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Heida A, Maal-Bared R, Veillette M, Duchaine C, Reynolds KA, Ashraf A, Ogunseye OO, Jung Y, Shulman L, Ikner L, Betancourt W, Hamilton KA, Wilson AM. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) tool for modelling pathogen infection risk to wastewater treatment plant workers. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 260:121858. [PMID: 38936269 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) provide vital services to the public by removing contaminants from wastewater prior to environmental discharge or reuse for beneficial purposes. WWTP workers occupationally exposed to wastewater can be at risk of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases. The study objectives were to: (1) quantify pathogens and pathogen indicators in wastewater aerosols near different WWTP processes/unit operations, (2) develop a QMRA model for multi-pathogen and multi-exposure pathway risks, and (3) create a web-based application to perform and communicate risk calculations for wastewater workers. Case studies for seven different WWTP job tasks were performed investigating infection risk across nine different enteric and respiratory pathogens. It was observed that the ingestion risk among job tasks was highest for "walking the WWTP," which involved exposure from splashing, bioaerosols, and hand-to-mouth contact from touching contaminated surfaces. There was also a notable difference in exposure risk during peak (5:00am-9:00am) and non-peak hours (9:00am- 5:00am), with risks during the peak flow hours of the early morning assumed to be 5 times greater than non-peak hours. N95 respirator usage reduced median respiratory risks by 77 %. The developed tool performs multiple QMRA calculations to estimate WWTP workers' infection risks from accidental ingestion or inhalation of wastewater from multiple pathogens and exposure scenarios, which can inform risk management strategies to protect occupational health. However, more data are needed to reduce uncertainty in model estimates, including comparative data for pathogen concentrations in wastewater during peak and non-peak hours. QMRA tools will increase accessibility of risk models for utilization in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Heida
- School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, 502 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Rasha Maal-Bared
- Bellevue Research and Testing Laboratory, CDM Smith, 14432 SE Eastgate Way Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Marc Veillette
- Department of biochemistry, microbiology and bioinformatics, Université Laval, Canada Research Chair on Bioaerosols, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Caroline Duchaine
- Department of biochemistry, microbiology and bioinformatics, Université Laval, Canada Research Chair on Bioaerosols, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Kelly A Reynolds
- Department of Community, Environment, & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Ahamed Ashraf
- Department of Community, Environment, & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Olusola O Ogunseye
- Department of Community, Environment, & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Yoonhee Jung
- Department of Community, Environment, & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Lester Shulman
- Central Virology Laboratory, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel; School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Luisa Ikner
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Agricultre, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Walter Betancourt
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Agricultre, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Kerry A Hamilton
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Amanda M Wilson
- Department of Community, Environment, & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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Chu AMY, Kwok PWH, Chan JNL, So MKP. COVID-19 Pandemic Risk Assessment: Systematic Review. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2024; 17:903-925. [PMID: 38623576 PMCID: PMC11017986 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s444494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic presents the possibility of future large-scale infectious disease outbreaks. In response, we conducted a systematic review of COVID-19 pandemic risk assessment to provide insights into countries' pandemic surveillance and preparedness for potential pandemic events in the post-COVID-19 era. Objective We aim to systematically identify relevant articles and synthesize pandemic risk assessment findings to facilitate government officials and public health experts in crisis planning. Methods This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and included over 620,000 records from the World Health Organization COVID-19 Research Database. Articles related to pandemic risk assessment were identified based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant articles were characterized based on study location, variable types, data-visualization techniques, research objectives, and methodologies. Findings were presented using tables and charts. Results Sixty-two articles satisfying both the inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. Among the articles, 32.3% focused on local areas, while another 32.3% had a global coverage. Epidemic data were the most commonly used variables (74.2% of articles), with over half of them (51.6%) employing two or more variable types. The research objectives covered various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with risk exposure assessment and identification of risk factors being the most common theme (35.5%). No dominant research methodology for risk assessment emerged from these articles. Conclusion Our synthesized findings support proactive planning and development of prevention and control measures in anticipation of future public health threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Y Chu
- Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
| | - Patrick W H Kwok
- Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
| | - Jacky N L Chan
- Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
| | - Mike K P So
- Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
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Su Y, Gao R, Huang F, Liang B, Guo J, Fan L, Wang A, Gao SH. Occurrence, transmission and risks assessment of pathogens in aquatic environments accessible to humans. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 354:120331. [PMID: 38368808 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Pathogens are ubiquitously detected in various natural and engineered water systems, posing potential threats to public health. However, it remains unclear which human-accessible waters are hotspots for pathogens, how pathogens transmit to these waters, and what level of health risk associated with pathogens in these environments. This review collaboratively focuses and summarizes the contamination levels of pathogens on the 5 water systems accessible to humans (natural water, drinking water, recreational water, wastewater, and reclaimed water). Then, we showcase the pathways, influencing factors and simulation models of pathogens transmission and survival. Further, we compare the health risk levels of various pathogens through Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA), and assess the limitations of water-associated QMRA application. Pathogen levels in wastewater are consistently higher than in other water systems, with no significant variation for Cryptosporidium spp. among five water systems. Hydraulic conditions primarily govern the transmission of pathogens into human-accessible waters, while environmental factors such as temperature impact pathogens survival. The median and mean values of computed public health risk levels posed by pathogens consistently surpass safety thresholds, particularly in the context of recreational waters. Despite the highest pathogens levels found in wastewater, the calculated health risk is significantly lower than in other water systems. Except pathogens concentration, variables like the exposure mode, extent, and frequency are also crucial factors influencing the public health risk in water systems. This review shares valuable insights to the more accurate assessment and comprehensive management of public health risk in human-accessible water environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Su
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Rui Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Fang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Bin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Lu Fan
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Aijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shu-Hong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Sharma R, Kumar A. Human health risk assessment and uncertainty analysis of silver nanoparticles in water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:13739-13752. [PMID: 38265586 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32006-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite frequent detection in environmental waters, literature which quantifies the health risk of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) through oral ingestion is scarce. This study compiled literature data to find the removal of Ag NPs from different treatment schemes (i.e., natural, engineered, or hybrid). Ag NP concentrations were found either in surface water or in groundwater based on where the effluent of treatment schemes was discharged, i.e., either in surface water or in groundwater. Monte-Carlo simulation was carried out for probabilistic assessment of health risks for children for two hypothetical exposure scenarios: (a) ingesting river water while swimming and (b) drinking groundwater. Bio-accessible fraction, dietary metal adsorption factor, and concentrations of silver ions were incorporated to simulate realistic situations. Different treatment schemes were ranked for their nanoparticles' removal efficiency with respect to (i) exceedance probability from guideline value and (ii) health risk to children. Hybrid treatment combinations, i.e., conventional primary and secondary treatment units followed by nature-based units (constructed wetlands and soil aquifer treatment), were ranked the best. The health risk value was found to be less than 1, with the 99th percentile value less than 10-3 in all cases. The maximum allowable concentration of Ag NPs was found to be as low as 1.43 mg/L for groundwater, suggesting probable potential for risk. Uncertainty analysis revealed that the uncertainty of the influent NPs concentration in raw wastewater contributes > 99% to the variance of the hazard index. The results of this work indicate that the use of natural treatment technologies with existing engineered treatments provides higher nanoparticle removal from wastewater without the requirement of any tertiary treatment unit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhika Sharma
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Arun Kumar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India.
