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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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2
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Stoufer S, Soorneedi AR, Kim M, Moore MD. Sample Processing and Concentration Methods for Viruses from Foods and the Environment Prior to Detection. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol 2024; 15:455-472. [PMID: 38277693 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-072023-034431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness globally. Concentration of viruses from samples is important for detection because viral contamination of foods often occurs at low levels. In general, virus concentration methods can be classified as either nonspecific, exploiting the relatively homogeneous physicochemical properties of the virus to separate/concentrate it from the sample matrix, or specific, relying on recognition elements such as antibodies to specifically capture and separate viruses from foods. Numerous nonspecific and specific techniques for virus concentration have been reported, each with its own advantages and limitations. Factors to consider can include reagent and equipment costs, time-to-result, ease of use, and potential to eliminate matrix-associated inhibitors. The purpose of this review is to survey the different foodborne virus concentration techniques and their efficacy in various food and environmental matrices as well as discuss some emerging techniques for purification and concentration of viral pathogens from food samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sloane Stoufer
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Anand R Soorneedi
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Minji Kim
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Matthew D Moore
- Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA;
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3
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Hurst BN, Korajkic A, Pemberton A, McMinn BR. Improved virus concentration methods for wash waters from decontamination of permeable and non-permeable surfaces. J Virol Methods 2023; 322:114826. [PMID: 37778537 PMCID: PMC10841435 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2023.114826] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Surface decontamination is a method of using wash water to decontaminated surfaces preventing transmission of biological contaminants that can pose potential health risks to responders and the public. However, the risks associated with handling used wash water are largely unknown due to the lack of effective methodology to screen for pathogenic microorganisms present in these samples, especially viral pathogens. This study adapted the dead-end hollow-fiber ultrafiltration (D-HFUF) system to wash waters, including a separate procedure for recovering particle attached viruses. Simulated wash water was created using dechlorinated tap water containing a mild surfactant (0.05 % Tween 80). To determine virus recovery efficiencies, measured amounts of somatic and F+ coliphage were spiked into 2-liter volumes of wash water under the following scenarios: (1) wash water was amended with a measured amount of sterile river sediment with no sediment separation prior to filter concentration; or (2) sediment added to wash water was allowed to settle prior to filter concentrating clarified liquid portions, while precipitated sediment was subjected to viral extraction techniques to recover particle attached virus; and (3) the optimized method was deployed on non-porous and porous surfaces to simulate a decontamination clean-up event. Separation of sediment prior to D-HFUF significantly increased recovery of coliphages, (P = <0.0001) versus filtration of sediment and liquids simultaneously. A tryptic soy broth (TSB) elution solution was significantly more effective (P = ≤0.010) for recovery of both somatic and F+ coliphage, (108 ± 9 % and 92 ± 9 %, respectively), compared to elution buffers containing various surfactants (sodium hexametaphosphate, Tween 80) for recovering particle attached virus. Simulating a biocontaminate clean-up event (using the optimized sediment separation and elution protocol) resulted in coliphage recoveries of 75-96 % (permeable surface) and 71-92 % (non-permeable surface). This procedure can be used to effectively detect viruses in used wash waters aiding in reducing risks to human health during site decontamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Hurst
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Asja Korajkic
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Laboratory, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 USA
| | - Adin Pemberton
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Laboratory, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 USA
| | - Brian R McMinn
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Laboratory, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 USA.
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4
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Ahmed W, Smith WJM, Sirikanchana K, Kitajima M, Bivins A, Simpson SL. Influence of membrane pore-size on the recovery of endogenous viruses from wastewater using an adsorption-extraction method. J Virol Methods 2023; 317:114732. [PMID: 37080396 PMCID: PMC10111872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2023.114732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the significance of wastewater surveillance in monitoring and tracking the spread of infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. The wastewater surveillance approach detects genetic fragments from viruses in wastewater, which could provide an early warning of outbreaks in communities. In this study, we determined the concentrations of four types of endogenous viruses, including non-enveloped DNA (crAssphage and human adenovirus 40/41), non-enveloped RNA (enterovirus), and enveloped RNA (SARS-CoV-2) viruses, from wastewater samples using the adsorption-extraction (AE) method with electronegative HA membranes of different pore sizes (0.22, 0.45, and 0.80 µm). Our findings showed that the membrane with a pore size of 0.80 µm performed comparably to the membrane with a pore size of 0.45 µm for virus detection/quantitation (repeated measurement one-way ANOVA; p > 0.05). We also determined the recovery efficiencies of indigenous crAssphage and pepper mild mottle virus, which showed recovery efficiencies ranging from 50% to 94% and from 20% to 62%, respectively. Our results suggest that the use of larger pore size membranes may be beneficial for processing larger sample volumes, particularly for environmental waters containing low concentrations of viruses. This study offers valuable insights into the application of the AE method for virus recovery from wastewater, which is essential for monitoring and tracking infectious diseases in communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warish Ahmed
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia.
