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Murni IK, Oktaria V, McCarthy DT, Supriyati E, Nuryastuti T, Handley A, Donato CM, Wiratama BS, Dinari R, Laksono IS, Thobari JA, Bines JE. Wastewater-based epidemiology surveillance as an early warning system for SARS-CoV-2 in Indonesia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307364. [PMID: 39024238 PMCID: PMC11257287 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) surveillance has been proposed as an early warning system (EWS) for community SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, there is limited data from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to assess the ability of WBE surveillance to detect SARS-CoV-2 in formal and informal environments in Indonesia using different methods of sample collection, to compare WBE data with patterns of clinical cases of COVID-19 within the relevant communities, and to assess the WBE potential to be used as an EWS for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks within a community. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted WBE surveillance in three districts in Yogyakarta province, Indonesia, over eleven months (27 July 2021 to 7 January 2022 [Delta wave]; 18 January to 3 June 2022 [Omicron wave]). Water samples using grab, and/or passive sampling methods and soil samples were collected either weekly or fortnightly. RNA was extracted from membrane filters from processed water samples and directly from soil. Reverse-transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect the SARS-CoV-2 N and ORF1ab genes. RESULTS A total of 1,582 samples were collected. Detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater reflected the incidence of community cases, with rates of 85% at the peak to 2% at the end of the Delta wave and from 94% to 11% during the Omicron wave. A 2-week lag time was observed between the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and increasing cases in the corresponding community. CONCLUSION WBE surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in Indonesia was effective in monitoring patterns of cases of COVID-19 and served as an early warning system, predicting the increasing incidence of COVID-19 cases in the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indah Kartika Murni
- Center for Child Health – Pediatric Research Office, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Child Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Vicka Oktaria
- Center for Child Health – Pediatric Research Office, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - David T. McCarthy
- Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM Lab), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria Australia
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia
| | - Endah Supriyati
- Center for Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Titik Nuryastuti
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Amanda Handley
- Medicines Development for Global Health, Southbank, Victoria Australia
- Enteric Diseases Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Celeste M. Donato
- Enteric Diseases Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Bayu Satria Wiratama
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Rizka Dinari
- Center for Child Health – Pediatric Research Office, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ida Safitri Laksono
- Center for Child Health – Pediatric Research Office, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Child Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Jarir At Thobari
- Center for Child Health – Pediatric Research Office, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Julie E Bines
- Enteric Diseases Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Carmo dos Santos M, Cerqueira Silva AC, dos Reis Teixeira C, Pinheiro Macedo Prazeres F, Fernandes dos Santos R, de Araújo Rolo C, de Souza Santos E, Santos da Fonseca M, Oliveira Valente C, Saraiva Hodel KV, Moraes dos Santos Fonseca L, Sampaio Dotto Fiuza B, de Freitas Bueno R, Bittencourt de Andrade J, Aparecida Souza Machado B. Wastewater surveillance for viral pathogens: A tool for public health. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33873. [PMID: 39071684 PMCID: PMC11279281 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33873] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
A focus on water quality has intensified globally, considering its critical role in sustaining life and ecosystems. Wastewater, reflecting societal development, profoundly impacts public health. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a surveillance tool for detecting outbreaks early, monitoring infectious disease trends, and providing real-time insights, particularly in vulnerable communities. WBE aids in tracking pathogens, including viruses, in sewage, offering a comprehensive understanding of community health and lifestyle habits. With the rise in global COVID-19 cases, WBE has gained prominence, aiding in monitoring SARS-CoV-2 levels worldwide. Despite advancements in water treatment, poorly treated wastewater discharge remains a threat, amplifying the spread of water-, sanitation-, and hygiene (WaSH)-related diseases. WBE, serving as complementary surveillance, is pivotal for monitoring community-level viral infections. However, there is untapped potential for WBE to expand its role in public health surveillance. This review emphasizes the importance of WBE in understanding the link between viral surveillance in wastewater and public health, highlighting the need for its further integration into public health management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Carmo dos Santos
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Ana Clara Cerqueira Silva
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Carine dos Reis Teixeira
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Filipe Pinheiro Macedo Prazeres
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Rosângela Fernandes dos Santos
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Carolina de Araújo Rolo
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle de Souza Santos
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Maísa Santos da Fonseca
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Camila Oliveira Valente
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Katharine Valéria Saraiva Hodel
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Larissa Moraes dos Santos Fonseca
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Bianca Sampaio Dotto Fiuza
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo de Freitas Bueno
- Federal University of ABC. Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jailson Bittencourt de Andrade
- University Center SENAI CIMATEC, SENAI CIMATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Energia e Ambiente – CIEnAm, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, 40170-115, Brazil
| | - Bruna Aparecida Souza Machado
- SENAI Institute of Innovation (ISI) in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), SENAI CI-MATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
- University Center SENAI CIMATEC, SENAI CIMATEC, Salvador, 41650-010, Bahia, Brazil
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3
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Cha G, Zhu KJ, Fischer JM, Flores CI, Brown J, Pinto A, Hatt JK, Konstantinidis KT, Graham KE. Metagenomic evaluation of the performance of passive Moore swabs for sewage monitoring relative to composite sampling over time resolved deployments. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 253:121269. [PMID: 38359595 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121269] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Moore swabs have re-emerged as a versatile tool in the field of wastewater-based epidemiology during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer unique advantages for monitoring pathogens in sewer systems, especially at the neighborhood-level. However, whether Moore swabs provide comparable results to more commonly used composite samples remains to be rigorously tested including the optimal duration of Moore swab deployment. This study provides new insights into these issues by comparing the results from Moore swab samples to those of paired composite samples collected from the same sewer lines continuously over six to seventy-two hours post-deployment, during low COVID-19 prevalence periods. Our results show that Moore swabs accumulated approximately 10-fold higher PMMoV concentrations (on a basis of mL of Moore swab squeezed filtrate to mL of composite sewage) and showed comparable trends in terms of bacterial species abundance when compared to composite samples. Moore swabs also generally captured higher SARS-CoV-2 N1/N2 RNA concentrations than composite samples. Moore swabs showed comparable trends in terms of abundance dynamics of the sewage microbiome to composite samples and variable signs of saturation over time that were site and/or microbial population-specific. Based on our dual ddRT-PCR and shotgun metagenomic approach, we find that Moore swabs at our sites were optimally deployed for 6 h at a time at two sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyuhyon Cha
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Kevin J Zhu
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Jamie M Fischer
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Camryn I Flores
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Joe Brown
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Ameet Pinto
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Janet K Hatt
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | | | - Katherine E Graham
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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Cheng K, Lv Y, Li C, Cheng S, Xu S, Gao X, Xu H. Meta-analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in municipal wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:119. [PMID: 38483628 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01895-7] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 levels in urban sewage and evaluate the associated positivity rates, thereby developing comprehensive insights into the epidemic situation and providing valuable inputs for the development of effective disease prevention and control strategies. The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and VIP databases were systematically searched based on the predefined retrieval strategy. The literature published up to February 2023 was meticulously screened according to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the relevant data were extracted for subsequent integration. The quality assessment of the included studies adhered to the rigorous Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement guidelines. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0 software. The meta-analysis included a total of 34 studies, encompassing 8429 municipal wastewater samples. A random effects model was employed for the analysis, revealing an overall SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate of 53.7% in the municipal wastewater samples. The subgroup analyses demonstrated significant regional variations in the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in municipal wastewater, with Africa exhibiting the highest rate at 62.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 47.4 ~ 76.0%) and Oceania displaying the lowest at 33.3% (95% CI 22.0 ~ 46.3%). However, the subgroup analyses based on the sampling site, strain prevalence period, and laboratory testing method did not yield any statistically significant differences. The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in wastewater is relatively high globally, although it exhibits regional disparities. Regions with larger populations and lower economic levels demonstrate higher viral detection rates in sewage. Different types of wastewater sampling sites can be employed to monitor distinct aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuous surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater plays a pivotal role in complementing clinical data, helping to track outbreak progression across diverse regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyi Cheng
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ye Lv
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chaokang Li
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shi Cheng
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shanshan Xu
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Xu
- Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China.
