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Review
. 2021 Sep:15:100737.
doi: 10.1016/j.biteb.2021.100737. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Capacity of existing wastewater treatment plants to treat SARS-CoV-2. A review

Beenish Saba  1   2 , Shadi W Hasan  3 , Birthe V Kjellerup  4 , Ann D Christy  1
Affiliations
Review

Capacity of existing wastewater treatment plants to treat SARS-CoV-2. A review

Beenish Saba et al. Bioresour Technol Rep. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Water is one of many viral transmission routes, and the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wastewater has brought attention to its treatment. SARS CoV-2 primarily transmits in the air but the persistence of the virus in the water possibly can serve as a secondary source even though current studies do not show this. In this paper, an evaluation of the current literature with regards to the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and biosolids is presented. Treatment efficiencies of WWTPs are compared for viral load reduction on the basis of publicly available data. The results of this evaluation indicate that existing WWTPs are effectively removing 1-6 log10 viable SARS-CoV-2. However, sludge and biosolids provide an umbrella of protection from treatment and inactivation to the virus. Hence, sludge treatment factors like high temperature, pH changes, and predatory microorganisms can effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Disinfection; Inactivation; SARS-CoV-2; Treatment; Virus detection; Wastewater.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author 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

Unlabelled Image
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Fate of virus in wastewater treatment plant and WBS.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Virus detection methods in wastewater.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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