SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater treatment plant, collection network, and hospital wastewater

Karami, Chiman; Dargahi, Abdollah; Vosoughi, Mehdi; Normohammadi, Ali; Jeddi, Farhad; Asghariazar, Vahid; Mokhtari, Ahamad; Sedigh, Anoshirvan; Zandian, Hamed; Alighadri, Morteza

Abstract

The current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to creating a public health emergency conditions since 2019. COVID-19, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, is spread via human-to-human transmission by direct contact or droplets. Through conducting this study, we were looking for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater produced in Iran country (Ardabil, Nir, Khalkhal, and Kowsar) (wastewater collection network, wastewater treatment plant, and hospital wastewater). In this research, samples (n=76) were collected from influent and effluent of municipal and hospital wastewater treatment plants, and some samples were also collected from Ardabil municipal wastewater manholes. The sampling duration included the white (lower risk of COVID-19) and red (high risk of COVID-19) conditions. Samples were stored at −20 °C for further diagnostic tests. The specific primer and probe real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) targeting ORF1ab and N genes (nucleoprotein gene) were applied to detect viral genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the wastewater samples. Out of 76 samples, a total of 15 samples (19.73%) collected from wastewater in Ardabil province (Ardabil, Nir, Khalkhal, and Kowsar), were positive in terms of SARS-CoV-2. Wastewater epidemiology can facilitate detection of the incidence of pathogens through metropolises, measurement of population prevalence without direct testing, and provision of information to the public health system about the efficiency of intervening efforts. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Citation

Karami, C., Dargahi, A., Vosoughi, M., Normohammadi, A., Jeddi, F., Asghariazar, V., …Alighadri, M. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater treatment plant, collection network, and hospital wastewater. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(57), 85577-85585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15374-4

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 6, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jul 15, 2021
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Apr 1, 2023
• Journal: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
• Print ISSN: 0944-1344
• Electronic ISSN: 1614-7499
• Publisher: Springer (part of Springer Nature)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 57
• Pages: 85577-85585
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15374-4
• Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Municipal wastewater; Coronavirus; Wastewater treatment plant; Collection network; Hospital wastewater
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10606369
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-021-15374-4