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5
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Geissler M, Mayer R, Helm B, Dumke R. Food and Environmental Virology: Use of Passive Sampling to Characterize the Presence of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Viruses in Wastewater. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2024; 16:25-37. [PMID: 38117471 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-023-09572-1] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 leads to a renaissance of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as additional tool to follow epidemiological trends in the catchment of treatment plants. As alternative to the most commonly used composite samples in surveillance programs, passive sampling is increasingly studied. However, the many sorbent materials in different reports hamper the comparison of results and a standardization of the approach is necessary. Here, we compared different cost-effective sorption materials (cheesecloths, gauze swabs, electronegative filters, glass wool, and tampons) in torpedo-style housings with composite samples. Despite a remarkable variability of the concentration of SARS-CoV-2-specific gene copies, analysis of parallel-deposited passive samplers in the sewer demonstrated highest rate of positive samples and highest number of copies by using cheesecloths. Using this sorption material, monitoring of wastewater of three small catchments in the City of Dresden resulted in a rate of positive samples of 50% in comparison with composite samples (98%). During the investigation period, incidence of reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the catchments ranged between 16 and 170 per 100,000 persons and showed no correlation with the measured concentrations of E gene in wastewater. In contrast, constantly higher numbers of gene copies in passive vs. composite samples were found for human adenovirus and crAssphage indicating strong differences of efficacy of methods concerning the species investigated. Influenza virus A and B were sporadically detected allowing no comparison of results. The study contributes to the further understanding of possibilities and limits of passive sampling approaches in WBE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Geissler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robin Mayer
- Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Björn Helm
- Institute of Urban and Industrial Water Management, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Roger Dumke
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Haskell BR, Dhiyebi HA, Srikanthan N, Bragg LM, Parker WJ, Giesy JP, Servos MR. Implementing an adaptive, two-tiered SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance program on a university campus using passive sampling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168998. [PMID: 38040360 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168998] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Building-level wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has been increasingly applied upstream from wastewater treatment plants to conduct targeted monitoring for SARS-CoV-2. In this study, a two-tiered, trigger-based wastewater surveillance program was developed on a university campus to monitor dormitory wastewater. The objective was to determine if passive sampling with cotton gauze as a sampling medium could be used to support institution-level public health action. Two nucleocapsid gene targets (N1 and N2) of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the endogenous fecal indicator pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were quantified using RT-qPCR. >500 samples were analyzed during two contrasting surveillance periods. In the Fall of 2021 community viral burden was low and a tiered sampling network was able to isolate individual clinical cases at the building-scale. In the Winter of 2022 wastewater signals were quickly elevated by the emergence of the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 shifted surveillance objectives from isolating cases to monitoring trends, revealing both the benefits and limitations of a tiered surveillance design under different public health situations. Normalization of SARS-CoV-2 by PMMoV was not reflective of upstream population differences, suggesting saturation of the material occurred during the exposure period. The passive sampling method detected nearly all known clinical cases and in one instance was able to identify one pre-symptomatic individual days prior to confirmation by clinical test. Comparisons between campus samplers and municipal wastewater influent suggests that the spread of COVID-19 on the campus was similar to that of the broader community. The results demonstrate that passive sampling is an effective tool that can produce semi-quantitative data capable of tracking temporal trends to guide targeted public health decision-making at an institutional level. Practitioners of WBS can utilize these results to inform surveillance program designs that prioritize efficient resource use and rapid reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake R Haskell
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Hadi A Dhiyebi
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Nivetha Srikanthan
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Leslie M Bragg
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Wayne J Parker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - John P Giesy
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada; Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, 1 Bear Trail, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Mark R Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Farkas K, Kevill JL, Adwan L, Garcia-Delgado A, Dzay R, Grimsley JMS, Lambert-Slosarska K, Wade MJ, Williams RC, Martin J, Drakesmith M, Song J, McClure V, Jones DL. Near-source passive sampling for monitoring viral outbreaks within a university residential setting. Epidemiol Infect 2024; 152:e31. [PMID: 38329110 PMCID: PMC10894896 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268824000190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a powerful tool for the population-level monitoring of pathogens, particularly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For assessment, several wastewater sampling regimes and methods of viral concentration have been investigated, mainly targeting SARS-CoV-2. However, the use of passive samplers in near-source environments for a range of viruses in wastewater is still under-investigated. To address this, near-source passive samples were taken at four locations targeting student hall of residence. These were chosen as an exemplar due to their high population density and perceived risk of disease transmission. Viruses investigated were SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs), influenza viruses, and enteroviruses. Sampling was conducted either in the morning, where passive samplers were in place overnight (17 h) and during the day, with exposure of 7 h. We demonstrated the usefulness of near-source passive sampling for the detection of VOCs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Furthermore, several outbreaks of influenza A and sporadic outbreaks of enteroviruses (some associated with enterovirus D68 and coxsackieviruses) were identified among the resident student population, providing evidence of the usefulness of near-source, in-sewer sampling for monitoring the health of high population density communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kata Farkas
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Jessica L. Kevill
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Latifah Adwan
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | | | - Rande Dzay
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Jasmine M. S. Grimsley
- Data Analytics & Surveillance Group, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- The London Data Company, London, UK
| | | | - Matthew J. Wade
- Data Analytics & Surveillance Group, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Rachel C. Williams
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Javier Martin
- Division of Vaccines, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Mark Drakesmith
- Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jiao Song
- Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Victoria McClure
- Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Davey L. Jones
- School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
- Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
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8
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Farkas K, Pântea I, Woodhall N, Williams D, Lambert-Slosarska K, Williams RC, Grimsley JMS, Singer AC, Jones DL. Diurnal changes in pathogenic and indicator virus concentrations in wastewater. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:123785-123795. [PMID: 37989946 PMCID: PMC10746776 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30381-3] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been commonly used for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. As sampling times and methods (i.e. grab vs composite) may vary, diurnal changes of viral concentrations in sewage should be better understood. In this study, we collected untreated wastewater samples hourly for 4 days at two wastewater treatment plants in Wales to establish diurnal patterns in virus concentrations and the physico-chemical properties of the water. Simultaneously, we also trialled three absorbent materials as passive samples as a simple and cost-efficient alternative for the collection of composite samples. Ninety-six percent of all liquid samples (n = 74) and 88% of the passive samplers (n = 59) were positive for SARS-CoV-2, whereas 87% and 97% of the liquid and passive samples were positive for the faecal indicator virus crAssphage, respectively. We found no significant daily variations in the concentration of the target viruses, ammonium and orthophosphate, and the pH and electrical conductivity levels were also stable. Weak positive correlations were found between some physico-chemical properties and viral concentrations. More variation was observed in samples taken from the influent stream as opposed to those taken from the influent tank. Of the absorbent materials trialled as passive samples, we found that tampons provided higher viral recoveries than electronegative filter paper and cotton gauze swabs. For all materials tested, viral recovery was dependent on the virus type. Our results indicate that grab samples may provide representative alternatives to 24-h composite samples if taken from the influent tank, hence reducing the costs of sampling for WBE programmes. Tampons are also viable alternatives for cost-efficient sampling; however, viral recovery should be optimised prior to use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kata Farkas
- School of Environmental Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK.
