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Review
. 2021 Jan 1;268(Pt A):115806.
doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115806. Epub 2020 Oct 13.

SARS-CoV-2 in water services: Presence and impacts

M Langone  1 , L Petta  2 , C M Cellamare  2 , M Ferraris  2 , R Guzzinati  2 , D Mattioli  2 , G Sabia  2
Affiliations
Review

SARS-CoV-2 in water services: Presence and impacts

M Langone et al. Environ Pollut. .

Abstract

The occurrence of human pathogenic viruses in aquatic ecosystems and, in particular, in internal water bodies (i.e., river, lakes, groundwater, drinking water reservoirs, recreational water utilities, and wastewater), raises concerns regarding the related impacts on environment and human health, especially in relation to the possibility of human exposure and waterborne infections. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presence and persistence in human excreta, wastewaters, sewage sludge as well as in natural water bodies, and the possible implications for water services in terms of fecal transmission, public health, and workers' risk. Furthermore, the impacts related to the adopted containment and emergency management measures on household water consumptions are also discussed, together with the potential use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) assessment as a monitoring and early warning tool, to be applied in case of infectious disease outbreaks. The knowledge and tools summarized in this paper provide a basic information reference, supporting decisions makers in the definition of suitable measures able to pursue an efficient water and wastewater management and a reduction of health risks. Furthermore, research questions are provided, in order to direct technical and public health communities towards a sustainable water service management in the event of a SARS-CoV-2 re-emergence, as well as a future deadly outbreak or pandemic.

Keywords: Fecal transmission; Public health; SARS-CoV-2; Urban water cycle; Wastewater-based epidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Potential fate of SARS-CoV-2 in the water service and locations of potential human exposure. Adapted from Wigginton et al. (2015).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Water based epidemiologic approach. Adapted from Randazzo et al. (2020).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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