Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on Particulate Matters: A multicentre study in Turkey

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 became a pandemic at the beginning of 2020. Turkey has seriously been affected with more than 2 million cases as 08.02.2021. Previous studies suggested that ambient particulate matter (PM) may carry the virus. The objective of this study was to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 RNA on ambient PMs collected from 13 sites including hospital gardens, urban and urban background locations in 10 cities in Turkey, between May 13 and June 14, 2020. Quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and three dimensional (3D)-digital PCR methods were applied to the collected 155 daily samples (Total Suspended Particulate (TSP), n=80; PM_2.5, n=33; PM_2.5-10, n=23; PM₁₀, n=19; and 6 size segregated PM ((size fractions between PM_0.49-0.95;PM_0.95-1.5; PM_1.5-3; PM_3-7.2 and PM>7.2 µm and a back-up filter <0.49 µm), n=48)) to analyse the nucleocapsid (N) 1 gene and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene expressions for presence of SARS-CoV-2. As a result, 20 of the samples (9.8 %) were positive for both RdRP and N1 genes, confirming the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on PMs. Virus percentage, existing on PMs was highest in the hospital garden samples of Tekirdağ, Zonguldak, and Istanbul, particularly in PM_2.5 mode. Moreover, 2 urban site samples collected from Ankara and Eskisehir were positive. These data suggest that PMs may play a role in the transportation of SARS-CoV-2 specifically in places such as hospital gardens, where the infection rates are the greatest.