Environmental perspective of COVID-19: Atmospheric and wastewater environment in relation to pandemic

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112297

Review

. 2021 Aug:219:112297.

doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112297. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Environmental perspective of COVID-19: Atmospheric and wastewater environment in relation to pandemic

Lixin Hu¹, Wen-Jing Deng², Guang-Guo Ying³, Huachang Hong⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong, China; SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
² Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong, China; SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: wdeng@eduhk.hk.
³ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
⁴ College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China.

PMID: 33991934
PMCID: PMC8086803
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112297

Review

Environmental perspective of COVID-19: Atmospheric and wastewater environment in relation to pandemic

Lixin Hu et al. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021 Aug.

. 2021 Aug:219:112297.

doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112297. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Authors

Lixin Hu¹, Wen-Jing Deng², Guang-Guo Ying³, Huachang Hong⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong, China; SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
² Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong, China; SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: wdeng@eduhk.hk.
³ SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China.
⁴ College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China.

PMID: 33991934
PMCID: PMC8086803
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112297

Abstract

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a major challenge to health systems worldwide. Recently, numbers of epidemiological studies have illustrated that climate conditions and air pollutants are associated with the COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide. Researches also suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 could be detected in fecal and wastewater samples. These findings provided the possibility of preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic from an environmental perspective. With this review, the main purpose is to summarize the relationship between the atmospheric and wastewater environment and COVID-19. In terms of the atmospheric environment, the evidence of the relationship between atmospheric environment (climate factors and air pollution) and COVID-19 is growing, but currently available data and results are various. It is necessary to comprehensively analyze their associations to provide constructive suggestions in responding to the pandemic. Recently, large numbers of studies have shown the widespread presence of this virus in wastewater and the feasibility of wastewater surveillance when the pandemic is ongoing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to clarify the occurrence and implication of viruses in wastewater and to understand the potential of wastewater-based epidemiology of pandemic. Overall, environmental perspective-based COVID-19 studies can provide new insight into pandemic prevention and control, and minimizes the economic cost for COVID-19 in areas with a large outbreak or a low economic level.

Keywords: Air pollution; COVID-19; Epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2.

PubMed Disclaimer

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

**Fig. 1**
Overview of studies on correlation between climatic factors and COVID-19. (AH: absolute humidity; RH: relative humidity; DTR: diurnal temperature range; Max-T: maximum temperature; Min-T: minimum temperature; SR: solar radiation; DP: dew point; WS: wind speed; RF: rainfall).

See this image and copyright information in PMC

Cited by

A deep learning approach for Spatio-Temporal forecasting of new cases and new hospital admissions of COVID-19 spread in Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy.
Sciannameo V, Goffi A, Maffeis G, Gianfreda R, Jahier Pagliari D, Filippini T, Mancuso P, Giorgi-Rossi P, Alberto Dal Zovo L, Corbari A, Vinceti M, Berchialla P. Sciannameo V, et al. J Biomed Inform. 2022 Aug;132:104132. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2022.104132. Epub 2022 Jul 11. J Biomed Inform. 2022. PMID: 35835438 Free PMC article.
Medical Waste from COVID-19 Pandemic-A Systematic Review of Management and Environmental Impacts in Australia.
Andeobu L, Wibowo S, Grandhi S. Andeobu L, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jan 26;19(3):1381. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031381. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022. PMID: 35162400 Free PMC article.
Environmental factors and mobility predict COVID-19 seasonality in the Netherlands.
Hoogeveen MJ, Kroes ACM, Hoogeveen EK. Hoogeveen MJ, et al. Environ Res. 2022 Aug;211:113030. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113030. Epub 2022 Mar 4. Environ Res. 2022. PMID: 35257688 Free PMC article.
Thermally Responsive Alkane Partitions and a Magnetofluidic Assay for Point-of-Sample Detection of Viruses in Wastewater.
Na M, Boegner DJ, Everitt ML, White IM. Na M, et al. Biosensors (Basel). 2025 Apr 29;15(5):276. doi: 10.3390/bios15050276. Biosensors (Basel). 2025. PMID: 40422015 Free PMC article.
Is SARS-CoV-2 a concern in the largest wastewater treatment plant in middle east?
Pasalari H, Ataei-Pirkooh A, Gholami M, Azhar IR, Yan C, Kachooei A, Farzadkia M. Pasalari H, et al. Heliyon. 2023 Jun;9(6):e16607. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16607. Epub 2023 May 24. Heliyon. 2023. PMID: 37251481 Free PMC article.

