SARS-CoV-2 in the environment: Contamination routes, detection methods, persistence and removal in wastewater treatment plants

Ali Atoui (1) , Christophe Cordevant (2) , Thierry Chesnot (1) , Benoît Gassilloud (1)

1 LHN - Laboratoire d'hydrologie de Nancy
2 DSP - Direction de la Stratégie et des Programmes

The present study reviewed the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and the evaluation of virus infectivity in feces and environmental matrices. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in feces and wastewater samples, reported in several studies, has generated interest and concern regarding the possible fecal–oral route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. To date, the presence of viable SARS-CoV-2 in feces of COVID-19 infected people is not clearly confirmed although its isolation from feces of six different patients. Further, there is no documented evidence on the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, sludge and environmental water samples, although the viral genome has been detected in these matrices. Decay data revealed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA persisted longer than infectious particle in all aquatic environment, indicating that genome quantification of SARS-CoV-2 does not imply the presence of infective viral particles. In addition, this review also outlined the fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA during the different steps in the wastewater treatment plant and focusing on the virus elimination along the sludge treatment line. Studies showed complete removal of SARS-CoV-2 during the tertiary treatment. Moreover, thermophilic sludge treatments present high efficiency in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation. Further studies are required to provide more evidence with respect to the inactivation behavior of infectious SARS-CoV-2 in different environmental matrices and to examine factors affecting SARS-CoV-2 persistence.

Mots clés: SARS-CoV-2; Detection methods; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment plants; Fate

Domaines: Virologie

Ali Atoui, Christophe Cordevant, Thierry Chesnot, Benoît Gassilloud. SARS-CoV-2 in the environment: Contamination routes, detection methods, persistence and removal in wastewater treatment plants. Science of the Total Environment, 2023, 881, pp.163453. ⟨10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163453⟩. ⟨anses-04079509⟩