| | - Igor Pântea
- School of Environmental Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Nick Woodhall
- School of Environmental Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Denis Williams
- School of Environmental Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK
| | | | - Rachel C Williams
- School of Environmental Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Jasmine M S Grimsley
- Data Analytics & Surveillance Division, UK Health Security Agency, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, UK
- The London Data Company, London, EC2N 2AT, UK
| | - Andrew C Singer
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- School of Environmental Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK
- Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
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9
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Redden DJ, Stanhope T, Anderson LE, Campbell J, Krkošek WH, Gagnon GA. An innovative passive sampling approach for the detection of cyanobacterial gene targets in freshwater sources. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 892:164593. [PMID: 37268123 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Cyanotoxins pose significant human health risks, but traditional monitoring approaches can be expensive, time consuming, and require analytical equipment or expertise that may not be readily available. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is becoming an increasingly common monitoring strategy as detection of the genes responsible for cyanotoxin synthesis can be used as an early warning signal. Here we tested passive sampling of cyanobacterial DNA as an alternative to grab sampling in a freshwater drinking supply lake with a known history of microcystin-LR. DNA extracted from grab and passive samples was analyzed via a multiplex qPCR assay that included gene targets for four common cyanotoxins. Passive samples captured similar trends in total cyanobacteria and the mcyE/ndaF gene responsible for microcystin production when compared to traditional grab samples. Passive samples also detected genes associated with the production of cylindrospermopsin and saxitoxin that were not detected in grab samples. This sampling approach proved a viable alternative to grab sampling when used as an early warning monitoring tool. In addition to the logistical benefits of passive sampling, the detection of gene targets not detected by grab samples indicates that passive sampling may allow for a more complete profile of potential cyanotoxin risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Redden
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
| | - Toni Stanhope
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Lindsay E Anderson
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jessica Campbell
- Halifax Water, 450 Cowie Hill Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3P 2V3
| | - Wendy H Krkošek
- Halifax Water, 450 Cowie Hill Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3P 2V3
| | - Graham A Gagnon
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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10
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Pico-Tomàs A, Mejías-Molina C, Zammit I, Rusiñol M, Bofill-Mas S, Borrego CM, Corominas L. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage from buildings housing residents with different vulnerability levels. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162116. [PMID: 36773920 PMCID: PMC9911146 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
During the last three years, various restrictions have been set up to limit the transmission of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). While these rules apply at a large scale (e.g., country-wide level) human-to-human transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), occurs at a small scale. Different preventive policies and testing protocols were implemented in buildings where COVID-19 poses a threat (e.g., elderly residences) or constitutes a disruptive force (e.g., schools). In this study, we sampled sewage from different buildings (a school, a university campus, a university residence, and an elderly residence) that host residents of different levels of vulnerability. Our main goal was to assess the agreement between the SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater and the policies applied in these buildings. All buildings were sampled using passive samplers while 24 h composite samples were also collected from the elderly residence. Results showed that passive samplers performed comparably well to composite samples while being cost-effective to keep track of COVID-19 prevalence. In the elderly residence, the comparison of sampling protocols (passive vs. active) combined with the strict clinical testing allowed us to compare the sensitivities of the two methods. Active sampling was more sensitive than passive sampling, as the former was able to detect a COVID-19 prevalence of 0.4 %, compared to a prevalence of 2.2 % for passive sampling. The number of COVID-19-positive individuals was tracked clinically in all the monitored buildings. More frequent detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater was observed in residential buildings than in non-residential buildings using passive samplers. In all buildings, sewage surveillance can be used to complement COVID-19 clinical testing regimes, as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater remained positive even when no COVID-19-positive individuals were reported. Passive sampling is useful for building managers to adapt their COVID-19 mitigation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pico-Tomàs
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - Cristina Mejías-Molina
- Laboratory of Viruses Contaminants of Water and Food, Genetics, Microbiology & Statistics Dept., Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; The Water Research Institute (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ian Zammit
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - Marta Rusiñol
- Laboratory of Viruses Contaminants of Water and Food, Genetics, Microbiology & Statistics Dept., Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; The Water Research Institute (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sílvia Bofill-Mas
- Laboratory of Viruses Contaminants of Water and Food, Genetics, Microbiology & Statistics Dept., Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; The Water Research Institute (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carles M Borrego
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Group of Molecular Microbial Ecology, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lluís Corominas
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain.
