A safe haven of SARS-CoV-2 in the environment: Prevalence and potential transmission risks in the effluent,sludge, and biosolids |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, South Korea;2. Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria;3. Agro-ecology and Pollution Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to be University), Haridwar 249404, Uttarakhand, India;4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Technology, PMB 704, Akure, Nigeria;5. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China;6. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China;7. Kwara State Ministry of Health, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria;8. Biology Department, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia;9. Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt;10. Department of Environmental Science, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University) Deharadun, 248002 Uttarakhand, India;11. Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad De La Costa, Calle 58 #55–66, 080002 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia;12. Institute of Agricultural Science & Technology, Kyungpook, National University, Daegu 41566, South Korea |
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| Abstract: | The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which has caused millions of death globally is recognized to be unstable and recalcitrant in the environment, especially in the way it has been evolving to form new and highly transmissible variants. Of particular concerns are human-environment interactions and the handling and reusing the environmental materials, such as effluents, sludge, or biosolids laden with the SARS-CoV-2 without adequate treatments, thereby suggesting potential transmission and health risks. This study assesses the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in effluents, sludge, and biosolids. Further, we evaluate the environmental, ecological, and health risks of reusing these environmental materials by wastewater/sludge workers and farmers. A systematic review of literature from the Scopus database resulted in a total of 21 articles (11 for effluents, 8 for sludge, and 2 for biosolids) that met the criteria for meta-analysis, which are then subdivided into 30 meta-analyzed studies. The prevalence of SAR-CoV-2 RNA in effluent and sludge based on random-effect models are 27.51 and 1012.25, respectively, with a 95% CI between 6.14 and 48.89 for the effluent, and 104.78 and 1019.71 for the sludge. However, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the biosolids based on the fixed-effect model is 30.59, with a 95% CI between 10.10 and 51.08. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in environmental materials indicates the inefficiency in some of the treatment systems currently deployed to inactivate and remove the novel virus, which could be a potential health risk concern to vulnerable wastewater workers in particular, and the environmental and ecological issues for the population at large. This timely review portends the associated risks in handling and reusing environmental materials without proper and adequate treatments. |
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| Keywords: | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Environmental materials Health risks Wastewater workers |
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