眾所周知，溫度、來自陽光的保護、有機化合物的存在、與微粒的聯繫以及微生物活動的減少37-39都會影響地下水中病毒的生存能力，物種形成(病毒)和土壤組成也會影響病毒的存活。粘土顆粒在保護病毒免受自然衰變方面特別有效40,41。據報導，某些類型的有機物(例如蛋白質)能很好地保護病毒不被滅活。
As it is known temperature, protection from sunlight, presence of organic compounds, association with particulates and least attenuated microbial activity37-39 influence survivability of virus in groundwater, speciation (virus) and soil composition do so as well. Clay particles are particularly effective at protecting virus from natural decay.40,41 Some types of organic matter (i.e., proteins) are also reported to better protect viruses from inactivation.42
更值得注意的是病毒通過吸附作用而在地質層中積累的方式。隨著時間的推移，這些地方的病毒高度集中。然後被解吸進入蓄水層中的水裡，從而形成高濃度的垂直病毒匯集區39,42。由於病毒-土壤相互作用對表面電荷非常敏感，任何足以引起電荷逆轉的水質變化都會導致病毒的解吸43,44。水質變化會導致pH值的升高、離子強度的降低和有機物的存在40,45-47。例如，當鹼性的汙水滲液與地下水混合時，增加的pH值可使病毒迅速解吸和傳播，特別是在飽和流條件下48。暴風雨後的降雨補給可能會降低離子強度，導致病毒解吸和傳播。因此，病毒在進入蓄水層後很長一段時間內仍可能以高濃度周期性地汙染蓄水層40,49。
Of particular interest is the manner which virus accumulate within geologic strata by adsorption. Over time, virus in such areas become highly concentrated. Then subsequently desorbed unilaterally into the flowage of an aquifer, inherently creating highly concentrated plumbs of virus.39,42 Since virus-soil interactions are very sensitive to surface charge, any water quality change that is enough to cause a charge reversal will result in the desorption of virus.43,44 Water quality changes that can result in desorption include an increase in pH, a decrease in ionic strength, and the presence of organic matter.40,45-47 For example, when alkaline septic effluent mixes with groundwater, the increased pH allows rapid desorption and transport of virus, especially under saturated flow conditions.48 Rainfall recharge after a storm may decrease ionic strength and cause virus to desorb and transported. As such, viruses may continue to contaminate an aquifer at high concentrations on a periodic basis long after their initial entry.40,49
由於豬流行性腹瀉(PEDV)和豬繁殖與呼吸症候群(PRRSV)爆發的季節性特徵，很明顯水溫可能是影響這些病毒生存的關鍵因素。
Due to the seasonality of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PEDV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRSV) outbreaks, it is apparent water temperature may serve as a critical factor regarding their survivability.
在對南非飲用水中腺病毒的一項為期一年的調查中，發現腺病毒的檢測率在7月達到高峰(南非冬季)，經處理和未經處理的水樣的腺病毒呈陽率分別為30%和60%。只有當水溫低於23°C時，才能在南非豪登省的Florida西南部的一個河口處檢測到腸病毒。在一項體外研究中，在22°C的海水中與在30°C的海水中相比，脊髓灰質炎病毒的存活率和檢出率都有所提高。在人工海水中，用逆轉錄聚合酶鏈反應(RT - PCR)在22°C的水中至少可檢測到病毒長達60天，而30°C的水中只能檢測到30天。同樣地，在海水中，4°C時需要671天才能滅活海水中90%的脊髓灰質炎病毒和A肝病毒，而在25°C時只需要25天。在一項用聚合酶鏈反應(PCR)評估一個多功能河口中人和牛的腸道病毒的研究中，發現，所有病毒類型均與冷水溫度相關，如圖4.23所示23。
In a year-long survey of the occurrence of adenoviruses in drinking water in South Africa, adenovirus detection peaked in July (winter in South Africa), when up to 30% and 60% of treated and raw water samples were positive for adenoviruses, respectively. Enteroviruses were detected from an estuary in southwest Florida only when the water temperature was below 23° C. In an in vitro study, enhanced poliovirus survival and detection were observed at 22° Celsius (C) compared to 30° C in seawater. In artificial seawater, viruses were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for at least 60 days at 22° C but for only 30 days at 30° C. Similarly, in seawater, it took 671 days to inactivate 90% of poliovirus and hepatitis A virus at 4° C and only 25 days at 25° C. In a study evaluating both human and bovine enteric viruses by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a mixed-use estuary, it was found that all virus types were correlated with cool water temperatures as shown in Figure 4.23
圖4：在一個多用途河口中通過PCR檢測人與牛的腸道病毒，發現病毒與冷水的相關性
Human and bovine enteric viruses by PCR in a mixed-use estuary, correlated with cool water
註：2002年7月至12月，喬治亞阿爾塔馬哈河下遊的月平均水溫(°C)與人腸病毒、人腺病毒(同時檢測到)以及牛腸病毒的樣本陽性率(n = 5)4。文獻：水生環境中人類和動物的腸道病毒：健康風險、檢測和潛在的水質評估工具。作者：Theng-Theng Fong, Erin K. Lipp Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2005 Jun; 69(2): 357–371.
Note: Percentage of samples positive for human enteroviruses and human adenoviruses (detected simultaneously), as well as bovine enteroviruses, by month versus the mean monthly water temperature (°C) along the lower Altamaha River, Georgia, between July and December 2002 (n = 5)4.Enteric Viruses of Humans and Animals in Aquatic Environments: Health Risks, Detection, and Potential Water Quality Assessment Tools. Theng-Theng Fong, Erin K. Lipp Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2005 Jun; 69(2): 357–371.