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11
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Assoum M, Lau CL, Thai PK, Ahmed W, Mueller JF, Thomas KV, Choi PM, Jackson G, Selvey LA. Wastewater Surveillance Can Function as an Early Warning System for COVID-19 in Low-Incidence Settings. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8040211. [PMID: 37104337 PMCID: PMC10143724 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8040211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia implemented a series of international and interstate border restrictions. The state of Queensland experienced limited COVID-19 transmission and relied on lockdowns to stem any emerging COVID-19 outbreaks. However, early detection of new outbreaks was difficult. In this paper, we describe the wastewater surveillance program for SARS-CoV-2 in Queensland, Australia, and report two case studies in which we aimed to assess the potential for this program to provide early warning of new community transmission of COVID-19. Both case studies involved clusters of localised transmission, one originating in a Brisbane suburb (Brisbane Inner West) in July–August 2021, and the other originating in Cairns, North Queensland in February–March 2021. Materials and Methods: Publicly available COVID-19 case data derived from the notifiable conditions (NoCs) registry from the Queensland Health data portal were cleaned and merged spatially with the wastewater surveillance data using statistical area 2 (SA2) codes. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of wastewater detection for predicting the presence of COVID-19 reported cases were calculated for the two case study sites. Results: Early warnings for local transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater surveillance were noted in both the Brisbane Inner West cluster and the Cairns cluster. The positive predictive value of wastewater detection for the presence of notified cases of COVID-19 in Brisbane Inner West and Cairns were 71.4% and 50%, respectively. The negative predictive value for Brisbane Inner West and Cairns were 94.7% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the utility of wastewater surveillance as an early warning tool in low COVID-19 transmission settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Assoum
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Colleen L. Lau
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Phong K. Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Jochen F. Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kevin V. Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Phil Min Choi
- Health Protection Branch, Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Greg Jackson
- Health Protection Branch, Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Linda A. Selvey
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
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12
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Cha G, Graham KE, Zhu KJ, Rao G, Lindner BG, Kocaman K, Woo S, D'amico I, Bingham LR, Fischer JM, Flores CI, Spencer JW, Yathiraj P, Chung H, Biliya S, Djeddar N, Burton LJ, Mascuch SJ, Brown J, Bryksin A, Pinto A, Hatt JK, Konstantinidis KT. Parallel deployment of passive and composite samplers for surveillance and variant profiling of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161101. [PMID: 36581284 PMCID: PMC9792180 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven useful for public health decision-making but is often hampered by sampling methodology constraints, particularly at the building- or neighborhood-level. Time-weighted composite samples are commonly used; however, autosamplers are expensive and can be affected by intermittent flows in sub-sewershed contexts. In this study, we compared time-weighted composite, grab, and passive sampling via Moore swabs, at four locations across a college campus to understand the utility of passive sampling. After optimizing the methods for sample handling and processing for viral RNA extraction, we quantified SARS-CoV-2 N1 and N2, as well as a fecal strength indicator, PMMoV, by ddRT-PCR and applied tiled amplicon sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Passive samples compared favorably with composite samples in our study area: for samples collected concurrently, 42 % of the samples agreed between Moore swab and composite samples and 58 % of the samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 using Moore swabs while composite samples were below the limit of detection. Variant profiles from Moore swabs showed a shift from variant BA.1 to BA.2, consistent with in-person saliva samples. These data have implications for the broader implementation of sewage surveillance without advanced sampling technologies and for the utilization of passive sampling approaches for other emerging pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyuhyon Cha
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Katherine E Graham
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Kevin J Zhu
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Gouthami Rao
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Blake G Lindner
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Kumru Kocaman
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Seongwook Woo
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Isabelle D'amico
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Lilia R Bingham
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jamie M Fischer
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Camryn I Flores
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - John W Spencer
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Pranav Yathiraj
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Hayong Chung
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Shweta Biliya
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA
| | - Naima Djeddar
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA
| | - Liza J Burton
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA
| | - Samantha J Mascuch
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA
| | - Joe Brown
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Anton Bryksin
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30306, USA
| | - Ameet Pinto
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Janet K Hatt
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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13
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Davis A, Keely SP, Brinkman NE, Bohrer Z, Ai Y, Mou X, Chattopadhyay S, Hershey O, Senko J, Hull N, Lytmer E, Quintero A, Lee J. Evaluation of intra- and inter-lab variability in quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in a state-wide wastewater monitoring network. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE : WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 9:1053-1068. [PMID: 37701755 PMCID: PMC10494892 DOI: 10.1039/d2ew00737a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, was first reported and subsequently triggered a global pandemic. Wastewater monitoring, a strategy for quantifying viral gene concentrations from wastewater influents within a community, has served as an early warning and management tool for the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a community. Ohio built a collaborative statewide wastewater monitoring network that is supported by eight labs (university, government, and commercial laboratories) with unique sample processing workflows. Consequently, we sought to characterize the variability in wastewater monitoring results for network labs. Across seven trials between October 2020 and November 2021, eight participating labs successfully quantified two SARS-CoV-2 RNA targets and human fecal indicator virus targets in wastewater sample aliquots with reproducible results, although recovery efficiencies of spiked surrogates ranged from 3 to 75%. When SARS-CoV-2 gene fragment concentrations were adjusted for recovery efficiency and flow, the proportion of variance between laboratories was minimized, serving as the best model to account for between-lab variance. Another adjustment factor (alone and in different combinations with the above factors) considered to account for sample and measurement variability includes fecal marker normalization. Genetic quantification variability can be attributed to many factors, including the methods, individual samples, and water quality parameters. In addition, statistically significant correlations were observed between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and COVID-19 case numbers, supporting the notion that wastewater surveillance continues to serve as an effective monitoring tool. This study serves as a real-time example of multi-laboratory collaboration for public health preparedness for infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Davis
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Scott P Keely
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, USA
| | - Nichole E Brinkman
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, USA
| | | | - Yuehan Ai
- Department of Food Science & Technology, The Ohio State University, USA
| | - Xiaozhen Mou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, USA
| | - Saurabh Chattopadhyay
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Department of Biology and Department of Geosciences, University of Toledo, USA
| | - Olivia Hershey
- Department of Geosciences and Biology, University of Akron, USA
| | - John Senko
- Department of Geosciences and Biology, University of Akron, USA
| | - Natalie Hull
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering and Sustainability Institute, The Ohio State University, USA
| | - Eva Lytmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, USA
| | | | - Jiyoung Lee
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Food Science & Technology, The Ohio State University, USA
- Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, USA
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14
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Jain N, Hamilton D, Mital S, Ilias A, Brinkmann M, McPhedran K. Long-term passive wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 for seven university dormitories in comparison to municipal surveillance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158421. [PMID: 36058330 PMCID: PMC9433341 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has been an effective tool for monitoring and understanding potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission across small and large-scale communities. In this study at the University of Saskatchewan, the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 was done over eight months during the 2021-2022 academic year. Wastewater samples were collected using passive samplers that were deployed in domestic sewer lines near adjacent campus residences and extracted for viral RNA, followed by Reverse Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). The results showed similar trends for SARS-CoV-2 detection frequencies and viral loads across university residences, the whole campus, and from related WBS at Saskatoon Wastewater Treatment Plant. The maximum daily detection frequency for seven dormitories considered was about 75 %, while maximum daily case numbers for the residences and campus-wide were about 11 and 75 people, respectively. In addition, self-reported rates of infection on campus peaked during similar time frames as increases in viral load were detected at the Saskatoon wastewater treatment plant. These similarities indicate the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in small-scale communities using WBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Jain
- Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - D Hamilton
- Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - S Mital
- Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - A Ilias
- Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - M Brinkmann
- Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
| | - K McPhedran
- Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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15
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Mangwana N, Archer E, Muller CJF, Preiser W, Wolfaardt G, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Carstens A, Brocker L, Webster C, McCarthy D, Street R, Mathee A, Louw J, Mdhluli M, Johnson R. Sewage surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at student campus residences in the Western Cape, South Africa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158028. [PMID: 35973539 PMCID: PMC9375247 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostic capacity is limited in defined communities, posing a challenge in tracking and tracing new infections. Monitoring student residences, which are considered infection hotspots, with targeted wastewater surveillance is crucial. This study evaluated the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 targeted wastewater surveillance for outbreak mitigation at Stellenbosch University's student residences in South Africa. Using torpedo-style passive sampling devices, wastewater samples were collected biweekly from manholes at twelve Stellenbosch University Tygerberg (SUT) campus and Stellenbosch University-Main (SUM) campus student residences. The surveillance led to an early warning detection of SARS-CoV-2 presence on campus, followed by an informed management strategy leading to restriction of student activities on campus and a delay in the onset of the third wave that was experienced throughout the country. Moreover, the study highlighted the extent of possible infections at defined locations even when a low number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were reported. The study also tracked the surge of the Delta and Omicron variants in the student residences using the Thermo Fisher TaqMan® RT-qPCR genotyping assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noluxabiso Mangwana
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Edward Archer
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Christo J F Muller
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Cardiometabolic Research in Africa, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; National Health Laboratory Services, Tygerberg Hospital, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Gideon Wolfaardt
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa; Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Alno Carstens
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Ludwig Brocker
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Candice Webster
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - David McCarthy
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM LAB), Monash Infrastructure Institute, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Renee Street
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Durban, South Africa
| | - Angela Mathee
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Johan Louw
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Mongezi Mdhluli
- Chief Research Operations Office, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg 7050, South Africa
| | - Rabia Johnson
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Centre for Cardiometabolic Research in Africa, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
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16
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Hoar C, McClary-Gutierrez J, Wolfe MK, Bivins A, Bibby K, Silverman AI, McLellan SL. Looking Forward: The Role of Academic Researchers in Building Sustainable Wastewater Surveillance Programs. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:125002. [PMID: 36580023 PMCID: PMC9799055 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In just over 2 years, tracking the COVID-19 pandemic through wastewater surveillance advanced from early reports of successful SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in untreated wastewater to implementation of programs in at least 60 countries. Early wastewater monitoring efforts primarily originated in research laboratories and are now transitioning into more formal surveillance programs run in commercial and public health laboratories. A major challenge in this progression has been to simultaneously optimize methods and build scientific consensus while implementing surveillance programs, particularly during the rapidly changing landscape of the pandemic. Translating wastewater surveillance results for effective use by public health agencies also remains a key objective for the field. OBJECTIVES We examined the evolution of wastewater surveillance to identify model collaborations and effective partnerships that have created rapid and sustained success. We propose needed areas of research and key roles academic researchers can play in the framework of wastewater surveillance to aid in the transition from early monitoring efforts to more formalized programs within the public health system. DISCUSSION Although wastewater surveillance has rapidly developed as a useful public health tool for tracking COVID-19, there remain technical challenges and open scientific questions that academic researchers are equipped to address. This includes validating methodology and backfilling important knowledge gaps, such as fate and transport of surveillance targets and epidemiological links to wastewater concentrations. Our experience in initiating and implementing wastewater surveillance programs in the United States has allowed us to reflect on key barriers and draw useful lessons on how to promote synergy between different areas of expertise. As wastewater surveillance programs are formalized, the working relationships developed between academic researchers, commercial and public health laboratories, and data users should promote knowledge co-development. We believe active involvement of academic researchers will contribute to building robust surveillance programs that will ultimately provide new insights into population health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11519.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Hoar
- Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Jill McClary-Gutierrez
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marlene K. Wolfe
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Andrea I. Silverman
- Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Sandra L. McLellan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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17
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Hayes EK, Stoddart AK, Gagnon GA. Adsorption of SARS-CoV-2 onto granular activated carbon (GAC) in wastewater: Implications for improvements in passive sampling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157548. [PMID: 35882338 PMCID: PMC9308143 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Based on recent studies, passive sampling is a promising method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater surveillance (WWS) applications. Passive sampling has many advantages over conventional sampling approaches. However, the potential benefits of passive sampling are also coupled with apparent limitations. We established a passive sampling technique for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater using electronegative filters. Though, it was evident that the adsorption capacity of the filters constrained their use. This work intends to demonstrate an optimized passive sampling technique for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater using granular activated carbon (GAC). Through bench-scale batch-adsorption studies and sewershed deployments, we established the adsorption characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and two human feacal viruses (PMMoV and CrAssphage) onto GAC. A pseudo-second-order model best-described adsorption kinetics for SARS-CoV-2 in either deionized (DI) water and SARS-CoV-2, CrAssphage, and PMMoV in wastewater. In both laboratory batch-adsorption experiments and in-situ sewershed deployments, the maximum amount of SARS-CoV-2 adsorbed by GAC occurred at ~60 h in wastewater. In wastewater, the maximum adsorption of PMMoV and CrAssphage by GAC occurred at ~60 h. In contrast, the adsorption capacity was reached in DI water seeded with SARS-CoV-2 after ~35 h. The equilibrium assay modeled the maximum adsorption quantity (qmax) in wastewater with spiked SARS-CoV-2 concentrations using a Hybrid Langmuir-Freundlich equation, a qmax of 2.5 × 109 GU/g was calculated. In paired sewershed deployments, it was found that GAC adsorbs SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater more effectively than electronegative filters. Based on the anticipated viral loading in wastewater, bi-weekly sampling intervals with deployments up to ~96 h are highly feasible without reaching adsorption capacity with GAC. GAC offers improved sensitivity and reproducibility to capture SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, promoting a scalable and convenient alternative for capturing viral pathogens in wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emalie K Hayes
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Amina K Stoddart
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Graham A Gagnon
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
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18
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Hayes EK, Sweeney CL, Fuller M, Erjavec GB, Stoddart AK, Gagnon GA. Operational Constraints of Detecting SARS-CoV-2 on Passive Samplers using Electronegative Filters: A Kinetic and Equilibrium Analysis. ACS ES&T WATER 2022; 2:1910-1920. [PMID: 37566371 PMCID: PMC8805996 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.1c00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In developing an effective monitoring program for the wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA), the importance of sampling methodology is paramount. Passive sampling has been shown to be an effective tool to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. However, the adsorption characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on passive sampling material are not well-understood, which further obscures the relationship between wastewater surveillance and community infection. In this work, adsorption kinetics and equilibrium characteristics were evaluated using batch-adsorption experiments for heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (HI-SCV-2) adsorption to electronegative filters. Equilibrium isotherms were assessed or a range of total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations (118, 265, and 497 mg L-1) in wastewater, and a modeled qmax of 7 × 103 GU cm-2 was found. Surrogate adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model in wastewater with maximum concentrations achieved within 24 h. In both field and isotherm experiments, equilibrium behavior and viral recovery were found to be associated with wastewater and eluate TSS. On the basis of the results of this study, we recommend a standard deployment duration of 24-48 h and the inclusion of eluate TSS measurement to assess the likelihood of solids inhibition during analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emalie K. Hayes
