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. 2022 Aug 2;19(15):9462.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159462.

SARS-CoV-2 in Atmospheric Particulate Matter: An Experimental Survey in the Province of Venice in Northern Italy

Alberto Pivato  1 , Gianni Formenton  2 , Francesco Di Maria  3 , Tatjana Baldovin  4 , Irene Amoruso  4 , Tiziano Bonato  5 , Pamela Mancini  6 , Giusy Bonanno Ferraro  6 , Carolina Veneri  6 , Marcello Iaconelli  6 , Lucia Bonadonna  6 , Teresa Vicenza  7 , Giuseppina La Rosa  6 , Elisabetta Suffredini  7
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 in Atmospheric Particulate Matter: An Experimental Survey in the Province of Venice in Northern Italy

Alberto Pivato et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Analysis of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has been proposed for the environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to increase the current knowledge about the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in atmospheric PM, introduce a dedicated sampling method, and perform a simultaneous assessment of human seasonal coronavirus 229E. Thirty-two PM samples were collected on quartz fiber filters and six on Teflon using a low- and high-volumetric rate sampler, respectively, adopting a novel procedure for optimized virus detection. Sampling was performed at different sites in the Venice area (Italy) between 21 February and 8 March 2020 (n = 16) and between 27 October and 25 November 2020 (n = 22). A total of 14 samples were positive for Coronavirus 229E, 11 of which were collected in October-November 2020 (11/22; positivity rate 50%) and 3 in February-March 2020 (3/16 samples, 19%). A total of 24 samples (63%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Most of the positive filters were collected in October-November 2020 (19/22; positivity rate, 86%), whereas the remaining five were collected in February-March 2020 at two distinct sites (5/16, 31%). These findings suggest that outdoor PM analysis could be a promising tool for environmental surveillance. The results report a low concentration of SARS-CoV-2 in outdoor air, supporting a scarce contribution to the spread of infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 in air; air pollution; airborne transmission; particulate matter; transport carrier.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the investigated area. Red dots pinpoint the PM sampling locations in Venice province (VE). LI: Via Lissa; PB: Parco Bissuola; SF: Sacca Fisola; RN: Rio Novo; SD: San Donà (maps from: http://d-maps.com).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Local epidemic curve of SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases) for the Veneto region during the two PM sampling periods. First sampling period: 21 February–8 March 2020 (16 days); second sampling period: 27 October–25 November 2020 (29 days).
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