Transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 in the watershed triggered by domestic wastewater discharge.

ABSTRACT: The outbreak of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has already become an unprecedented global pandemic. However, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, especially the protected SARS-CoV-2 RNA (pRNA) with infectious particles in waterways, is still largely unexplored. In this study, we developed a model to estimate SARS-CoV-2 transmission from the risk source in the excretion of patients to the final exposure in surface water. The model simulated the spatial and temporal distribution of the viral pRNA concentrations in the surface water of the Elbe watershed from March 2020 to January 2021. The results show that the WWTPs with the maximum capacity of >10,000 population equivalents were responsible for 95% of the viral load discharged into the surface

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8501193 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature