Review on the contamination of wastewater by COVID-19 virus: Impact and treatment

Emerging viruses are a major public health problem. Most zoonotic pathogens originate in wildlife, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, Ebola, and coronavirus. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Viruses are charged colloidal particles that have the ability to adsorb on surfaces depending on pH. Their sorptive interaction with solid particles has important implications for their behavior in aquatic environments, soils, sewage sludge, and other solid materials and their removal or concentration by water treatment processes. Current state of knowledge on the potential of wastewater surveillance to understand the COVID-19 pandemic is reviewed. This study also identified wastewater irrigation systems with a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission. Emphasis was placed on methodologies for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Emerging viruses originating from wildlife pose a major public health problem. Virus, as charged colloidal particles, can interact with solid particles depending on pH, affecting their behavior in different environments. The potential of wastewater surveillance in understanding and managing the COVID-19 pandemic is being explored, with a focus on detecting and quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.