Potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through microplastics in sewage: A wastewater-based epidemiological review

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, there is an urgent need to identify and investigate the various pathways of transmission. In addition to contact and aerosol transmission of the virus, this review investigated the possibility of its transmission via microplastics found in sewage. Wastewater-based epidemiological studies on the virus have confirmed its presence and persistence in both influent sewage as well as treated ones. The hypothesis behind the study is that the huge amount of microplastics, especially Polyvinyl Chloride and Polyethylene particles released into the open waters from sewage can become a good substrate and vector for microbes, especially Polyvinyl Chloride and Polyethylene particles, imparting stability to microbes and aiding the plastisphere formation. A bibliometric analysis highlights the negligence of research toward plas-tispheres and their presence in sewage. The ubiquity of microplastics and their release along with the virus into the open waters increases the risk of viral plastispheres. These plastispheres may be ingested by aquatic or-ganisms facilitating reverse zoonosis and the commercial organisms already reported with accumulating microplastics through the food chain poses a risk to human populations as well. Reliance of high population density areas on open waters served by untreated sewage in economically less developed countries might bring back viral transmission.

Automated summary

Given the current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, it is crucial to understand the different pathways of transmission. This review explores the potential transmission of the virus through microplastics in sewage, in addition to contact and aerosol transmission. Wastewater-based studies have confirmed the presence and persistence of the virus in both influent and treated sewage. The hypothesis is that the release of microplastics into open waters from sewage can provide a substrate for microbes, contributing to the formation of viral plastispheres.