9424510 Casson This is an award to renew support of research being conducted under NSF Grant No. 91-24510. The objective of this research is to determine the significance in environmental engineering practice of the presence and viability of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in wastewatep and following various stages of treatment. The overall objective of work during the renewal period is to continue investigation of the viability of the HIV in aqueous media and to determine the effectiveness of disinfectants for its inactivation. The project will involve cell- associated HIV survivability studies, continued development of methods for concentration and recovery of cell-associated HIV in wastewater following various stages of treatment, optimization of the concentration and assay procedures and improvement in the detection limits for indigenous cell-free HIV. The survival characteristics of the HIV under environmental stresses have not been well-established. While there is no present indication that environmental media into which the virus is discharged have any role in spreading it from infected to non-infected individuals, the virus has been shown to survive for significant periods of time in environmental media. The results of this research are expected to provide the basis for any changes, if any are found to be needed, in the engineering design of collection systems, treatment processes and systems for management of wastes containing significant amounts of this virus in the context of its survival characteristics and potential infectivity. ***
