Detection of coliphages and enteroviruses in sewage and aerosol from an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant

Coliphages and enteroviruses were monitored over 12 months in sewage and air adjacent to an activated sludge plant. Both showed temporal variation but the mean count of phages in enterovirus‐positive samples was not significantly different from that in enterovirus‐negative samples. Hence coliphages are not necessarily a good indicator of enteroviruses in sewage and aerosols.