Selection of phage indexes for evaluating penetrative performance of biological protection materials

Objective To select a suitable phage indicator for evaluating the ability of biological protection materials against microbial suspension penetrative performance.Methods The morphous,the reproductive capacity,the ability to stand pressure and the plaque morphous of PhiX-174,f₂,and MS₂ were studied.Results PhiX-174 could not only form the biggest plaque in the shortest time,but also showed the most powerful reproductive capacity.Culturing for 5 hours,the diameter of the plaque formed by PhiX-174 was 2.57 mm.In 4 hours culturing,the number of PhiX-174 was 1.67×10¹⁰ plaque forming unit(PFU)/mL and exceeded 10¹² PFU/mL in the last.The diameters of PhiX-174,f₂,and MS₂ were approximately about 25 nm,far smaller than human haematogenous virus and respirovirus.PhiX-174,f₂,and MS₂ could resist to a certain stress.When under high pressure(1.75,3.5,7,14,and 20 kPa/cm²)for 5 minutes,the titers of the phages showed no significant decrease.Conclusion PhiX-174 is the most suitable phage indicator to evaluate the anti-viral effect of biological protective clothing,especially the protective clothing for the people doing high-risk job in biological pollutant environment.