a six to eight log decrease in virus concentration, while control columns with no aluminum showed only a two log decrease. Virus reduction continued in the test columns, with no significant changes, after five weeks of intermittent flooding.