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of
Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2,
Canada
| | - Crystal L. Sweeney
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of
Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2,
Canada
| | - Megan Fuller
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of
Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2,
Canada
| | - Genevieve B. Erjavec
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of
Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2,
Canada
| | - Amina K. Stoddart
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of
Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2,
Canada
| | - Graham A. Gagnon
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Faculty of
Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2,
Canada
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Murni IK, Oktaria V, Handley A, McCarthy DT, Donato CM, Nuryastuti T, Supriyati E, Putri DAD, Sari HM, Laksono IS, Thobari JA, Bines JE. The feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 surveillance using wastewater and environmental sampling in Indonesia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274793. [PMID: 36240187 PMCID: PMC9565423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) surveillance as an early warning system (EWS) for monitoring community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, where diagnostic testing capacity is limited, needs further exploration. We explored the feasibility to conduct a WBE surveillance in Indonesia, one of the global epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic in the middle of 2021, with the fourth largest population in the world where sewer and non-sewered sewage systems are implemented. The feasibility and resource capacity to collect samples on a weekly or fortnightly basis with grab and/or passive sampling methods, as well as to conduct qualitative and quantitative identification of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) using real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) testing of environmental samples were explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS We initiated a routine surveillance of wastewater and environmental sampling at three predetermined districts in Special Region of Yogyakarta Province. Water samples were collected from central and community wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), including manholes flowing to the central WWTP, and additional soil samples were collected for the near source tracking (NST) locations (i.e., public spaces where people congregate). RESULTS We began collecting samples in the Delta wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia in July 2021. From a 10-week period, 54% (296/544) of wastewater and environmental samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The sample positivity rate decreased in proportion with the reported incidence of COVID-19 clinical cases in the community. The highest positivity rate of 77% in week 1, was obtained for samples collected in July 2021 and decreased to 25% in week 10 by the end of September 2021. CONCLUSION A WBE surveillance system for SARS-CoV-2 in Indonesia is feasible to monitor the community burden of infections. Future studies testing the potential of WBE and EWS for signaling early outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions in this setting are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indah K. Murni
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Child Health–Pediatric Research Office, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Faculty of Medicine, Child Health Department, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- * E-mail: (IKM); (VO)
| | - Vicka Oktaria
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Child Health–Pediatric Research Office, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Population Health, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- * E-mail: (IKM); (VO)
| | - Amanda Handley
- Enteric Diseases Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Medicines Development for Global Health, Southbank, Victoria, Australia
| | - David T. McCarthy
- Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM Lab), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Celeste M. Donato
- Enteric Diseases Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Titik Nuryastuti
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Endah Supriyati
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Tropical Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Dwi Astuti Dharma Putri
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Child Health–Pediatric Research Office, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Hendri Marinda Sari
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Child Health–Pediatric Research Office, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ida Safitri Laksono
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Child Health–Pediatric Research Office, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Faculty of Medicine, Child Health Department, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Jarir At Thobari
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Child Health–Pediatric Research Office, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Julie E. Bines
- Enteric Diseases Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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20
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Kevill JL, Lambert-Slosarska K, Pellett C, Woodhall N, Richardson-O'Neill I, Pântea I, Alex-Sanders N, Farkas K, Jones DL. Assessment of two types of passive sampler for the efficient recovery of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses from wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156580. [PMID: 35690190 PMCID: PMC9181630 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a useful surveillance tool during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and has driven research into evaluating the most reliable and cost-effective techniques for obtaining a representative sample of wastewater. When liquid samples cannot be taken efficiently, passive sampling approaches have been used, however, insufficient data exists on their usefulness for multi-virus capture and recovery. In this study, we compared the virus-binding capacity of two passive samplers (cotton-based tampons and ion exchange filter papers) in two different water types (deionised water and wastewater). Here we focused on the capture of wastewater-associated viruses including Influenza A and B (Flu-A & B), SARS-CoV-2, human adenovirus (AdV), norovirus GII (NoVGII), measles virus (MeV), pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), the faecal marker crAssphage and the process control virus Pseudomonas virus phi6. After deployment, we evaluated four different methods to recover viruses from the passive samplers namely, (i) phosphate buffered saline (PBS) elution followed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, (ii) beef extract (BE) elution followed by PEG precipitation, (iii) no-elution into PEG precipitation, and (iv) direct extraction. We found that the tampon-based passive samplers had higher viral recoveries in comparison to the filter paper. Overall, the preferred viral recovery method from the tampon passive samplers was the no-elution/PEG precipitation method. Furthermore, we evidenced that non-enveloped viruses had higher percent recoveries from the passive samplers than enveloped viruses. This is the first study of its kind to assess passive sampler and viral recovery methods amongst a plethora of viruses commonly found in wastewater or used as a viral surrogate in wastewater studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Kevill
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK.
| | - Kathryn Lambert-Slosarska
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Cameron Pellett
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Nick Woodhall
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - India Richardson-O'Neill
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Igor Pântea
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Natasha Alex-Sanders
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Kata Farkas
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6105, Australia
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21
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Acer PT, Kelly LM, Lover AA, Butler CS. Quantifying the Relationship between SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Concentrations and Building-Level COVID-19 Prevalence at an Isolation Residence: A Passive Sampling Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11245. [PMID: 36141515 PMCID: PMC9517461 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads can be detected in the excreta of individuals with COVID-19 and have demonstrated positive correlations with clinical infection trends. Consequently, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approaches have been implemented globally as a public health surveillance tool to monitor community-level prevalence of infections. The majority of wastewater specimens are gathered as either composite samples via automatic samplers (autosamplers) or grab samples. However, autosamplers are expensive and can be challenging to maintain in cold weather, while grab samples are particularly susceptible to temporal variation when sampling sewage directly from complex matrices outside residential buildings. Passive sampling can provide an affordable, practical, and scalable sampling system while maintaining a reproducible SARS-CoV-2 signal. In this regard, we deployed tampons as passive samplers outside of a COVID-19 isolation unit (a segregated residence hall) at a university campus from 1 February 2021-21 May 2021. Samples (n = 64) were collected 3-5 times weekly and remained within the sewer for a median duration of 24 h. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was quantified using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) targeting the N1 and N2 gene fragments. We quantified the mean viral load captured per individual and the association between the daily viral load and total persons, adjusting for covariates using multivariable models to provide a baseline estimate of viral shedding. Samples were processed through two distinct laboratory pipelines on campus, yielding highly correlated N2 concentrations. Data obtained here highlight the success of passive sampling utilizing tampons to capture SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater coming from a COVID-19 isolation residence, indicating that this method can help inform building-level public health responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T. Acer
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Lauren M. Kelly
- Department of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Engineering Lab II, 101 N Service Rd, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Andrew A. Lover
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Caitlyn S. Butler
- Department of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Engineering Lab II, 101 N Service Rd, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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22
