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Xu D, Zhang W, Li H, Li N, Lin JM. Advances in droplet digital polymerase chain reaction on microfluidic chips. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1258-1278. [PMID: 36752545 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00814a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The PCR technique has been known to the general public since the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. This technique has progressed through three stages: from simple PCR to real-time fluorescence PCR to digital PCR. Among them, the microfluidic-based droplet digital PCR technique has attracted much attention and has been widely applied due to its advantages of high throughput, high sensitivity, low reagent consumption, low cross-contamination, and absolute quantification ability. In this review, we introduce various designs of microfluidic-based ddPCR developed within the last decade. The microfluidic-based droplet generation methods, thermal cycle strategies, and signal counting approaches are described, and the applications in the fields of single-cell analysis, disease diagnosis, and pathogen detection are introduced. Further, the challenges and prospects of microfluidic-based ddPCR are discussed. We hope that this review can contribute to the further development of the microfluidic-based ddPCR technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danfeng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Metrology and Applications on Nutrition and Health for State Market Regulation, Division of Chemical Metrology and Analytical Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Weifei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Metrology and Applications on Nutrition and Health for State Market Regulation, Division of Chemical Metrology and Analytical Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Hongmei Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Metrology and Applications on Nutrition and Health for State Market Regulation, Division of Chemical Metrology and Analytical Science, National Institute of Metrology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Nan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), China.
| | - Jin-Ming Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Microanalytical Methods and Instrumentation Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), China.
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2
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Relationship between SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and clinical data from five wastewater sheds. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 8:100159. [PMID: 36619827 PMCID: PMC9448702 DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a global pandemic starting in 2019 with nearly 500 million confirmed cases as of April 2022. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 is accompanied by shedding of virus in stool, and its presence in wastewater samples has been documented globally. Therefore, monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater offers a promising approach to assess the pandemic situation covering pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic cases in areas with limited clinical testing. In this study, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater from five wastewater resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), located in two adjacent counties, was investigated and compared with the number of clinical COVID-19 cases during a 2020-2021 outbreak in United States. Statistical correlation analyses of SARS-CoV-2 viral abundance in wastewater and COVID-19 daily vs weekly clinical cases was performed. While a weak correlation on a daily basis was observed, this correlation improved when weekly clinical case data were applied. The viral fecal indicator Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV) was furthermore used to assess the effects of normalization and the impact of dilution due to infiltration in the wastewater sheds. Normalization did not improve the correlations with clinical data. However, PMMoV provided important information about infiltration and presence of industrial wastewater discharge in the wastewater sheds. This study showed the utility of WBE to assist in public health responses to COVID-19, emphasizing that routine monitoring of large WRRFs could provide sufficient information for large-scale dynamics.
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Tiwari A, Ahmed W, Oikarinen S, Sherchan SP, Heikinheimo A, Jiang G, Simpson SL, Greaves J, Bivins A. Application of digital PCR for public health-related water quality monitoring. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155663. [PMID: 35523326 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) is emerging as a reliable platform for quantifying microorganisms in the field of water microbiology. This paper reviews the fundamental principles of dPCR and its application for health-related water microbiology. The relevant literature indicates increasing adoption of dPCR for measuring fecal indicator bacteria, microbial source tracking marker genes, and pathogens in various aquatic environments. The adoption of dPCR has accelerated recently due to increasing use for wastewater surveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The collective experience in the scientific literature indicates that well-optimized dPCR assays can quantify genetic material from microorganisms without the need for a calibration curve and often with superior analytical performance (i.e., greater sensitivity, precision, and reproducibility) than quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Nonetheless, dPCR should not be viewed as a panacea for the fundamental uncertainties and limitations associated with measuring microorganisms in water microbiology. With dPCR platforms, the sample analysis cost and processing time are typically greater than qPCR. However, if improved analytical performance (i.e., sensitivity and accuracy) is critical, dPCR can be an alternative option for quantifying microorganisms, including pathogens, in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananda Tiwari
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Land and Water, Ecosciences Precinct, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sami Oikarinen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Samendra P Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA; BioEnvironmental Science Program, Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA
| | - Annamari Heikinheimo
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Food Authority, Seinäjoki, Finland
| | - Guangming Jiang
- School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | | | - Justin Greaves
- School of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago, 6364 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, LA, USA.
