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Rusiñol M, Zammit I, Itarte M, Forés E, Martínez-Puchol S, Girones R, Borrego C, Corominas L, Bofill-Mas S. Monitoring waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: Inferences from WWTPs of different sizes. Sci Total Environ 2021; 787:147463. [PMID: 33989864 PMCID: PMC8103791 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater based epidemiology was employed to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within the sewershed areas of 10 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Catalonia, Spain. A total of 185 WWTPs inflow samples were collected over the period consisting of both the first wave (mid-March to June) and the second wave (July to November). Concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (N1 and N2 assays) were quantified in these wastewaters as well as those of Human adenoviruses (HAdV) and JC polyomavirus (JCPyV), as indicators of human faecal contamination. SARS-CoV-2 N gene daily loads strongly correlated with the number of cases diagnosed one week after sampling i.e. wastewater levels were a good predictor of cases to be diagnosed in the immediate future. The conditions present at small WWTPs relative to larger WWTPs influence the ability to follow the pandemic. Small WWTPs (<24,000 inhabitants) had lower median loads of SARS-CoV-2 despite similar incidence of infection within the municipalities served by the different WWTP (but not lower loads of HAdV and JCPyV). The lowest incidence resulting in quantifiable SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater differed between WWTP sizes, being 0.11 and 0.82 cases/1000 inhabitants for the large and small sized WWTP respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Rusiñol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I Zammit
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - M Itarte
- University of Barcelona, Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Forés
- University of Barcelona, Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Martínez-Puchol
- University of Barcelona, Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Girones
- University of Barcelona, Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Borrego
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - Ll Corominas
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain.
| | - S Bofill-Mas
- University of Barcelona, Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain.
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Forés E, Bofill-Mas S, Itarte M, Martínez-Puchol S, Hundesa A, Calvo M, Borrego CM, Corominas LL, Girones R, Rusiñol M. Evaluation of two rapid ultrafiltration-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 concentration from wastewater. Sci Total Environ 2021; 768:144786. [PMID: 33429117 PMCID: PMC7789912 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative measurements of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in raw wastewater have been implemented worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic. Recent efforts are being made to evaluate different viral concentration methodologies to overcome supplier shortages during lockdowns. A set of 22-wastewater samples seeded with murine hepatitis virus (MHV), a member of the Coronaviridae family, and the bacteriophage MS2, were used to characterize and compare two ultrafiltration-based methods: a centrifugal ultrafiltration device (Centricon® Plus-70) and the automated concentrating pipette CP-Select™. Based on the recovery efficiencies, significant differences were observed for MHV, with Centricon® Plus-70 (24%) being the most efficient method. Nevertheless, concentrations of naturally occurring SARS-CoV-2, Human adenoviruses and JC polyomaviruses in these samples did not result in significant differences between methods suggesting that testing naturally occurring viruses may complement the evaluation of viral concentration methodologies. Based on the virus adsorption to solids and the necessity of a pre-centrifugation step to remove larger particles and avoid clogging when using ultrafiltration methods, we assessed the percentage of viruses not quantified after ultrafiltration. Around 23% of the detected SARS-CoV-2 would be discarded during the debris removal step. The CP-Select™ provided the highest concentration factor (up to 333×) and the lowest LoD (6.19 × 103 GC/l) for MHV and proved to be fast, automatic, highly reproducible and suitable to work under BSL-2 measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Forés
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Bofill-Mas
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Itarte
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Martínez-Puchol
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Hundesa
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Calvo
- Section of Statistics, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - C M Borrego
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain; Group of Molecular Microbial Ecology, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, E-17003 Girona, Spain
| | - L L Corominas
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona, E-17003 Girona, Spain
| | - R Girones
- Section of Microbiology, Virology and Biotechnology, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Spain; The Water Institute of the University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Rusiñol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment & Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
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