Deposition kinetics of bacteriophage MS2 on a silica surface coated with natural organic matter in a radial stagnation point flow cell

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) coupled with a radial stagnation point flow (RSPF) cell was used to study deposition kinetics of bacteriophage MS2 on silica surface coated with Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM). Three stocks of MS2 stored in 1 mM NaHCO₃, deionized (DI) water or phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution were studied. MS2 stored in PBS solution were found to aggregate at all studied ionic strengths from 3 mM to 200 mM, while MS2 stored in DI water and bicarbonate solutions remained monodispersed. Isoelectric points of MS2 stored in PBS solution were lower than for those stored in DI water and 1 mM NaHCO₃ solution. Nonrepulsive deposition rates of MS2 on silica surface coated with poly-L-lysine (PLL) were independent of ionic strength. In contrast, MS2 deposition rates on bare silica surface or silica surface coated with SRNOM increased gradually and stabilized at an ionic strength of 60 mM. MS2 deposition rates on bare silica surface were higher than those on silica surface coated with SRNOM at low ionic strengths. Deposition rates on these two surfaces were similar at high ionic strengths. Experimental data suggest that electrostatic and steric interactions were the two main deposition mechanisms of MS2 on either bare silica or silica surface coated with SRNOM.