Abstract
This study focused on the relationship between land use and coliphage concentration in rivers in Gifu city. We sampled river water at 20 sites along four urban rivers and analyzed water chemistry and concentrations of F-RNA and somatic phages and Escherichia coli. Coliphage concentrations were the highest along agricultural land followed by urban area and forest. River section receiving treated sewage water showed lower coliphage concentration than that without treated sewage water in urban area. This study revealed that pathogenic virus concentration is higher in suburb, agricultural and residential areas, than in the city center, which implied diffuse pollution of pathogenic virus in water environment.
