Abstract
The existence of SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in wastewater raises the opportunity of tracking wastewater for epidemiological monitoring of this disease. However, the existence of this virus in wastewater has raised health concerns regarding the fecal–oral transmission of COVID-19. This short review is intended to highlight the potential implications of aerosolized wastewater in transmitting this virus. As aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 could offer a more direct respiratory pathway for human exposure, the transmission of this virus remains a significant possibility in the prominent wastewater-associated bioaerosols formed during toilet flushing, wastewater treatment, and sprinkler irrigation. Implementing wastewater disinfection, exercising precautions, and raising public awareness would be essential. Additional research is needed to evaluate the survival, fate, and dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and the environment and rapid characterization of aerosols and their risk assessment.
Highlights
Recent research has demonstrated that people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even those who do not develop symptoms, discharge its etiologic virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), through their excrement [1]
The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage raises the possibility of analyzing wastewater for the epidemiological monitoring of COVID-19 [2]
Researchers in many countries are tracking SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater as a complementary approach to monitor the spread of COVID-19 [1]
Summary
Recent research has demonstrated that people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-. 19), even those who do not develop symptoms, discharge its etiologic virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), through their excrement [1]. Researchers in many countries are tracking SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater as a complementary approach to monitor the spread of COVID-19 [1]. Aerosolized viruses are often produced locally in buildings and on a larger scale during wastewater treatment or irrigation [8,9]. This short review is intended to highlight the potential implications of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 generated from the top three wastewaterassociated sources of aerosol: toilet flushing, wastewater treatment, and sprinkler irrigation. Consistent with WHO, and the literature, here the term aerosol is referred for the small breathable particles of
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