| | - Wendy J M Smith
- CSIRO Environment, Ecosciences Precinct, 41 Boggo Road, Dutton Park, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kwanrawee Sirikanchana
- Research Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, 54 Kampangpetch 6 Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Masaaki Kitajima
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13 West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060 -8628, Japan
| | - Aaron Bivins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, 3255 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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5
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Ransome E, Hobbs F, Jones S, Coleman CM, Harris ND, Woodward G, Bell T, Trew J, Kolarević S, Kračun-Kolarević M, Savolainen V. Evaluating the transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 from sewage pollution. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159161. [PMID: 36191696 PMCID: PMC9525188 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in untreated sewage has been confirmed in many countries but its incidence and infection risk in contaminated waters is poorly understood. The River Thames in the UK receives untreated sewage from 57 Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), with many discharging dozens of times per year. This study investigated if such discharges provide a pathway for environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Samples of wastewater, surface water, and sediment collected close to six CSOs on the River Thames were assayed over eight months for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and infectious virus. Bivalves were also sampled as an indicator species of viral bioaccumulation. Sediment and water samples from the Danube and Sava rivers in Serbia, where raw sewage is also discharged in high volumes, were assayed as a positive control. No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA or infectious virus was found in UK samples, in contrast to RNA positive samples from Serbia. Furthermore, this study shows that infectious SARS-CoV-2 inoculum is stable in Thames water and sediment for <3 days, while SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detectable for at least seven days. This indicates that dilution of wastewater likely limits environmental transmission, and that detection of viral RNA alone is not an indication of pathogen spillover.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ransome
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - F Hobbs
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - S Jones
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - C M Coleman
- Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research, Department of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - N D Harris
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - G Woodward
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - T Bell
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - J Trew
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - S Kolarević
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", National Institute of Republic of Serbia, Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - M Kračun-Kolarević
- University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", National Institute of Republic of Serbia, Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - V Savolainen
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
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6
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Jiang SC, Bischel HN, Goel R, Rosso D, Sherchan S, Whiteson KL, Yan T, Solo-Gabriele HM. Integrating Virus Monitoring Strategies for Safe Non-potable Water Reuse. WATER 2022; 14:1187. [PMID: 37622131 PMCID: PMC10448804 DOI: 10.3390/w14081187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater reclamation and reuse have the potential to supplement water supplies, offering resiliency in times of drought and helping meet increased water demands associated with population growth. Non-potable water reuse represents the largest potential reuse market. Yet economic constraints for new water reuse infrastructure and safety concerns due to microbial water quality, and especially viral pathogen exposure, limit widespread implementation of water reuse. Cost-effective, real-time methods to measure or indicate viral quality of recycled water would do much to instill greater confidence in the practice. This manuscript discusses advancements in monitoring and modeling of viral health risks in the context of water reuse. First, we describe the current wastewater reclamation processes and treatment technologies with an emphasis on virus removal. Second, we review technologies for the measurement of viruses, both culture- and molecular-based, along with their advantages and disadvantages. We introduce promising viral surrogates and specific pathogenic viruses that can serve as indicators of viral risk for water reuse. We suggest metagenomic analyses for viral screening and flow cytometry for quantification of virus-like particles as new approaches to complement more traditional methods. Third, we describe modeling to assess health risks through quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRAs), the most common strategy to couple data on virus concentrations with human exposure scenarios. We then explore the potential of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to incorporate suites of data from wastewater treatment processes, water quality parameters, and viral surrogates. We recommend ANNs as a means to utilize existing water quality data, alongside new complementary measures of viral quality, to achieve cost-effective strategies to assess risks associated with infectious human viruses in recycled water. Given the review, we conclude that technologies are ready for identifying and implementing viral surrogates for health risk reduction in the next decade. Incorporating modeling with monitoring data would likely result in more robust assessment of water reuse risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunny C Jiang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Water-Energy Nexus Center, 844G Engineering Tower, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2175