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Ferro P, Rossel-Bernedo LJ, Ferró-Gonzáles AL, Vaz-Moreira I. Quality Control of Drinking Water in the City of Ilave, Region of Puno, Peru. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191710779. [PMID: 36078495 PMCID: PMC9518438 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The region of Puno, in Peru, is described as a region with some health conditions that may be associated with the water quality, such as a high index of anemia or cases of acute diarrhea in children. This study aimed at monitoring the drinking water quality of the city of Ilave, in Peru, and determining possible correlations between physical-chemical and microbiological parameters, and the water distribution conditions, such as the period of water availability. Physical-chemical parameters (turbidity, residual chlorine, temperature, conductivity, and pH), microbiological parameters (presence of coliforms), and heavy metals (Zn, Mn, Ni, Fe, and Cu) were determined. All the parameters quantified were within the maximum permissible limits according to Peruvian regulations, except for residual chlorine, which was, for all the treated water samples, below the recommended value of 0.5 mg/L. Coliforms that should be absent from drinking water were detected in all the household samples. These results demonstrate the need for the inclusion of additional steps of re-chlorination along the distribution system to guarantee the maintenance of residual levels of chlorine that assure the microbiological quality of water. The quality of the drinking water was not observed to correlate with the period of water availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pompeyo Ferro
- Universidad Nacional Intercultural Fabiola Salazar Leguía de Bagua, Jr. Ancash 520, Bagua 01721, Amazonas, Peru
- Universidad Privada San Carlos, Sede Ilave, Jr. Ilo 343, Ilave 21501, Puno, Peru
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +51-41-471005
| | - Luis Jhordan Rossel-Bernedo
- Universidad Privada San Carlos, Sede Ilave, Jr. Ilo 343, Ilave 21501, Puno, Peru
- Laboratorios Bioproyect SAC, Jr. Tacna 344, Puno 21000, Puno, Peru
| | - Ana Lucia Ferró-Gonzáles
- Universidad Privada San Carlos, Sede Ilave, Jr. Ilo 343, Ilave 21501, Puno, Peru
- Universidad Nacional de Juliaca, Av. Nueva Zelandia 631, Juliaca 21101, Puno, Peru
| | - Ivone Vaz-Moreira
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina—Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
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Fradette MS, Culley AI, Charette SJ. Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in Environmental Water Samples: A Journey into the Past and New Perspectives. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061175. [PMID: 35744692 PMCID: PMC9228427 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the major issues linked with producing safe water for consumption is the presence of the parasitic protozoa Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. Since they are both responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses that can be waterborne, their monitoring is crucial, especially in water sources feeding treatment plants. Although their discovery was made in the early 1900s and even before, it was only in 1999 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a standardized protocol for the detection of these parasites, modified and named today the U.S. EPA 1623.1 Method. It involves the flow-through filtration of a large volume of the water of interest, the elution of the biological material retained on the filter, the purification of the (oo)cysts, and the detection by immunofluorescence of the target parasites. Since the 1990s, several molecular-biology-based techniques were also developed to detect Cryptosporidium and Giardia cells from environmental or clinical samples. The application of U.S. EPA 1623.1 as well as numerous biomolecular methods are reviewed in this article, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed guiding the readers, such as graduate students, researchers, drinking water managers, epidemiologists, and public health specialists, through the ever-expanding number of techniques available in the literature for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Stéphanie Fradette
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.I.C.); (S.J.C.)
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et Génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Aménagement et Développement du Territoire (CRAD), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Alexander I. Culley
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.I.C.); (S.J.C.)
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et Génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale (GREB), Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Steve J. Charette
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.I.C.); (S.J.C.)
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et Génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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Abstract
Intermittent water supply systems (IWSSs) are prevalent in most developing countries and some developed ones. Their usage is driven by necessity rather than as a principal objective, mostly due to technical and economic deficiencies. Major health risks and socio-economic inequities are associated with such systems. Their impacts are aggravated by climate changes and the COVID-19 crisis. These are likely to have profound implications on progress toward advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs). Motivated by providing a comprehensive overview of global knowledge on IWSSs, the present work proposed to track and analyze research works on IWSSs utilizing bibliometric techniques and visual mapping tools. This includes investigating the trends and growth trajectories of research works on IWSSs and analyzing the various approaches proposed to expand our understanding with respect to the management, modeling, optimization, and impacts of IWSSs. The national and international contributions and collaboration figures are further analyzed at country, institution, author, and source levels. This analysis indicates that research works conducted on IWSSs have certain expectations in terms of productivity (total global productivity; 197 documents). The United States was the best country in terms of productivity (58 documents; 29.4%), while the Water Switzerland journal was the most productive journal (19 documents; 9.6%). The impacts of IWSSs on health and well-being have attracted considerable attention. The outcomes showed deep and justified worries in relation to the transition from intermittent to continuous supply, equity, and mitigating the health risks associated with IWSSs in the foreseen future. The utilization of artificial intelligence techniques and expert systems will drive and shape future IWSS-related research activities. Therefore, investments in this regard are crucial.