References

1. Ahmed W., Angel N., Edson J., Bibby K., Bivins A., O’Brien J.W., Choi P.M., Kitajima M., Simpson S.L., Li J., Tscharke B., Verhagen R., Smith W.J.M., Zaugg J., Dierens L., Hugenholtz P., Thomas K.V., Mueller J.F. First confirmed detection of SARS-CoV-2 in untreated wastewater in Australia: a proof of concept for the wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 in the community. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 - PMC - PubMed
1. Alifano M., Alifano P., Forgez P., Iannelli A. Renin-angiotensin system at the heart of COVID-19 pandemic. Biochimie. 2020;174:30–33. - PMC - PubMed
1. Arias Velásquez R.M., Mejía Lara J.V. Gaussian approach for probability and correlation between the number of COVID-19 cases and the air pollution in Lima. Urban Clim. 2020;33 - PMC - PubMed
1. Bashir M.F., Ma B.J., Bilal, Komal B., Bashir M.A., Farooq T.H., Iqbal N., Bashir M. Correlation between environmental pollution indicators and COVID-19 pandemic: a brief study in Californian context. Environ. Res. 2020;187 - PMC - PubMed
1. Bashir M.F., Ma B.J., Bilal, Komal B., Bashir M.A., Tan D.J., Bashir M. Correlation between climate indicators and COVID-19 pandemic in New York, USA. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Actions

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

Substances

Actions

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
- scite Smart Citations
Medical
- MedlinePlus Health Information
Miscellaneous
- NCI CPTAC Assay Portal

[1] Ahmed W., Angel N., Edson J., Bibby K., Bivins A., O’Brien J.W., Choi P.M., Kitajima M., Simpson S.L., Li J., Tscharke B., Verhagen R., Smith W.J.M., Zaugg J., Dierens L., Hugenholtz P., Thomas K.V., Mueller J.F. First confirmed detection of SARS-CoV-2 in untreated wastewater in Australia: a proof of concept for the wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 in the community. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 - PMC - PubMed

[2] Ahmed W., Angel N., Edson J., Bibby K., Bivins A., O’Brien J.W., Choi P.M., Kitajima M., Simpson S.L., Li J., Tscharke B., Verhagen R., Smith W.J.M., Zaugg J., Dierens L., Hugenholtz P., Thomas K.V., Mueller J.F. First confirmed detection of SARS-CoV-2 in untreated wastewater in Australia: a proof of concept for the wastewater surveillance of COVID-19 in the community. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 - PMC - PubMed

[3] Alifano M., Alifano P., Forgez P., Iannelli A. Renin-angiotensin system at the heart of COVID-19 pandemic. Biochimie. 2020;174:30–33. - PMC - PubMed

[4] Alifano M., Alifano P., Forgez P., Iannelli A. Renin-angiotensin system at the heart of COVID-19 pandemic. Biochimie. 2020;174:30–33. - PMC - PubMed

[5] Arias Velásquez R.M., Mejía Lara J.V. Gaussian approach for probability and correlation between the number of COVID-19 cases and the air pollution in Lima. Urban Clim. 2020;33 - PMC - PubMed

[6] Arias Velásquez R.M., Mejía Lara J.V. Gaussian approach for probability and correlation between the number of COVID-19 cases and the air pollution in Lima. Urban Clim. 2020;33 - PMC - PubMed

[7] Bashir M.F., Ma B.J., Bilal, Komal B., Bashir M.A., Farooq T.H., Iqbal N., Bashir M. Correlation between environmental pollution indicators and COVID-19 pandemic: a brief study in Californian context. Environ. Res. 2020;187 - PMC - PubMed

[8] Bashir M.F., Ma B.J., Bilal, Komal B., Bashir M.A., Farooq T.H., Iqbal N., Bashir M. Correlation between environmental pollution indicators and COVID-19 pandemic: a brief study in Californian context. Environ. Res. 2020;187 - PMC - PubMed

[9] Bashir M.F., Ma B.J., Bilal, Komal B., Bashir M.A., Tan D.J., Bashir M. Correlation between climate indicators and COVID-19 pandemic in New York, USA. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 - PMC - PubMed

[10] Bashir M.F., Ma B.J., Bilal, Komal B., Bashir M.A., Tan D.J., Bashir M. Correlation between climate indicators and COVID-19 pandemic in New York, USA. Sci. Total Environ. 2020;728 - PMC - PubMed

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Environmental perspective of COVID-19: Atmospheric and wastewater environment in relation to pandemic

Affiliations

Environmental perspective of COVID-19: Atmospheric and wastewater environment in relation to pandemic

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

Similar articles

Cited by

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Medical

Miscellaneous