ABSTRACT
Research in environmental virology has long focused on the development and improvement of methodology for recovering viruses from water. Two recent developments, however, have given impetus to research on methods for recovering viruses from soils and aquatic sediments. First, recent legislation has encouraged the disposal of wastewater effluents and residuals on agricultural soils. Second, it is now recognized that aquatic sediments may act as reservoirs for bacterial and viral pathogens. Viruses are largely retained in soils by adsorption although, in some situations, viruses may be found in groundwater beneath land treatment sites. The association of viruses with organic and inorganic particulates in the water column may lead to their accumulation in sediments, particularly in the upper layer of sediments. Detection methodology for viruses in soils and sediments is now in the early stages of development and more attention should be focused in this area.
