Abstract
In developing an effective monitoring program for the wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA), the importance of sampling methodology is paramount. Passive sampling has been shown to be an effective tool to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. However, the adsorption characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on passive sampling material are not well-understood, which further obscures the relationship between wastewater surveillance and community infection. In this work, adsorption kinetics and equilibrium characteristics were evaluated using batch-adsorption experiments for heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (HI-SCV-2) adsorption to electronegative filters. Equilibrium isotherms were assessed or a range of total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations (118, 265, and 497 mg L–1) in wastewater, and a modeled qmax of 7 × 103 GU cm–2 was found. Surrogate adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model in wastewater with maximum concentrations achieved within 24 h. In both field and isotherm experiments, equilibrium behavior and viral recovery were found to be associated with wastewater and eluate TSS. On the basis of the results of this study, we recommend a standard deployment duration of 24–48 h and the inclusion of eluate TSS measurement to assess the likelihood of solids inhibition during analysis.
Highlights
Through the implementation of standardized methods for analyzing and interpreting wastewater data, and collaboration between public health, wastewater surveillance (WWS) has the potential to be a powerful tool for informing public health actions
The specific objectives of this work were to (1) determine the adsorption equilibrium capacity over a 24 h period for a 90 mm electronegative filter collecting viral surrogate spiked into municipal wastewater; (2) investigate the impact of total suspended solids (TSS) concentration in wastewater on viral adsorption and recovery equilibrium behavior; (3) determine the adsorption kinetics of a viral surrogate spiked at a known concentration into municipal wastewater collected onto a 90 mm electronegative filter; and (4) compare sample deployment conditions, including duration, SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) recovery range, and TSS characteristics of both laboratory and field samples to identify optimal deployment conditions for detection of SARSCoV-2 RNA in wastewater using passive sampling techniques
To examine the influence of TSS concentrations on the adsorption behavior of HI-SCV-2 to 90 mm electronegative filters, the viral surrogate was spiked to DI water and wastewater containing increasing concentrations of TSS and surrogate concentrations ranged from 1 × 101 to 5 × 104 GU mL−1
Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been detected in feces of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. As such, SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) may be recovered from municipal wastewater samples to monitor the prevalence of the virus in sewersheds. Through the implementation of standardized methods for analyzing and interpreting wastewater data, and collaboration between public health, wastewater surveillance (WWS) has the potential to be a powerful tool for informing public health actions. Currently, an approach that incorporates standardized sampling techniques, analytical protocols, and data interpretation methods for WWS of SARS-CoV-2 is needed. An approach that incorporates standardized sampling techniques, analytical protocols, and data interpretation methods for WWS of SARS-CoV-2 is needed. While 24 h composite sampling is more representative of the contributing population over time, the dilution of the target in the sample results in low viral concentrations, requiring sensitive detection methods with sufficiently low detection limits. A passive sampling approach may provide a sample that is more representative of the contributing population, as the viral target is concentrated through particulate accumulation during sample collection. For this sampling technique, Special Issue: Wastewater Surveillance and Community Pathogen Detection
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