TY - JOUR
T1 - Removal of SARS-CoV-2 viral markers through a water reclamation facility
AU - Gharoon, Niloufar
AU - Dewan, Aimee
AU - Li, Lin
AU - Haak, Laura
AU - Mazurowski, Lauren
AU - Guarin, Tatiana
AU - Pagilla, Krishna
N1 - Funding Information:
The research reported in this paper has been funded by the City of Sparks with funds from the CARES Act. Casey Mentzer, John Martini, and Michael Drinkwater from the City of Sparks are gratefully acknowledged for their support and access to facilities to conduct this research. At the time of this research, Laura Haak and Lin Li are postdoctoral scholars; Aimee Dewan and Lauren Mazurowski are MS candidates; Niloufar Gharoon and Tatiana Guarin are PhD candidates; and Krishna Pagilla is Professor and Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Water Environment Federation
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - Abstract: There have been multiple reports of COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2 RNA presence in influent wastewater of water reclamation facilities (WRFs) across the world. In this study, the removal of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was investigated in a WRF by collecting samples from various stages relayed to hydraulic retention time (HRT) and analyzed for viral RNA (N1 and N2) gene markers and wastewater characteristics. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 28 out of 28 influent wastewater and primary effluent samples. Secondary effluent showed 4 out of 9 positive samples, and all tertiary and final effluent samples were below the detection limit for the viral markers. The reduction was significant (p value < 0.005, one-way analysis of variance [ANOVA] test) in secondary treatment, ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 log10 removal. Adjusted N1 viral marker had a positive correlation with total suspended solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and ammonia concentrations (Spearman's ρ = 0.61, 0.67, and 0.53, respectively, p value < 0.05), while demonstrating a strongly negative correlation with HRT (Spearman's ρ = −0.58, p value < 0.01). Practitioner points: Viral RNA was present in all samples taken from influent and primary effluent of a WRF. SARS-CoV-2 gene marker was detected in secondary effluent in 4 out of 9 samples. Tertiary and final effluent samples tested nondetect for SARS-CoV-2 gene markers. Up to 0.5 and 2.0 log10 virus removal values were achieved by primary and secondary treatment, respectively.
AB - Abstract: There have been multiple reports of COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2 RNA presence in influent wastewater of water reclamation facilities (WRFs) across the world. In this study, the removal of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was investigated in a WRF by collecting samples from various stages relayed to hydraulic retention time (HRT) and analyzed for viral RNA (N1 and N2) gene markers and wastewater characteristics. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 28 out of 28 influent wastewater and primary effluent samples. Secondary effluent showed 4 out of 9 positive samples, and all tertiary and final effluent samples were below the detection limit for the viral markers. The reduction was significant (p value < 0.005, one-way analysis of variance [ANOVA] test) in secondary treatment, ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 log10 removal. Adjusted N1 viral marker had a positive correlation with total suspended solids, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and ammonia concentrations (Spearman's ρ = 0.61, 0.67, and 0.53, respectively, p value < 0.05), while demonstrating a strongly negative correlation with HRT (Spearman's ρ = −0.58, p value < 0.01). Practitioner points: Viral RNA was present in all samples taken from influent and primary effluent of a WRF. SARS-CoV-2 gene marker was detected in secondary effluent in 4 out of 9 samples. Tertiary and final effluent samples tested nondetect for SARS-CoV-2 gene markers. Up to 0.5 and 2.0 log10 virus removal values were achieved by primary and secondary treatment, respectively.
KW - COVID-19
KW - RT-qPCR
KW - SARS-CoV-2 gene markers
KW - wastewater reclamation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85116163770&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/wer.1641
DO - 10.1002/wer.1641
M3 - Artículo Científico
C2 - 34528319
AN - SCOPUS:85116163770
SN - 1061-4303
VL - 93
SP - 2819
EP - 2827
JO - Water Environment Research
JF - Water Environment Research
IS - 11
ER -