| | - Heather N Bischel
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis CA 95616
| | - Ramesh Goel
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - Diego Rosso
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Water-Energy Nexus Center, 844G Engineering Tower, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2175
| | - Samendra Sherchan
- Department of Environmental Health sciences, Tulane university, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Katrine L Whiteson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Tao Yan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI 96822, USA
| | - Helena M Solo-Gabriele
- Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
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Adriaenssens EM, Farkas K, McDonald JE, Jones DL, Allison HE, McCarthy AJ. Tracing the fate of wastewater viruses reveals catchment-scale virome diversity and connectivity. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 203:117568. [PMID: 34450465 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The discharge of wastewater-derived viruses in aquatic environments impacts catchment-scale virome composition. To explore this, we used viromic analysis of RNA and DNA virus-like particles to holistically track virus communities entering and leaving wastewater treatment plants and the connecting river catchment system and estuary. We reconstructed >40 000 partial viral genomes into 10 149 species-level groups, dominated by dsDNA and (+)ssRNA bacteriophages (Caudoviricetes and Leviviricetes) and a small number of genomes that could pose a risk to human health. We found substantial viral diversity and geographically distinct virus communities associated with different wastewater treatment plants. River and estuarine water bodies harboured more diverse viral communities in downstream locations, influenced by tidal movement and proximity to wastewater treatment plants. Shellfish and beach sand were enriched in viral communities when compared with the surrounding water, acting as entrapment matrices for virus particles. Extensive phylogenetic analyses of environmental-derived and reference sequences showed the presence of human-associated sapovirus GII in all sample types, multiple rotavirus A strains in wastewater and a diverse set of picorna-like viruses associated with shellfish. We conclude that wastewater-derived viral genetic material is commonly deposited in the environment and can be traced throughout the freshwater-marine continuum of the river catchment, where it is influenced by local geography, weather events and tidal effects. Our data illustrate the utility of viromic analyses for wastewater- and environment-based ecology and epidemiology, and we present a conceptual model for the circulation of all types of viruses in a freshwater catchment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien M Adriaenssens
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK; Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK.
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK; School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - James E McDonald
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - David L Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK; UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Heather E Allison
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Alan J McCarthy
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
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8
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Pisharody L, Suresh S, Mukherji S. Development and evaluation of DEAE silica gel columns for simultaneous concentration of coliphages and rotavirus from natural water samples. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 203:117508. [PMID: 34375933 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Enteric viruses are commonly present in water bodies in regions with poor sanitation. Although the occurrence of these viruses poses a health risk they are difficult to quantify due to their low concentration and they may remain undetected in the absence of adequate preconcentration. The present study reports the synthesis and utilization of DEAE silica gel (DSiG) as an adsorbent for virus concentration. Two coliphages, MS2 and SUSP2, and an enteric virus, rotavirus A (RVA) were chosen for examining the preconcentration efficiency of DSiG columns. Studies conducted at a low flow rate of 5 mL/min yielded good removal of viruses through adsorption. Studies at a higher flow rate of 50 mL/min followed by elution with optimized eluents yielded a high recovery of MS2 and RVA even when they were present at low concentration (0.01 copy/mL). The eluent Na(1.5 M)-Tw(2%)-G3X (glycine 3X broth, 1.5 M NaCl, 2% Tween, pH 10.2) showed maximum elution of RVA and MS2. Optimal SUSP2 recovery was observed on employing an eluent composed of 1.5 M NaCl, 3% Tween, 0.05 M KH2PO4 at pH 9.2. Subsequently, both the eluents were successively applied for elution of the adsorbed viruses. This method was applied for virus preconcentration from lake water in the monsoon and winter seasons. The DSiG column could achieve adequate preconcentration for all the three viruses, i.e., SUSP2, MS2, and RVA, even when they were present at very low concentration and the recovery achieved was comparable to that achieved with ultracentrifugation while the processing time required for handling large volumes of water was considerably lower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Pisharody
- Environmental Science and Engineering Department (ESED), IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai - 400 076, India
| | - Sumathi Suresh
- Environmental Science and Engineering Department (ESED), IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai - 400 076, India
| | - Suparna Mukherji
- Environmental Science and Engineering Department (ESED), IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai - 400 076, India.
