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. 2022 Sep;29(44):67442-67449.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-22665-x. Epub 2022 Aug 27.

Wild type and variants of SARS-COV-2 in Parisian sewage: presence in raw water and through processes in wastewater treatment plants

Melissa Lopez Viveros  1 , Sam Azimi  2 , Elodie Pichon  3 , Céline Roose-Amsaleg  4 , Ariane Bize  5 , Franz Durandet  6 , Vincent Rocher  2
Affiliations

Wild type and variants of SARS-COV-2 in Parisian sewage: presence in raw water and through processes in wastewater treatment plants

Melissa Lopez Viveros et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been extensively reported at the influent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) worldwide, and its monitoring has been proposed as a potential surveillance tool to early alert of epidemic outbreaks. However, the fate of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the treatment process of WWTP has not been widely studied yet; therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficiency of treatment processes in reducing SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater. The treatment process of three WWTPs of the Parisian area in France was monitored on six different weeks over a period of 2 months (from April 14 to June 9, 2021). SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies were detected using digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR). Investigation on the presence of variants of concern (Del69-70, E484K, and L452R) was also performed. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads in the WWTPs influents were expressed as the viral concentration in per population equivalent (PE) and showed a good correlation with French public health indicators (incidence rate). SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads were notably reduced along the water treatment lines of the three WWTPs studied (2.5-3.4 log reduction). Finally, very low SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads were detected in effluents (non-detected in over half of the samples) which indicated that the potential risk of the release of wastewater effluents to the environment is probably insignificant, in the case of WWTPs enabling an efficient biological removal of nitrogen.

Keywords: COVID-19; Digital PCR; N1 gene; SARS-CoV-2; WWTPs; Wastewater surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Location and nominal flow rate of WWTPs
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Removal of a SARS-CoV-2 (n = 3) and b SS, BOD5, and total nitrogen (TN) (n = 14) in Parisian WWTPs, for the first sampling campaign period between April 14 and April 28, 2021
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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