Article
Environmental Sciences
Patricia Angelica Barril, Luis Alfredo Pianciola, Melina Mazzeo, Maria Julia Ousset, Maria Virginia Jaureguiberry, Mauricio Alessandrello, Gloria Sanchez, Juan Martin Oteiza
Summary: Wastewater-based epidemiology is a valuable tool for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in communities and early detection of COVID-19 outbreaks. This study evaluated 11 different virus concentration techniques in wastewater and found that methods involving PEG precipitation and PAC flocculation showed high efficiency for virus recovery. Further testing showed that PAC flocculation had a lower limit of detection for SARS-CoV-2 compared to PEG precipitation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shikandar D. Bukkitgar, Nagaraj P. Shetti, Tejraj M. Aminabhavi
Summary: Virus-induced infections like SARS-CoV-2 pose serious threats to human health and the world economy, necessitating rapid, accurate detection methods. The integration of electrochemical methods with nanotechnology offers effective solutions for virus detection.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah E. Philo, Erika K. Keim, Rachael Swanstrom, Angelo Q. W. Ong, Elisabeth A. Burnor, Alexandra L. Kossik, Joanna C. Harrison, Bethel A. Demeke, Nicolette A. Zhou, Nicola K. Beck, Jeffry H. Shirai, J. Scott Meschke
Summary: Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 can be a helpful complement to clinical surveillance due to asymptomatic cases and potential testing limitations. Different methods were evaluated for concentration and recovery of SARS-CoV-2 and OC43, with skimmed milk flocculation showing the best results and feasibility in low-resource settings.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Suyoung Seo
Summary: This study proposes a method to analytically determine the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of line detection methods and compare three different line detectors. The quantified SNRs are validated by experimental results, showing the method's efficacy in selecting or designing suitable line detectors.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Sudhi Payyappat, Michele Cassidy, Nathan Harrison, Colin Besley
Summary: This study tracked the reduction of fecal indicator bacteria and enteric viruses in estuarine water after wet weather overflows in Sydney, Australia. The results showed that human fecal markers were detected in all surface water samples, while the detection frequency was slightly lower at the 1-meter depth. In contrast, culturable enterococci concentrations were within the gastrointestinal risk benchmark by day 2 and day 4 for the two sites, respectively.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beatriz Peinado, Lorena Martinez-Garcia, Francisco Martinez, Leonor Nozal, Maria Blanca Sanchez
Summary: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, different methods have been used to detect the presence of genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Pre-treatment with glycine buffer and concentration processes like Centricon or aluminum hydroxide adsorption-precipitation can improve the recovery rate of the virus and the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The quantity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in wastewater does not directly correlate with the number of confirmed cases, but the trend over time can reveal increases in epidemiological data.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Yuri Perepliotchikov, Tomer Ziv-Baran, Musa Hindiyeh, Yossi Manor, Danit Sofer, Jacob Moran-Gilad, Laura Stephens, Ella Mendelson, Merav Weil, Ravit Bassal, Emilia Anis, Shepherd Roee Singer, Ehud Kaliner, Gillian Cooper, Manasi Majumdar, Michal Markovich, Daniela Ram, Itamar Grotto, Ronni Gamzu, Javier Martin, Lester M. Shulman
Summary: Efficient response and monitoring of viral outbreaks can be achieved through rapid quantitative RT-PCR methods to infer the number of infected individuals excreting the virus. These methods allow evidence-based intervention strategies to be implemented quickly, especially in outbreaks with asymptomatic infections and limited testing resources.