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Cuevas-Ferrando E, Allende A, Pérez-Cataluña A, Truchado P, Hernández N, Gil MI, Sánchez G. Occurrence and Accumulation of Human Enteric Viruses and Phages in Process Water from the Fresh Produce Industry. Foods 2021; 10:foods10081853. [PMID: 34441630 PMCID: PMC8391481 DOI: 10.3390/foods10081853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The virological quality of process water (PW) used by the produce industry has received limited attention. As a first step to overcoming technical limitations in monitoring viruses in PW, the analytical performance of ultrafiltration was assessed to concentrate viral particles from 20 L of spiked PW. The selected method used for sample concentration of PW was carefully validated, thus enabling the accurate quantification and estimation of viral titers of human enteric viruses and phages. PW from the produce industry was collected periodically from the washing tanks of commercial facilities. The analysis of coliphages was performed by plaque assay, while the occurrence of enteric viruses and crAssphage was determined by molecular techniques. Significant differences in the physicochemical composition of PW, mostly due to the different nature of fresh produce types and differences in the sanitizer used in commercial operation, were observed. Accumulation of crAssphage and coliphages was observed in PW, but correlation with human enteric viruses was not possible due to the low prevalence of these pathogens in the PW analyzed. The obtained results showed that depending on the type of product washed, the product/water ratio and the residual concentrations of the sanitizers, the prevalence and concentration of bacteriophages changed significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enric Cuevas-Ferrando
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (E.C.-F.); (A.P.-C.)
| | - Ana Allende
- Research Group on Microbiology and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (A.A.); (P.T.); (N.H.); (M.I.G.)
| | - Alba Pérez-Cataluña
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (E.C.-F.); (A.P.-C.)
| | - Pilar Truchado
- Research Group on Microbiology and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (A.A.); (P.T.); (N.H.); (M.I.G.)
| | - Natalia Hernández
- Research Group on Microbiology and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (A.A.); (P.T.); (N.H.); (M.I.G.)
| | - Maria Isabel Gil
- Research Group on Microbiology and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (A.A.); (P.T.); (N.H.); (M.I.G.)
| | - Gloria Sánchez
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, IATA-CSIC, Av. Agustín Escardino 7, 46980 Valencia, Spain; (E.C.-F.); (A.P.-C.)
- Correspondence:
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10
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Hillary LS, Farkas K, Maher KH, Lucaci A, Thorpe J, Distaso MA, Gaze WH, Paterson S, Burke T, Connor TR, McDonald JE, Malham SK, Jones DL. Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater to evaluate the success of lockdown measures for controlling COVID-19 in the UK. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 200:117214. [PMID: 34058486 PMCID: PMC8105641 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic represents one of the greatest recent threats to human health, wellbeing and economic growth. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) of human viruses can be a useful tool for population-scale monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and epidemiology to help prevent further spread of the disease, particularly within urban centres. Here, we present a longitudinal analysis (March-July 2020) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA prevalence in sewage across six major urban centres in the UK (total population equivalent 3 million) by q(RT-)PCR and viral genome sequencing. Our results demonstrate that levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA generally correlated with the abundance of clinical cases recorded within the community in large urban centres, with a marked decline in SARS-CoV-2 RNA abundance following the implementation of lockdown measures. The strength of this association was weaker in areas with lower confirmed COVID-19 case numbers. Further, sequence analysis of SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater suggested that multiple genetically distinct clusters were co-circulating in the local populations covered by our sample sites, and that the genetic variants observed in wastewater reflected similar SNPs observed in contemporaneous samples from cases tested in clinical diagnostic laboratories. We demonstrate how WBE can be used for both community-level detection and tracking of SARS-CoV-2 and other virus' prevalence, and can inform public health policy decisions. Although, greater understanding of the factors that affect SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in wastewater are needed for the full integration of WBE data into outbreak surveillance. In conclusion, our results lend support to the use of routine WBE for monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 and other human pathogenic viruses circulating in the population and assessment of the effectiveness of disease control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke S Hillary
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom.
