A method was developed for virus recovery from aerobically digested sludge. This method, hereafter named the TCA-lysine procedure, consists of eluting virus from sludge with sodium trichloroacetate + lysine at pH 9.0. The eluates are further processed by two successive concentration steps.

Comparison of this procedure was made to other methods. This procedure recovered 82% of added poliovirus from aerobic sludges. The range for the other procedures tested ranged from 1.1 to 66% recovery. Recovery of indigenous enteroviruses was found to be equal to or greater than other methods tested for both aerobically and anaerobically digested sludges.

The TCA-lysine procedure is potentially more sensitive and cost effective than other methods tested due to the smaller concentration volume. In addition bacterial contamination of cell cultures used for viral assays was not as severe as with other procedures tested.