Abstract
Coliphages isolated from Han-River from September 1980 to August 1981 were classified by morphological and physiological characteristics. Effects of soil metrial on the fate of coliphage in nature were investigated. 1. The correlation coefficient between coliphage and E.coli which was host of coliphages in nature was 0.7173 (p=0.004). 2. Coliphage I isolated from Han-River of which DNA molecular weight was $27{\times}10^6$ daltons was identified as $T_1$ phage and coliphage II of which DNA molecular weight $72{\times}10^6$ daltons was classified as $T_5$ phage. 3. Soil material SW was composed of 63.65% silt and 21.92% clay. Clay was consisted of illite, kaolinite and chlorite evenly. Soil material J was composed of 68.92% silt and 11.67% clay. Clay consisted of smectite only. 4. Coliphage was absorbed to soil material J more than soil material SW, and $T_1$ coliphage was absorbed to soil material more than $T_5$ coliphage was. 5. The phage adsorption efficiency to soil material was enhanced at lower pH : the phage adsorption efficiency at pH 4 was 27 time higher than at pH 7. 6. Divalent $(Ca^{2+})\;and\;trivalention\;(Al^{3+})$ enhanced the phage adsorption efficiency to soil material from 4 to 39 and from 17 to 91 times higher than monovalent $ion(Na^+)$, respectively. 7. The concentration of organic compound was inversely related to the phage adsorption efficiency to soil. 8. Adsorption of phage onto soil material, and elution efficiency of elutants was in the order of D.D.W>tap water>river water>seawater. 9. The higher the concentration of organic compound was, the more were adsorbed phages to soil eluted. 10. Coliphages survived longer in sterile soil suspension than in nonsterile soil material suspension.