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom; School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn H Maher
- NERC Environmental Omics Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Anita Lucaci
- NERC Environmental Omics Facility, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Thorpe
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom; School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom
| | - Marco A Distaso
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
| | - William H Gaze
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, ESI, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE United Kingdom
| | - Steve Paterson
- NERC Environmental Omics Facility, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Terry Burke
- NERC Environmental Omics Facility, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas R Connor
- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom; Public Health Wales, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, CF14 4XW, United Kingdom
| | - James E McDonald
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom
| | - Shelagh K Malham
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom
| | - David L Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, United Kingdom; UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
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11
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Panchal D, Prakash O, Bobde P, Pal S. SARS-CoV-2: sewage surveillance as an early warning system and challenges in developing countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:22221-22240. [PMID: 33733417 PMCID: PMC7968922 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13170-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Transmission of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in humans happens either through airway exposure to respiratory droplets from an infected patient or by touching the virus contaminated surface or objects (fomites). Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in human feces and its passage to sewage system is an emerging concern for public health. Pieces of evidence of the occurrence of viral RNA in feces and municipal wastewater (sewage) systems have not only warned reinforcing the treatment facilities but also suggest that these systems can be monitored to get epidemiological data for checking trend of COVID-19 infection in the community. This review summarizes the occurrence and persistence of novel coronavirus in sewage with an emphasis on the possible water environment contamination. Monitoring of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) via sewage-based epidemiology could deliver promising information regarding rate of infection providing a valid and complementary tool for tracking and diagnosing COVID-19 across communities. Tracking the sewage systems could act as an early warning tool for alerting the public health authorities for necessary actions. Given the impracticality of testing every citizen with limited diagnostic resources, it is imperative that sewage-based epidemiology can be tested as an early warning system. The need for the development of robust sampling strategies and subsequent detection methodologies and challenges for developing countries are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Panchal
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
- Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Om Prakash
- Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Prakash Bobde
- Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Department of Research & Development, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248007, India
| | - Sukdeb Pal
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
- Wastewater Technology Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India.
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13
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Corpuz MVA, Buonerba A, Vigliotta G, Zarra T, Ballesteros F, Campiglia P, Belgiorno V, Korshin G, Naddeo V. Viruses in wastewater: occurrence, abundance and detection methods. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 745:140910. [PMID: 32758747 PMCID: PMC7368910 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents an updated and comprehensive review on the different methods used for detection and quantification of viruses in wastewater treatment systems. The analysis of viability of viruses in wastewater and sludge is another thrust of this review. Recent studies have mostly focused on determining the abundance and diversity of viruses in wastewater influents, in samples from primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment stages, and in final effluents. A few studies have also examined the occurrence and diversity of viruses in raw and digested sludge samples. Recent efforts to improve efficiency of virus detection and quantification methods in the complex wastewater and sludge matrices are highlighted in this review. A summary and a detailed comparison of the pre-treatment methods that have been utilized for wastewater and sludge samples are also presented. The role of metagenomics or sequencing analysis in monitoring wastewater systems to predict disease outbreaks, to conduct public health surveillance, to assess the efficiency of existing treatment systems in virus removal, and to re-evaluate current regulations regarding pathogenic viruses in wastewater is discussed in this paper. Challenges and future perspectives in the detection of viruses, including emerging and newly emerged viruses such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in wastewater systems are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Vermi Aizza Corpuz
- Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
| | - Antonio Buonerba
- Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy; Inter-University Centre for Prediction and Prevention of Major Hazards (C.U.G.RI.), Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
| | - Giovanni Vigliotta
- Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy.
| | - Tiziano Zarra
- Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy; Inter-University Centre for Prediction and Prevention of Major Hazards (C.U.G.RI.), Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
| | - Florencio Ballesteros
- Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines; Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
| | - Pietro Campiglia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Belgiorno
- Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy; Inter-University Centre for Prediction and Prevention of Major Hazards (C.U.G.RI.), Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
| | - Gregory Korshin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98105-2700, United States.
| | - Vincenzo Naddeo
- Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy; Inter-University Centre for Prediction and Prevention of Major Hazards (C.U.G.RI.), Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084, Fisciano (SA), Italy.
