7-log virus removal in a simple functionalized sand filter

Viral contamination of drinking water due to fecal contamination is difficult to detect and treat effectively, leading to frequent outbreaks worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to report on the molecular mechanism for unprecedented high virus removal from a practical sand filter. Sand filters functionalized using a water extract of Moringa oleifera (MO) seeds, functionalized sand (f-sand) filters, achieved a ∼7 log10 virus removal. These tests were conducted with MS2 bacteriophage, a recognized surrogate for pathogenic norovirus and rotavirus. We studied the molecular mechanism of this high removal since it can have important implications for sand filtration, the most common water treatment technology worldwide. Our data reveal that the virus removal activity of f-sand is due to the presence of a chitin-binding protein, M. oleifera chitin-binding protein (MoCBP) on f-sand. Standard column experiments were supported by proteomic analysis and molecular docking simulations. Our simulations show that MoCB...