Article
Engineering, Marine
Guillaume de Hauteclocque, Ed Mackay, Erik Vanem
Summary: This study compares different methods for estimating the long-term extreme response of marine structures and finds that most methods have large errors compared to response-based analysis. The fitted statistical models are identified as a significant source of error, and most contour methods do not consider serial correlation in the data. The choice of contour method introduces significant errors into long-term response estimates, with contours approximating the failure region as having a linear boundary showing relatively small errors for unimodal response types.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Golam Islam, Ashley Gedge, Linda Lara-Jacobo, Andrea Kirkwood, Denina Simmons, Jean-Paul Desaulniers
Summary: This study investigates the effects of five different parameters on the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and fecal abundance indicator gene in wastewater samples. It provides method recommendations for reliably estimating the presence of the virus in diverse domestic wastewater samples.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nicolette Zhou, Angelo Ong, Christine Fagnant-Sperati, Joanna Harrison, Alexandra Kossik, Nicola Beck, Jeffry Shirai, Elisabeth Burnor, Rachael Swanstrom, Bethel Demeke, Suhani Patel, John Scott Meschke
Summary: This study evaluated eight sample collection and concentration methods for Salmonella Typhi surveillance. The results showed that all tested methods were successful in concentrating Salmonella Typhi for detection, but each method had its own strengths and weaknesses. The choice of method should consider factors such as the intended use case.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Orhun Aydin, Mark. V. Janikas, Renato Martins Assuncao, Ting-Hwan Lee
Summary: This study investigates the performance of regionalization algorithms on a simulated benchmark dataset, utilizing various metrics to evaluate quality. The analysis reveals strengths and weaknesses of each method, demonstrating computational efficiency and preferred circumstances.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
S. G. Goh, L. Liang, K. Y. H. Gin
Summary: This study validated the specificity and sensitivity of human markers in tropical urban catchments for identifying health risks and contamination. The research also examined the significance of MST markers in evaluating GI illness risks, showcasing the importance of specificity, sensitivity, and threshold concentrations of MST markers in assessing human source contamination and health risks in environmental waters in Singapore.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yabing Li, Brijen Miyani, Kevin L. Childs, Shin-Han Shiu, Irene Xagoraraki
Summary: The monitoring of potentially pathogenic human viruses in wastewater is crucial for understanding disease trends, predicting outbreaks, and enhancing public health preparedness and response. High throughput metagenomic sequencing provides an opportunity for expanding wastewater surveillance capabilities, but there are challenges in selecting appropriate sampling and concentration methods, as well as in bioinformatic analysis of complex samples with low human virus concentrations.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuhang Wang, Guanyu Zheng, Dianzhan Wang, Lixiang Zhou
Summary: This study aims to investigate the contamination of fecal bacterial and viral pathogens in municipal sewage sludge and the impact of sludge conditioning treatments on the distribution of fecal markers. The results show that serial tenfold dilution effectively reduces the PCR inhibition effect and negatively charged HA membrane is effective in recovering fecal markers from sludge supernatant. Furthermore, chemical conditioning with Fenton's reagent is more effective in reducing the abundances of fecal markers in conditioned sewage sludge. The findings suggest that appropriate conditioning methods can attenuate fecal markers and reduce associated environmental risks.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Monika Conrad, Peter Fechner, Guenther Proll, Guenter Gauglitz
