Bacteriophage are approximately the same size and have the approximately same ch
ID: 266413 • Letter: B
Question
Bacteriophage are approximately the same size and have the approximately same chemical makeup as many enteric viruses, such as norovirus and poliovirus. When a drinking water plant wants to test its purification process, sometimes bacteriophage are spiked into the source water (influent) to determine if the treatment process inactivates them. Why is this considered safe? Why is it preferable to using the actual enteric viruses? Bacteriophage are approximately the same size and have the approximately same chemical makeup as many enteric viruses, such as norovirus and poliovirus. When a drinking water plant wants to test its purification process, sometimes bacteriophage are spiked into the source water (influent) to determine if the treatment process inactivates them. Why is this considered safe? Why is it preferable to using the actual enteric viruses?Explanation / Answer
Bacteriophages are considered safe because they infect only bacteria and donot affect humans. While on the other hand, enteric viruses are infectious to humans and are major causes of gastroenteritis. Hence for testing the treatment process, if enteric viruses are used and if any of them is let behind it could be a source of infection while even if the treatment is not efficient bacteriophages would not harm us.
Related Questions
Hire Me For All Your Tutoring Needs
Integrity-first tutoring: clear explanations, guidance, and feedback.
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.