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14
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Michael-Kordatou I, Karaolia P, Fatta-Kassinos D. Sewage analysis as a tool for the COVID-19 pandemic response and management: the urgent need for optimised protocols for SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2020. [PMID: 32834990 DOI: 10.1016/j.jece:2020.104306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of July 29th 2020, more than 16,6 million cases have been reported in more than 188 countries/territories, leading to more than 659000 deaths. One of the main challenges facing health authorities has been testing for the virus on a sufficiently comprehensive scale. The pandemic has been an impetus for the wastewater community as it has inspired scientists to look to wastewater to help fill in the gap of measuring the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 within a given community. Testing the wastewater may serve as an early warning system allowing timely interventions. Although viral shedding varies among individuals and over the course of their infection, the sewage system can blend these variations into an average that represents the wider studied community. The urgent need has led to a lack of coherent reporting of data regarding the analysis, as these huge and remarkable efforts by the wastewater scientific community were made in a very short time. Important information on the analytical approach is often lacking, while there is still no optimisation of the methodology, including sampling, sample storage and concentration, RNA extraction and detection/quantification. This review aims at identifying the main issues for consideration, relating to the development of validated methodological protocols for the virus quantitative analysis in wastewater. Their inclusion will enable the methodological optimisation of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater analyses, transforming the wastewater infrastructure into a source of useful information for the health sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Michael-Kordatou
- Nireas-International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - P Karaolia
- Nireas-International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - D Fatta-Kassinos
- Nireas-International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
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15
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Michael-Kordatou I, Karaolia P, Fatta-Kassinos D. Sewage analysis as a tool for the COVID-19 pandemic response and management: the urgent need for optimised protocols for SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 8:104306. [PMID: 32834990 PMCID: PMC7384408 DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2020.104306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of July 29th 2020, more than 16,6 million cases have been reported in more than 188 countries/territories, leading to more than 659000 deaths. One of the main challenges facing health authorities has been testing for the virus on a sufficiently comprehensive scale. The pandemic has been an impetus for the wastewater community as it has inspired scientists to look to wastewater to help fill in the gap of measuring the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 within a given community. Testing the wastewater may serve as an early warning system allowing timely interventions. Although viral shedding varies among individuals and over the course of their infection, the sewage system can blend these variations into an average that represents the wider studied community. The urgent need has led to a lack of coherent reporting of data regarding the analysis, as these huge and remarkable efforts by the wastewater scientific community were made in a very short time. Important information on the analytical approach is often lacking, while there is still no optimisation of the methodology, including sampling, sample storage and concentration, RNA extraction and detection/quantification. This review aims at identifying the main issues for consideration, relating to the development of validated methodological protocols for the virus quantitative analysis in wastewater. Their inclusion will enable the methodological optimisation of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater analyses, transforming the wastewater infrastructure into a source of useful information for the health sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Michael-Kordatou
- Nireas-International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - P Karaolia
- Nireas-International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - D Fatta-Kassinos
- Nireas-International Water Research Centre, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus
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16
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Integrated Electrochemical Biosensors for Detection of Waterborne Pathogens in Low-Resource Settings. BIOSENSORS-BASEL 2020; 10:bios10040036. [PMID: 32294961 PMCID: PMC7236604 DOI: 10.3390/bios10040036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
More than 783 million people worldwide are currently without access to clean and safe water. Approximately 1 in 5 cases of mortality due to waterborne diseases involve children, and over 1.5 million cases of waterborne disease occur every year. In the developing world, this makes waterborne diseases the second highest cause of mortality. Such cases of waterborne disease are thought to be caused by poor sanitation, water infrastructure, public knowledge, and lack of suitable water monitoring systems. Conventional laboratory-based techniques are inadequate for effective on-site water quality monitoring purposes. This is due to their need for excessive equipment, operational complexity, lack of affordability, and long sample collection to data analysis times. In this review, we discuss the conventional techniques used in modern-day water quality testing. We discuss the future challenges of water quality testing in the developing world and how conventional techniques fall short of these challenges. Finally, we discuss the development of electrochemical biosensors and current research on the integration of these devices with microfluidic components to develop truly integrated, portable, simple to use and cost-effective devices for use by local environmental agencies, NGOs, and local communities in low-resource settings.