Summary: This study compares different approaches and algorithms for determining kinetic rate constants in biomolecular interaction analysis. It evaluates five mathematical methods for binding curve evaluation and analyzes reflectometric interference spectroscopy measurements to determine antibody binding kinetics. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed in detail, emphasizing the importance of using different methods for evaluating BIA results.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Simon Toze, Cameron Veal, Paul Fisher, Qian Zhang, Zhigang Zhu, Christopher Staley, Michael J. Sadowsky
Summary: This study investigated the decay of enteric pathogens and contaminants in freshwater using laboratory microcosms. It was found that culturable Escherichia coli and the HF183 marker gene decayed faster than qPCR-measured pathogens, indicating potential limitations in using E. coli or HF183 as indicators for pathogen presence. Additionally, temperature was shown to have a significant impact on the decay rates of microorganisms, with slower decay observed in winter compared to summer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ayokunle Christopher Dada, Pradip Gyawali
Summary: This study assessed the occupational health risks of wastewater treatment plant operators from inhalation of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 using a QMRA framework. Factors such as virus concentration, exposure doses, and various scenarios were considered. Results indicated that the risk of accidental occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in raw wastewater is negligible, particularly when the infection rate is less than 0.3% in the population served by the plant.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pradip Gyawali, Avinash Karpe, Katie E. Hillyer, Thao Nguyen, Joanne Hewitt, David J. Beale
Summary: This study characterizes the tissue-specific metabolic response of New Zealand Greenshell mussels to faecal contamination, identifying changes in energy pathways and sterol levels post-contamination. Metabolomics proves to be a useful tool for detecting potential biomarkers in mussels following human faecal contamination.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Aaron Bivins, Paul M. Bertsch, Kyle Bibby, Pradip Gyawali, Samendra P. Sherchan, Stuart L. Simpson, Kevin V. Thomas, Rory Verhagen, Masaaki Kitajima, Jochen F. Mueller, Asja Korajkic
Summary: The study found that 24-hour composite samples offer increased analytical sensitivity and decreased variability compared to 1-hour composite samples when monitoring wastewater, especially for pathogenic viruses with low infection rates within a community. This suggests that 24-hour composite samples are less likely to produce false negative results and erroneous public health information in wastewater-based epidemiology applications.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Ben Tscharke, Paul M. Bertsch, Kyle Bibby, Aaron Bivins, Phil Choi, Leah Clarke, Jason Dwyer, Janette Edson, Thi Minh Hong Nguyen, Jake W. O'Brien, Stuart L. Simpson, Paul Sherman, Kevin Thomas, Rory Verhagen, Julian Zaugg, Jochen F. Mueller
Summary: Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater can serve as an early warning system to identify viral hotspots and target localized public health responses. This method provides unique information on asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases that may not be captured by clinical testing, showing potential for effective disease surveillance.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rupak Aryal, Jatinder P. S. Sidhu, Meng Nan Chong, Simon Toze, Wolfgang Gernjak, Bandita Mainali
Summary: The presence of microbial pathogens in stormwater, originating from human sewage and animal fecal matter, is a major obstacle in stormwater reuse. The transport of microbes in stormwater is influenced by factors such as dissolved organic matter, cations, and stormwater flow rate. The study found that the concentration of hydrophilic organic fraction reduced the transport of FIB in stormwater, while trivalent cations and stormwater flow rate showed a positive correlation with FIB numbers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tatsuo Shubo, Adriana Maranhao, Fernando Cesar Ferreira, Tulio Machado Fumian, Marcia Maria Araujo Pimenta, Claudia do Rosario Vaz Morgado, Simon Toze, Warish Ahmed, Jatinder Sidhu, Marize Pereira Miagostovich
Summary: The study found a high risk of enteric viruses in roof-harvested rainwater, with the first flush diversion devices not effectively removing these viruses, indicating the need for additional treatment to reduce potential health risks.
FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Stuart L. Simpson, Paul M. Bertsch, Kyle Bibby, Aaron Bivins, Linda L. Blackall, Silvia Bofill-Mas, Albert Bosch, Joao Brandao, Phil M. Choi, Mark Ciesielski, Erica Donner, Nishita D'Souza, Andreas H. Farnleitner, Daniel Gerrity, Raul Gonzalez, John F. Griffith, Pradip Gyawali, Charles N. Haas, Kerry A. Hamilton, Hapuarachchige Chandithal Hapuarachchi, Valerie J. Harwood, Rehnuma Haque, Greg Jackson, Stuart J. Khan, Wesaal Khan, Masaaki Kitajima, Asja Korajkic, Giuseppina La Rosa, Blythe A. Layton, Erin Lipp, Sandra L. McLellan, Brian McMinn, Gertjan Medema, Suzanne Metcalfe, Wim G. Meijer, Jochen F. Mueller, Heather Murphy, Coleen C. Naughton, Rachel T. Noble, Sudhi Payyappat, Susan Petterson, Tarja Pitkanen, Veronica B. Rajal, Brandon Reyneke, Fernando A. Roman, Joan B. Rose, Marta Rusinol, Michael J. Sadowsky, Laura Sala-Comorera, Yin Xiang Setoh, Samendra P. Sherchan, Kwanrawee Sirikanchana, Wendy Smith, Joshua A. Steele, Rosalie Subburg, Erin M. Symonds, Phong Thai, Kevin Thomas, Josh Tynan, Simon Toze, Janelle Thompson, Andy S. Whiteley, Judith Chui Ching Wong, Daisuke Sano, Stefan Wuertz, Irene Xagoraraki, Qian Zhang, Amity G. Zimmer-Faust, Orin C. Shanks
Summary: Monitoring pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater using RT-PCR is effective for public health information, but there is a lack of standardized protocols for wastewater surveillance. Key strategies for improving accuracy include QA/QC measures, representative sampling, virus concentration, and clear data interpretation guidelines.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
P. Pazouki, J. P. S. Sidhu, D. S. Ipe, M. L. Pype, T. D. Wohlsen, F. Helfer, E. Bertone, R. A. Stewart
Summary: This study explored the feasibility of incorporating two low-energy dilution desalination processes into a conventional seawater desalination approach using real seawater and recycled wastewater. The results showed that mixing dilution of influent feed waters reduced the number of pathogenic contaminants and organic/inorganic compounds. The osmotic dilution desalination (ODD) process with the FO membrane was more effective in removing viruses and bacterial indicators compared to the mixing dilution desalination (MDD) process with the UF membrane.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shalina Shahin, Joshua Alarcon, Hanna N. Brosky, Jennifer G. Lamori, Ayokunle C. Dada, Jia Xue, Pradip Gyawali, Samendra Sherchan
Summary: The occurrence of Naegleria fowleri in sediment samples from Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana was investigated. The study found a correlation between the concentration of E. coli and the detection rate of Naegleria fowleri, suggesting potential predatory activity. The effect of temperature on the concentration and detection rate of Naegleria fowleri was observed to be different.
JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiaying Li, Warish Ahmed, Suzanne Metcalfe, Wendy J. M. Smith, Ben Tscharke, Peter Lynch, Paul Sherman, Phong H. N. Vo, Sarit L. Kaserzon, Stuart L. Simpson, David T. McCarthy, Kevin Thomas, Jochen F. Mueller, Phong Thai
Summary: Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewer systems using passive sampling devices is an effective approach for understanding COVID-19 transmission. This study found that the passive samplers could detect the virus shed by >2 COVID-19 infection cases in 10,000 people and identified the presence of the virus in wastewater one week ahead of clinical reporting.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Warish Ahmed, Aaron Bivins, Suzanne Metcalfe, Wendy J. M. Smith, Ryan Ziels, Asja Korajkic, Brian McMinn, Tyson E. Graber, Stuart L. Simpson
Summary: Wastewater surveillance is an important tool for monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Combining multiple RT-qPCR assays provides better detection rates for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples compared to individual assays. While ATOPlex sequencing shows promise in wastewater surveillance, it appears to be less sensitive than RT-qPCR under the experimental conditions of this study.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Thuy Ngoc Vuong, Chinh Van Dang, Simon Toze, Paul Jagals, Michelle Gatton, Danielle Gallegos
Summary: Household food security in rural districts of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta is precarious, with a high prevalence of food insecurity and Khmer households being particularly vulnerable. Factors such as weak livelihood assets and various shocks contribute to household food insecurity.
JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warish Ahmed, Wendy J. M. Smith, Suzanne Metcalfe, Greg Jackson, Phil M. Choi, Mary Morrison, Daniel Field, Pradip Gyawali, Aaron Bivins, Kyle Bibby, Stuart L. Simpson
Summary: This study compared the performance of RT-qPCR and RT-dPCR platforms in detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in low-prevalence locations in Queensland, Australia. The results showed that RT-dPCR had a lower limit of detection and a higher detection rate than RT-qPCR in both eluate and pellet samples.