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Robins K, Leonard AFC, Farkas K, Graham DW, Jones DL, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Bunce JT, Grimsley JMS, Wade MJ, Zealand AM, McIntyre-Nolan S. Research needs for optimising wastewater-based epidemiology monitoring for public health protection. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2022; 20:1284-1313. [PMID: 36170187 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2022.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an unobtrusive method used to observe patterns in illicit drug use, poliovirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic and need for surveillance measures have led to the rapid acceleration of WBE research and development globally. With the infrastructure available to monitor SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater in 58 countries globally, there is potential to expand targets and applications for public health protection, such as other viral pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pharmaceutical consumption, or exposure to chemical pollutants. Some applications have been explored in academic research but are not used to inform public health decision-making. We reflect on the current knowledge of WBE for these applications and identify barriers and opportunities for expanding beyond SARS-CoV-2. This paper critically reviews the applications of WBE for public health and identifies the important research gaps for WBE to be a useful tool in public health. It considers possible uses for pathogenic viruses, AMR, and chemicals. It summarises the current evidence on the following: (1) the presence of markers in stool and urine; (2) environmental factors influencing persistence of markers in wastewater; (3) methods for sample collection and storage; (4) prospective methods for detection and quantification; (5) reducing uncertainties; and (6) further considerations for public health use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Robins
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Anne F C Leonard
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; University of Exeter Medical School, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - David W Graham
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - David L Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; SoilsWest, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6105, Australia
| | | | - Joshua T Bunce
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Jasmine M S Grimsley
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail:
| | - Matthew J Wade
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew M Zealand
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail:
| | - Shannon McIntyre-Nolan
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, Ministry of Justice, London, SW1H 9AJ, UK
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23
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Bivins A, Kaya D, Ahmed W, Brown J, Butler C, Greaves J, Leal R, Maas K, Rao G, Sherchan S, Sills D, Sinclair R, Wheeler RT, Mansfeldt C. Passive sampling to scale wastewater surveillance of infectious disease: Lessons learned from COVID-19. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 835:155347. [PMID: 35460780 PMCID: PMC9020839 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Much of what is known and theorized concerning passive sampling techniques has been developed considering chemical analytes. Yet, historically, biological analytes, such as Salmonella typhi, have been collected from wastewater via passive sampling with Moore swabs. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, passive sampling is re-emerging as a promising technique to monitor SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. Method comparisons and disease surveillance using composite, grab, and passive sampling for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection have found passive sampling with a variety of materials routinely produced qualitative results superior to grab samples and useful for sub-sewershed surveillance of COVID-19. Among individual studies, SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations derived from passive samplers demonstrated heterogeneous correlation with concentrations from paired composite samples ranging from weak (R2 = 0.27, 0.31) to moderate (R2 = 0.59) to strong (R2 = 0.76). Among passive sampler materials, electronegative membranes have shown great promise with linear uptake of SARS-CoV-2 RNA observed for exposure durations of 24 to 48 h and in several cases RNA positivity on par with composite samples. Continuing development of passive sampling methods for the surveillance of infectious diseases via diverse forms of fecal waste should focus on optimizing sampler materials for the efficient uptake and recovery of biological analytes, kit-free extraction, and resource-efficient testing methods capable of rapidly producing qualitative or quantitative data. With such refinements passive sampling could prove to be a fundamental tool for scaling wastewater surveillance of infectious disease, especially among the 1.8 billion persons living in low-resource settings served by non-traditional wastewater collection infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, 3255 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
| | - Devrim Kaya
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Joe Brown
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Caitlyn Butler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 130 Natural Resources Rd., Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Justin Greaves
- School of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago, 6364 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Raeann Leal
- Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, 24951 North Circle Drive, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Kendra Maas
- Microbial Analyses, Resources, and Services Facility, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Gouthami Rao
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA
| | - Samendra Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; Center for Climate and Health, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA
| | - Deborah Sills
- Bucknell University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Ryan Sinclair
- Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, 24951 North Circle Drive, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Robert T Wheeler
- Department of Molecular & Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Cresten Mansfeldt
- University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, 1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; University of Colorado Boulder, Environmental Engineering Program, 4001 Discovery Dr, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
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24
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Wu F, Lee WL, Chen H, Gu X, Chandra F, Armas F, Xiao A, Leifels M, Rhode SF, Wuertz S, Thompson J, Alm EJ. Making waves: Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in an endemic future. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 219:118535. [PMID: 35605390 PMCID: PMC9062764 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has been widely used as a public health tool to monitor the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections in populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coincident with the global vaccination efforts, the world is also enduring new waves of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Reinfections and vaccine breakthroughs suggest an endemic future where SARS-CoV-2 continues to persist in the general population. In this treatise, we aim to explore the future roles of wastewater surveillance. Practically, WBS serves as a relatively affordable and non-invasive tool for mass surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection while minimizing privacy concerns, attributes that make it extremely suited for its long-term usage. In an endemic future, the utility of WBS will include 1) monitoring the trend of viral loads of targets in wastewater for quantitative estimate of changes in disease incidence; 2) sampling upstream for pinpointing infections in neighborhoods and at the building level; 3) integrating wastewater and clinical surveillance for cost-efficient population surveillance; and 4) genome sequencing wastewater samples to track circulating and emerging variants in the population. We further discuss the challenges and future developments of WBS to reduce inconsistencies in wastewater data worldwide, improve its epidemiological inference, and advance viral tracking and discovery as a preparation for the next viral pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqing Wu
- Center for Infectious Disease, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Wei Lin Lee
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
| | - Hongjie Chen
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
| | - Xiaoqiong Gu
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
| | - Franciscus Chandra
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
| | - Federica Armas
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
| | - Amy Xiao
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mats Leifels
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | | | - Stefan Wuertz
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Janelle Thompson
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Eric J Alm
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Li J, Ahmed W, Metcalfe S, Smith WJM, Tscharke B, Lynch P, Sherman P, Vo PHN, Kaserzon SL, Simpson SL, McCarthy DT, Thomas KV, Mueller JF, Thai P. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in sewersheds with low COVID-19 cases using a passive sampling technique. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 218:118481. [PMID: 35477063 PMCID: PMC9020515 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewer systems, upstream of a wastewater treatment plant, is an effective approach for understanding potential COVID-19 transmission in communities with higher spatial resolutions. Passive sampling devices provide a practical solution for frequent sampling within sewer networks where the use of autosamplers is not feasible. Currently, the design of upstream sampling is impeded by limited understanding of the fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewers and the sensitivity of passive samplers for the number of infected individuals in a catchment. In this study, passive samplers containing electronegative membranes were applied for at least 24-h continuous sampling in sewer systems. When monitoring SARS-CoV-2 along a trunk sewer pipe, we found RNA signals decreased proportionally to increasing dilutions, with non-detects occurring at the end of pipe. The passive sampling membranes were able to detect SARS-CoV-2 shed by >2 COVID-19 infection cases in 10,000 people. Moreover, upstream monitoring in multiple sewersheds using passive samplers identified the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater one week ahead of clinical reporting and reflected the spatiotemporal spread of a COVID-19 cluster within a city. This study provides important information to guide the development of wastewater surveillance strategies at catchment and subcatchment levels using different sampling techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Li
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia.
