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Review
. 2021 Aug 5:415:125580.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125580. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Coronavirus in water media: Analysis, fate, disinfection and epidemiological applications

Antonio Buonerba  1 , Mary Vermi Aizza Corpuz  2 , Florencio Ballesteros  2 , Kwang-Ho Choo  3 , Shadi W Hasan  4 , Gregory V Korshin  5 , Vincenzo Belgiorno  6 , Damià Barceló  7 , Vincenzo Naddeo  8
Affiliations
Review

Coronavirus in water media: Analysis, fate, disinfection and epidemiological applications

Antonio Buonerba et al. J Hazard Mater. .

Abstract

Considerable attention has been recently given to possible transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via water media. This review addresses this issue and examines the fate of coronaviruses (CoVs) in water systems, with particular attention to the recently available information on the novel SARS-CoV-2. The methods for the determination of viable virus particles and quantification of CoVs and, in particular, of SARS-CoV-2 in water and wastewater are discussed with particular regard to the methods of concentration and to the emerging methods of detection. The analysis of the environmental stability of CoVs, with particular regard of SARS-CoV-2, and the efficacy of the disinfection methods are extensively reviewed as well. This information provides a broad view of the state-of-the-art for researchers involved in the investigation of CoVs in aquatic systems, and poses the basis for further analyses and discussions on the risk associated to the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in water media. The examined data indicates that detection of the virus in wastewater and natural water bodies provides a potentially powerful tool for quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) and for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for the evaluation of the level of circulation of the virus in a population. Assays of the viable virions in water media provide information on the integrity, capability of replication (in suitable host species) and on the potential infectivity. Challenges and critical issues relevant to the detection of coronaviruses in different water matrixes with both direct and surrogate methods as well as in the implementation of epidemiological tools are presented and critically discussed.

Keywords: Concentration; Coronavirus; Detection; Disinfection; Drinking water; Environment; Epidemiology; Hazards; Infectivity; Persistence; SARS-CoV-2; Viable virus; Wastewater.

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Conflict of interest statement

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

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Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Synoptic view of the topics discussed in the review.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
General scheme of wastewater analysis to detect occurrence and viable viruses.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Emerging methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Integrated water cycle.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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