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Case Reports
. 2020 May:1:100006.
doi: 10.1016/j.cscee.2020.100006. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

The COVID-19 pandemic: Considerations for the waste and wastewater services sector

Long D Nghiem  1 , Branwen Morgan  1   2 , Erica Donner  2 , Michael D Short  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

The COVID-19 pandemic: Considerations for the waste and wastewater services sector

Long D Nghiem et al. Case Stud Chem Environ Eng. 2020 May.

Abstract

This article discusses the potential ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on waste and wastewater services, focusing on critical points where alternative operating procedures or additional mitigation measures may be advisable. Key concerns are (i) the long half-life of the virus on materials such as waste containers, bags, and in wastewater, and (ii) possible transmission via contaminated waste surfaces and aerosols from wastewater systems. There are opportunities to further the science of wastewater-based epidemiology by monitoring viral RNA in wastewater to assess disease prevalence and spread in defined populations, which may prove beneficial for informing COVID-19 related public health policy.

Keywords: Aerosol exposure and transmission; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 virus; Waste collection; 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

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Lifespan of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment (Refs: [13,23,24]).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Current recommendations for municipal waste management during the COVID-19 crisis (Modified from ACRPlus.org).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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