A critical assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in aqueous environment: Existence, detection, survival, wastewater-based surveillance, inactivation methods, and effective management of COVID-19

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2023-06, Vol.327, p.138503, Article 138503
• Main Authors: Parida, Vishal Kumar, Saidulu, Duduku, Bhatnagar, Amit, Gupta, Ashok Kumar, Afzal, Mohammad Saud
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aqueous transmission; bibliometric analysis; China; chlorination; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 infection; Detection; disinfection; epidemiology; feces; Humans; Inactivation techniques; monitoring; ozonation; Pandemics - prevention & control; pneumonia; public health; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; ultraviolet radiation; urine; Wastewater; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138503

In early January 2020, the causal agent of unspecified pneumonia cases detected in China and elsewhere was identified as a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and was the major cause of the COVID-19 outbreak. Later, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed the COVID-19 pandemic a worldwide public health emergency on January 30, 2020. Since then, many studies have been published on this topic. In the present study, bibliometric analysis has been performed to analyze the research hotspots of the coronavirus. Coronavirus transmission, detection methods, potential risks of infection, and effective management practices have been discussed in the present review. Identification and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in various water matrices have been reviewed. It was observed that the viral shedding through urine and feces of COVID-19-infected patients might be a primary mode of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in water and wastewater. In this context, the present review highlights wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE)/sewage surveillance, which can be utilized as an effective tool for tracking the transmission of COVID-19. This review also emphasizes the role of different disinfection techniques, such as chlorination, ultraviolet irradiation, and ozonation, for the inactivation of coronavirus. In addition, the application of computational modeling methods has been discussed for the effective management of COVID-19. [Display omitted] •High concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater have been reported globally.•Viral shedding via stool and urine are the primary route for SARS-CoV-2 in water.•WBE is an effective tool for early detection and assessment of COVID-19.•Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by disinfection is found to be effective.•Computational-based models are useful for the effective management of COVID-19.