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Kapembo ML, Mukeba FB, Sivalingam P, Mukoko JB, Bokolo MK, Mulaji CK, Mpiana PT, Poté JW. Survey of water supply and assessment of groundwater quality in the suburban communes of Selembao and Kimbanseke, Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of the Congo. SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 2021; 8:3. [PMID: 34790861 PMCID: PMC8580925 DOI: 10.1007/s40899-021-00592-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In many suburban municipalities of developing countries, the household drinking water comes mainly from groundwater including, wells, streams and springs. These sources are vulnerable because poor hygienic conditions and sanitation prevail causing persistence and recurrent waterborne diseases. In this research, a survey study on water resource use and an epidemiological survey of waterborne diseases were conducted among users of water points and medical institutions in suburban communes of Selembao and Kimbanseke (Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In addition, physicochemical (temperature, pH, O2, electrical conductivity, and soluble ions: Na+, K+, PO4 3-, SO4 2-, NO3 -, NO2 -) and bacteriological (FIB: faecal indicator bacteria) analyses of water from 21 wells and springs were performed according to the seasonal variations. FIB included Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterococcus and Total Coliforms. The survey results indicate that more than 75% of the patients admitted to local medical institutions between 2016 and 2019 are affected by waterborne diseases, including typhoid fever, amoebic dysentery, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis disorders and cholera. Except for NO3 - in some sites, the water physicochemical parameter values are within WHO permissible limits for drinking/domestic water quality. On the contrary, the results revealed high FIB levels in water from unmanaged wells and springs during rainy and dry seasons. The microbiological pollution was significantly higher in the rainy season compared to the dry season. Interestingly, no FIB contamination was observed in water samples from managed/developed wells. The results from this study will guide local government decisions on improving water quality to prevent recurrent waterborne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel L. Kapembo
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Florent B. Mukeba
- Human Science Research Center (CRESH), 33, Avenue Comité Urbain, Commune de la Gombe, B.P 3474, Kinshasa/Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Postgraduate and Research Department of Microbiology, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620020 India
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Periyasamy Sivalingam
- Postgraduate and Research Department of Microbiology, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620020 India
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Johnny B. Mukoko
- Postgraduate and Research Department of Microbiology, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620020 India
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Mathieu K. Bokolo
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Crispin K. Mulaji
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Pius T. Mpiana
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - John W. Poté
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Human Science Research Center (CRESH), 33, Avenue Comité Urbain, Commune de la Gombe, B.P 3474, Kinshasa/Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute F. A. Forel and Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Bd Carl-Vogt 66, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Meyer DD, Khari J, Whittle AJ, Slocum AH. Effects of hydraulically disconnecting consumer pumps in an intermittent water supply. WATER RESEARCH X 2021; 12:100107. [PMID: 34345814 PMCID: PMC8319575 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2021.100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We estimate 250 million people receive water using private pumps connected directly to intermittently pressurized distribution networks. Yet no previous studies have quantified the presumed effects of these pumps. In this paper, we investigate the effects of installing pressure-sustaining valves at consumer connections. These valves mimic pump disconnection by restricting flow. Installing these valves during the dry season at 94% of connections in an affluent neighborhood in Delhi, India, cut the prevalence of samples with turbidity > 4 NTU by two thirds. But considering the poor reputation of pumps, installed valves had surprisingly small average effects on turbidity (-8%; p<0.01) and free chlorine (+0.05 mg/L; p<0.001; N = 1,031). These effects were much smaller than the high variability in water quality supplied to both control and valve-installed neighborhoods. Site-specific responses to this variability could have confounded our results. At the study site, installed valves increased network pressure during 88% of the typical supply window; valves had a maximum pressure effect of +0.62 m (95% CI [0.54, 0.71]; a 40% increase vs. control). Further research is needed to generalize beyond our study site. Nevertheless, this paper provides unique evidence showing how the deployed valves mitigated pump effects, increased network pressure and improved water safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- David D.J. Meyer
- Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - J. Khari
- Anonymous Partner Utility, Delhi, India
| | - Andrew J. Whittle
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alexander H. Slocum
- Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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