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Chaudhary A, Rana S, Singh R, Gurian PL, Betancourt W, Kumar A, Kumar A. Non-potable water reuse and the public health risks from protozoa and helminths: a case study from a city with a semi-arid climate. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2023; 21:981-994. [PMID: 37632375 PMCID: wh_2023_283 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2023.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The study estimated the risk due to Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Ascaris, associated with non-potable water reuse in the city of Jaipur, India. The study first determined the exposure dose of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Ascaris based on various wastewater treatment technologies for various scenarios of reuse for six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the city. The exposure scenarios considered were (1) garden irrigation; (2) working and lounging in the garden; and (3) consumption of crops irrigated with recycled water. The estimated annual risk of infection varied between 8.57 × 10-7 and 1.0 for protozoa and helminths, respectively. The order of treatment processes, in decreasing order of annual risk of infection, was found to be: moving-bed bioreactor (MBBR) technology > activated sludge process (ASP) technology > sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology. The estimated annual risk was found to be in this order: Ascaris > Giardia > Cryptosporidium. The study also estimated the maximum allowable concentration (Cmax) of pathogen in the effluent for a benchmark value of annual infection of risk equal to 1:10,000, the acceptable level of risk used for drinking water. The estimated Cmax values were found to be 6.54 × 10-5, 1.37 × 10-5, and 2.89 × 10-6 (oo) cysts/mL for Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Ascaris, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayushi Chaudhary
- Department of Civil Engineering, MNIT Jaipur, Jaipur, India E-mail: ;
| | - Shubham Rana
- Department of Civil Engineering, MNIT Jaipur, Jaipur, India
| | - Rajveer Singh
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Patrick L Gurian
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Walter Betancourt
- Water and Energy Sustainable Technology Centre, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Arun Kumar
- Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Civil Engineering, MNIT Jaipur, Jaipur, India
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Parsa SM. Mega-scale desalination Efficacy (Reverse Osmosis, Electrodialysis, Membrane Distillation, MED, MSF) during COVID-19: Evidence from salinity, pretreatment methods, temperature of operation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ADVANCES 2022:100217. [PMID: 37521749 PMCID: PMC9744688 DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented situation of the COVID-19 pandemic heavily polluted water bodies whereas the presence of SARS-CoV-2, even in treated wastewater in every corner of the world is reported. The main aim of the present study is to show the effectiveness and feasibility of some well-known desalination technologies which are reverse osmosis (RO), Electrodialysis (ED), Membrane Distillation (MD), multi effect distillation (MED), and multi stage flashing (MSF) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Systems’ effectiveness against the novel coronavirus based on three parameters of nasopharynx/nasal saline-irrigation, temperature of operation and pretreatment methods are evaluated. First, based on previous clinical studies, it showed that using saline solution (hypertonic saline >0.9% concentration) for gargling/irrigating of nasal/nasopharynx/throat results in reducing and replication of the viral in patients, subsequently the feed water of desalination plants which has concentration higher than 3.5% (35000ppm) is preventive against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Second, the temperature operation of thermally-driven desalination; MSF and MED (70-120°C) and MD (55-85°C) is high enough to inhibit the contamination of plant structure and viral survival in feed water. The third factor is utilizing various pretreatment process such as chlorination, filtration, thermal/precipitation softening, ultrafiltration (mostly for RO, but also for MD, MED and MSF), which are powerful treatment methods against biologically-contaminated feed water particularly the SARS-CoV-2. Eventually, it can be concluded that large-scale desalination plants during COVID-19 and similar situation are completely reliable for providing safe drinking water.
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Azuma T, Murakami M, Sonoda Y, Ozaki A, Hayashi T. Occurrence and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a Sub-Catchment of the Yodo River Basin, Japan. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11101355. [PMID: 36290013 PMCID: PMC9598951 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in a sub-catchment of the Yodo River Basin, a representative water system of a drinking water source in Japan, was investigated. The chromogenic enzyme-substrate medium method was used for the detection of S. aureus and MRSA by the presence or absence of antimicrobials in the medium for viable bacteria in a culture-based setting. The contributions of S. aureus and MRSA from wastewater to the rivers were estimated based on mass flux-based analysis, and quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) was further conducted for S. aureus and MRSA in river environments. The mean abundance of S. aureus and MRSA was 31 and 29 CFU/mL in hospital effluent, 124 and 117 CFU/mL in sewage treatment plant (STP) influent, 16 and 13 CFU/mL in STP effluent, and 8 and 9 CFU/mL in river water, respectively. Contribution of the pollution load derived from the target STP effluent to river water ranged from 2% to 25%. The QMRA showed that to achieve the established health benchmarks, the drinking water treatment process would need to yield 1.7 log10 and 2.9 log10 inactivation in terms of infection risk and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) indexes, respectively. These findings highlight the link between medical environment and the importance of environmental risk management for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Azuma
- Department of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1 Nasahara, Takatsuki 569-1094, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +81-72-690-1055
| | - Michio Murakami
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), Osaka University, Techno Alliance C209, 2-8 Yamadaoka, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuki Sonoda
- Nursing Unit, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, 57 Kaminodai, Jyoban-Kamiyunaga-Yamachi, Iwaki 972-8322, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ozaki
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, 57 Kaminodai, Jyoban-Kamiyunaga-Yamachi, Iwaki 972-8322, Japan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1 Nasahara, Takatsuki 569-1094, Japan
- Department of Food and Nutrition Management Studies, Faculty of Human Development, Soai University, 4-4-1 Nankonaka, Osaka 559-0033, Japan
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