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Suzanne Metcalfe
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wendy J M Smith
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ben Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Peter Lynch
- Urban Utilities, 15 Green Square Close, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Paul Sherman
- Urban Utilities, 15 Green Square Close, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Phong H N Vo
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Sarit L Kaserzon
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | | | - David T McCarthy
- Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM Lab), Monash University, Victoria, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Phong Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
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26
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Augusto MR, Claro ICM, Siqueira AK, Sousa GS, Caldereiro CR, Duran AFA, de Miranda TB, Bomediano Camillo LDM, Cabral AD, de Freitas Bueno R. Sampling strategies for wastewater surveillance: Evaluating the variability of SARS-COV-2 RNA concentration in composite and grab samples. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2022; 10:107478. [PMID: 35251931 PMCID: PMC8882035 DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2022.107478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA titers by infected individuals, even asymptomatic and oligosymptomatic ones, allows the use of wastewater monitoring to track the COVID-19 spread in a community. This approach is interesting especially for emerging countries with limited clinical testing capabilities. However, there are still important methodological aspects that need validation so that wastewater monitoring data become more representative and useful for public health. This study evaluated the between-day and within-day variability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in 24-hour composite and grab samples from three different sampling points, including two wastewater treatment plants (WTTP) and a sewer manhole. In the between-day evaluation (17 weeks of monitoring), a good agreement between the SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration of each sampling method was observed. There were no significant differences between the mean concentrations of the grab and composite samples (p-value > 0.05), considering N1 and N2 gene assays. The strong relationship between composite and grab samples was proven by correlation coefficients: Pearson's r of 0.83 and Spearman's rho of 0.78 (p-value < 0.05). In within-day evaluation, 24-hour cycles were analyzed and low variability in hourly viral concentrations was observed for three sampling points. The coefficient of variation (CV) values ranged from 3.0% to 11.5%. Overall, 24-hour profiles showed that viral RNA concentrations had less variability and greater agreement with the mean values between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m, the recommended time for grab sampling. Therefore, this study provides important information on wastewater sampling techniques for COVID-19 surveillance. Wastewater monitoring information will only be useful to public health and decision-makers if we ensure data quality through best practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Ribeiro Augusto
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Ieda Carolina Mantovani Claro
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Aline Kaori Siqueira
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Santos Sousa
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Cláudio Roberto Caldereiro
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Adriana Feliciano Alves Duran
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Taís Browne de Miranda
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Lívia de Moraes Bomediano Camillo
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Aline Diniz Cabral
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
- Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38402-018, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo de Freitas Bueno
- Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Center of Engineering, Modelling and Applied Social Sciences (CECS), Santo Andre, São Paulo 09210-580, Brazil
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27
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Jiang AZ, Nian F, Chen H, McBean EA. Passive Samplers, an Important Tool for Continuous Monitoring of the COVID-19 Pandemic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:32326-32334. [PMID: 35137317 PMCID: PMC9072756 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19073-6] [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: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has resulted in major costs around the world, costs with dimensions in every aspect, from peoples' daily living to the global economy. As the pandemic progresses, the virus evolves, and more vaccines become available, and the 'battle against the virus' continues. As part of the battle, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) technologies are being widely deployed in essential roles for SARS-CoV-2 detection and monitoring. While focusing on demonstrating the advantages of passive samplers as a tool in WBE, this review provides a holistic view of the current WBE applications in monitoring SARS-CoV-2 with the integration of the most up-to-date data. A novel scenario example based on a recent Nanjing (China) outbreak in July 2021 is used to illustrate the potential benefits of using passive samplers to monitor COVID-19 and to facilitate effective control of future major outbreaks. The presented contents and how the application of passive samplers indicates that this technology can be beneficial at different levels, varying from building to community to regional. Countries and regions that have the pandemic well under control or have low positive case occurrences have the potential to significantly benefit from deploying passive samplers as a measure to identify and suppress outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Z. Jiang
- School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Fulin Nian
- Department of Digestive, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Affiliated Pudong Medical Center, 2800 Gongwei Road, Shanghai, 201399 China
| | - Han Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Sino-Canada Joint R&D Centre for Water and Environmental Safety, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | - Edward A. McBean
- School of Engineering, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, N1G 2W1 Canada
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28
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Acer PT, Kelly LM, Lover AA, Butler CS. Quantifying the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations and building-level COVID-19 prevalence at an isolation residence using a passive sampling approach. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2022:2022.04.07.22273534. [PMID: 35441165 PMCID: PMC9016645 DOI: 10.1101/2022.04.07.22273534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in the excreta of individuals with COVID-19 and has demonstrated a positive correlation with various clinical parameters. Consequently, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approaches have been implemented globally as a public health surveillance tool to monitor the community-level prevalence of infections. Over 270 higher education campuses monitor wastewater for SARS-CoV-2, with most gathering either composite samples via automatic samplers (autosamplers) or grab samples. However, autosamplers are expensive and challenging to manage with seasonal variability, while grab samples are particularly susceptible to temporal variation when sampling sewage directly from complex matrices outside residential buildings. Prior studies have demonstrated encouraging results utilizing passive sampling swabs. Such methods can offer affordable, practical, and scalable alternatives to traditional methods while maintaining a reproducible SARS-CoV-2 signal. In this regard, we deployed tampons as passive samplers outside of a COVID-19 isolation unit (a segregated residence hall) at a university campus from February 1, 2021 â€" May 21, 2021. Samples were collected several times weekly and remained within the sewer for a minimum of 24 hours (n = 64). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was quantified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) targeting the viral N1 and N2 gene fragments. We quantified the mean viral load captured per individual and the association between the daily viral load and total persons, adjusting for covariates using multivariable models to provide a baseline estimate of viral shedding. Samples were processed through two distinct laboratory pipelines on campus, yielding highly correlated N2 concentrations. Data obtained here highlight the success of passive sampling utilizing tampons to capture SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater coming from a COVID-19 isolation residence, indicating that this method can help inform public health responses in a range of settings. HIGHLIGHTS Daily SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads in building-level wastewater were positively associated with the total number of COVID-19 positive individuals in the residenceThe variation in individual fecal shedding rates of SARS-CoV-2 extended four orders of magnitudeWastewater sample replicates were highly correlated using distinct processing pipelines in two independent laboratoriesWhile the isolation residence was occupied, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in all passive samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick T Acer
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst MA 01003, U.S
| | - Lauren M Kelly
- Department of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Engineering Lab II, 101 N Service Rd, Amherst MA 01003, U.S
| | - Andrew A Lover
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst MA 01003, U.S
| | - Caitlyn S Butler
- Department of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Engineering Lab II, 101 N Service Rd, Amherst MA 01003, U.S
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29
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Hrudey SE, Bischel HN, Charrois J, Chik AHS, Conant B, Delatolla R, Dorner S, Graber TE, Hubert C, Isaac-Renton J, Pons W, Safford H, Servos M, Sikora C. Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Canada. Facets (Ott) 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2022-0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 RNA is a relatively recent adaptation of long-standing wastewater surveillance for infectious and other harmful agents. Individuals infected with COVID-19 were found to shed SARS-CoV-2 in their faeces. Researchers around the world confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments could be detected and quantified in community wastewater. Canadian academic researchers, largely as volunteer initiatives, reported proof-of-concept by April 2020. National collaboration was initially facilitated by the Canadian Water Network. Many public health officials were initially skeptical about actionable information being provided by wastewater surveillance even though experience has shown that public health surveillance for a pandemic has no single, perfect approach. Rather, different approaches provide different insights, each with its own strengths and limitations. Public health science must triangulate among different forms of evidence to maximize understanding of what is happening or may be expected. Well-conceived, resourced, and implemented wastewater-based platforms can provide a cost-effective approach to support other conventional lines of evidence. Sustaining wastewater monitoring platforms for future surveillance of other disease targets and health states is a challenge. Canada can benefit from taking lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to develop forward-looking interpretive frameworks and capacity to implement, adapt, and expand such public health surveillance capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve E. Hrudey
- Professor Emeritus, Analytical & Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3 Canada
| | - Heather N. Bischel
- Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Jeff Charrois
- Senior Manager, Analytical Operations and Process Development Teams, EPCOR Water Services Inc, Edmonton, AB T5K 0A5 Canada
| | - Alex H. S. Chik
- Project Manager, Wastewater Surveillance Initiative, Ontario Clean Water Agency, Mississauga, ON L5A 4G1 Canada
| | - Bernadette Conant
- Past Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Water Network, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Rob Delatolla
- Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
| | - Sarah Dorner
- Professor, Civil, Geological & Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, PQ H3T 1J4 Canada
| | - Tyson E. Graber
- Associate Scientist, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1 Canada
| | - Casey Hubert
- Professor, Campus Alberta Innovates Program Chair in Geomicrobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Judy Isaac-Renton
- Professor Emerita, Dept. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Calgary, AB, T2N 3V9 Canada
| | - Wendy Pons
- Professor, Bachelor of Environmental Health Program Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Kitchener, ON N2P 2N6 Canada
| | - Hannah Safford
- Associate Director of Science Policy, Federation of American Scientists, Arlington, VA 22205 USA
| | - Mark Servos
- Professor & Canada Research Chair, Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Christopher Sikora
- Medical Officer of Health, Edmonton Region, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB T5J 3E4 Canada
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