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17
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Farkas K, Adriaenssens EM, Walker DI, McDonald JE, Malham SK, Jones DL. Critical Evaluation of CrAssphage as a Molecular Marker for Human-Derived Wastewater Contamination in the Aquatic Environment. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2019; 11:113-119. [PMID: 30758724 PMCID: PMC6513805 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-019-09369-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The discharge of human-derived wastewater represents a major threat to water quality with the potential for waterborne disease outbreaks mainly associated with enteric viruses. To prevent illnesses, indicators associated with fecal contamination are monitored in polluted areas, however, their prevalence often does not correlate well with viral pathogens. In this study, we used crAssphage, a recently discovered human-specific gut-associated bacteriophage, for the surveillance of wastewater-derived viral contamination. Untreated and treated wastewater, surface water, sediment and mussel samples were collected monthly over 1 year from the Conwy River and estuary (UK) and were analyzed for crAssphage marker by quantitative PCR. This is the first long-term catchment-to-coast scale study of environmental crAssphage concentrations. CrAssphage was detected in all sample types and showed no distinct seasonal pattern. CrAssphage concentrations were 2 × 105-109 genome copies (gc)/L in all untreated wastewater influent and 107-108 gc/L in secondary treated effluent samples, 3 × 103 gc/L-3 × 107 gc/L in surface water samples (94% positive) and 2 × 102-104 gc/g sediment (68% positive) and mussel digestive tissue (79% positive). CrAssphage concentrations were 1-5 log10 higher than human enteric virus titers (norovirus, sapovirus, adenovirus, polyomavirus). Our results indicate that crAssphage is well suited to tracking human wastewater contamination and pollution risk assessment in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK.
| | - Evelien M Adriaenssens
- Microbiology Research Group, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - David I Walker
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth, Dorset, UK
| | - James E McDonald
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Shelagh K Malham
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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18
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Farkas K, Marshall M, Cooper D, McDonald JE, Malham SK, Peters DE, Maloney JD, Jones DL. Seasonal and diurnal surveillance of treated and untreated wastewater for human enteric viruses. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:33391-33401. [PMID: 30259243 PMCID: PMC6245017 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the abundance and fate of human viral pathogens in wastewater is essential when assessing the public health risks associated with wastewater discharge to the environment. Typically, however, the microbiological monitoring of wastewater is undertaken on an infrequent basis and peak discharge events may be missed leading to the misrepresentation of risk levels. To evaluate diurnal patterns in wastewater viral loading, we undertook 3-day sampling campaigns with bi-hourly sample collection over three seasons at three wastewater treatment plants. Untreated influent was collected at Ganol and secondary-treated effluent was sampled at Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed (North Wales, UK). Our results confirmed the presence of human adenovirus (AdV), norovirus genotypes I and II (NoVGI and NoVGII) in both influent and effluent samples while sapovirus GI (SaVGI) was only detected in influent water. The AdV titre was high and relatively constant in all samples, whereas the NoVGI, NoVGII and SaVGI showed high concentrations during autumn and winter and low counts during the summer. Diurnal patterns were detected in pH and turbidity for some sampling periods; however, no such changes in viral titres were observed apart from slight fluctuations in the influent samples. Our findings suggest that viral particle number in wastewater is not affected by daily chemical fluctuations. Hence, a grab sample taken at any point during the day may be sufficient to enumerate the viral load of wastewater effluent within an order of magnitude while four samples a day are recommended for testing wastewater influent samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK.
| | - Miles Marshall
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - David Cooper
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - James E McDonald
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Shelagh K Malham
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Dafydd E Peters
- School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Brigantia Building, Penrallt Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2AS, UK
| | - John D Maloney
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Davey L Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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