* Short pauses (under 1 hour each)
Table 1 shows the results for the investigated first generation filters. For all filters the decision point flow decay was reached rather than duration. The MMV reduction factors (R) for the filters FG I to FG III indicate significant virus breakthrough. These filters were, therefore, unsuitable for high-volume long duration applications. Only filter FG IV showed effective virus clearance (4.4 log10) at a higher than 1,000 L/m² load. However, the experimental run was stopped after 6 days as the flow decay had already reached 80%. The short duration of the experiment indicated that the filter is not suitable for a high-volume long duration application.
Table 2. Filtration conditions and results for MMV retention – 2nd generation filter I (SG I) – Sartorius Sartopore CPV.