Discovery of a new volcanic soil material, "Akahoya," as an adsorbent for bacterial and viral pathogens and its application to environmental purification

• Published in: Applied and environmental microbiology 2024-09, Vol.90 (9), p.e0100724
• Main Authors: Pongsawat, Pornsawan, Jianpinitnun, Piyarat, Sasaki, Satomi, Miyanishi, Chizuru, Taniguchi, Takako, Luangtongkum, Taradon, Yasui, Kentaro, Kinoshita, Hiroyuki, Kobayashi, Taichi, Nagahama, Hideki, Yamada, Kentaro, Misawa, Naoaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Aerobic bacteria; Aluminum oxide; Aluminum Oxide - chemistry; Animals; Avian flu; Bacillus anthracis; Bacillus subtilis; Bacteria; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; Campylobacter jejuni; Chemical composition; Clostridium perfringens; Coliforms; Coronaviruses; E coli; Enterobacteriaceae; Environmental Microbiology; Escherichia coli; Japan; Microorganisms; Phosphorylation; Public and Environmental Health Microbiology; Rivers; Rivers - microbiology; Rivers - virology; Salmonella Enteritidis; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Soil - chemistry; Soil bacteria; Soil investigations; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soil water; Spores; Staphylococcus aureus; Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Viral diseases; Viruses - genetics; Viruses - isolation & purification; Volcanic soils; Water Microbiology; Water pollution; Water purification; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/aem.01007-24

Akahoya is a volcanic soil rich in alumina, primarily deposited in Kyushu, Japan. We have found that Akahoya adsorbs bacteria in the water surrounding cattle grazing areas, suggesting a potential for environmental purification. This study investigated the spectrum of microorganisms adsorbed by Akahoya using a column filled with Akahoya through which a suspension of microorganisms was passed. Shirasu soil, another volcanic soil with a different chemical composition, was used as a control. Akahoya effectively adsorbed a diverse range of microorganisms including , , , Enteritidis, , , spores of and , severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), murine norovirus, and avian influenza virus (H3N2), whereas Shirasu soil did not adsorb any of the organisms examined. Moreover, bacteria naturally present in river water, such as aerobic bacteria, total coliforms, and as indicators of river contamination, as well as added artificially to sterilized river water, were reduced to below the detection limit (