Article
Environmental Sciences
Sahar Gholipour, Farzaneh Mohammadi, Mahnaz Nikaeen, Zahra Shamsizadeh, Atefeh Khazeni, Zohreh Sahbaei, Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Mojtaba Ghobadian, Hossein Mirhendi
Summary: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and the potential health risks from exposure to virus-contaminated aerosols were analyzed. The study found a relatively high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection for wastewater workers via exposure to viral aerosols, with an estimated annual infection risk higher than the WHO recommended level. Further research is needed to determine the role of wastewater in COVID-19 transmission.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Banafsheh Haji Ali, Mohammad Sajjad Shahin, Mohammad Mahdi Masoumi Sangani, Mohsen Faghihinezhad, Majid Baghdadi, Teik Thye Lim
Summary: This article discusses the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 RNA through wastewater aerosols and explores the potential risks of exposure to aerosolized wastewater, calling for more research on the transmission of COVID-19 through wastewater aerosols.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sandra Westhaus, Frank-Andreas Weber, Sabrina Schiwy, Volker Linnemann, Markus Brinkmann, Marek Widera, Carola Greve, Axel Janke, Henner Hollert, Thomas Wintgens, Sandra Ciesek
Summary: Wastewater-based monitoring showed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic traces in different raw wastewaters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. However, it was suggested that wastewater might not be a major route for transmission to humans. Further validation for enveloped viruses in wastewater is needed.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher S. McMahan, Stella Self, Lior Rennert, Corey Kalbaugh, David Kriebel, Duane Graves, Cameron Colby, Jessica A. Deaver, Sudeep C. Popat, Tanju Karanfil, David L. Freedman
Summary: Wastewater-based epidemiology offers an opportunity for real-time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The SEIR model based on wastewater RNA concentrations provides a robust method to estimate the total number of infected individuals in a community, supplementing individual testing and informing policy decisions.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Farooq, Ioannis Anastopoulos
Summary: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater poses potential health risks for fecal-oral transmission and aerosolized transmission. Measures such as wastewater disinfection and public awareness are crucial, along with further research to understand the virus's survival and dissemination in wastewater.
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
Vhahangwele Masindi, Spyros Foteinis, Kefilwe Nduli, Vhahangwele Akinwekomi
Summary: Human coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS, have caused global concern with high mortality rates. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus is currently unprecedented. Studies in a South African setting show that SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA decays in wastewater treatment stages, suggesting low likelihood of transmission in water catchments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shadi W. Hasan, Yazan Ibrahim, Marianne Daou, Hussein Kannout, Nila Jan, Alvaro Lopes, Habiba Alsafar, Ahmed F. Yousef
Summary: Testing SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in wastewater in the United Arab Emirates revealed fluctuating levels in different locations, with government precautionary measures correlating with a decrease in viral loads. None of the 11 wastewater treatment plants' effluents tested positive, indicating the efficiency of treatment technologies in degrading the virus and the safety of treated reused water.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samendra Sherchan, Ocean Thakali, Luisa A. Ikner, Charles P. Gerba
Summary: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more than 600 million cases and over 6 million deaths. While the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19, is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets or direct contact, it has been found to persist in feces. This study investigated the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in different wastewater samples, including filtered and unfiltered raw wastewater, as well as secondary effluent. The virus showed a progressive decline in infectivity over time and was found to survive for varying periods in the different wastewater matrices, with the longest survival time observed in secondary effluent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Shuchen Feng, Amornrat O'Brien, Da-Yuan Chen, Mohsan Saeed, Susan C. Baker
Summary: We recently reported a surprising role for nsp6 replicase component, in addition to spike changes, in the attenuation of Omicron BA.1. We documented a triple-amino-acid deletion in a predicted lumenal domain of nsp6 found in multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, including all recent Omicron lineages. Modeling the predicted structure of nsp6 revealed a conserved multipass transmembrane architecture in the Coronaviridae family.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Livia C. T. Scorza, Graeme J. Cameron, Roisin Murray-Williams, David Findlay, Julie Bolland, Brindusa Cerghizan, Kirsty Campbell, David Thomson, Alexander Corbishley, David Gally, Stephen Fitzgerald, Alison Low, Sean McAteer, Adrian M. I. Roberts, Zhou Fang, Claus-Dieter Mayer, Anastasia Frantsuzova, Sumy V. Baby, Tomasz Zielinski, Andrew J. Millar
Summary: Wastewater-based monitoring was established in Scotland to track SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA levels in the sewage network during the COVID-19 pandemic. A curated dataset from May 2020 to February 2022 was presented, with viral levels analyzed using RT-qPCR assays. The wastewater data contribute to estimates of disease prevalence and the viral reproduction number in Scotland and the UK.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Prateek Gururani, Pooja Bhatnagar, Bhawna Bisht, Vinod Kumar, Naveen Chandra Joshi, Mahipal Singh Tomar, Beena Pathak
Summary: Cold plasma technology is a potent and environmentally friendly method for wastewater treatment, effective in degrading pollutants and inactivating waterborne pathogens such as viruses. Despite its success in combating SARS-CoV-2, challenges remain for the commercialization of this technology in wastewater treatment, requiring further research to meet the growing demand for fresh water resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Nicole C. Rondeau, Oliver J. Rose, Ellen R. Alt, Lina A. Ariyan, Annabelle B. Elikan, Jenna L. Everard, Abigail R. Schreier, Maya E. Tessler, Grace H. Tulinsky, Janet R. Vo, Caroline A. Ray, Cynthia Y. Yang, J. J. L. Miranda, Brian J. Mailloux
Summary: We established wastewater surveillance as part of our public health response to COVID-19 in a small urban college in New York City. Our results showed that wastewater monitoring could not accurately estimate the number of cases at the building level, but it was effective in detecting outbreak clusters. Our assay had a 60% positive predictive power, 90% negative predictive power, and 90% specificity, but the sensitivity was low at 40%.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
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
Physics, Applied
Hao Zhang, Min Chen, Lingling Huang, Li Guo, Shengduo Xu, Jishen Zhang, Wang Xi, Zifeng Wang, Dingxin Liu, Michael G. Kong, Mingzhe Rong
Summary: The study demonstrates that plasma-treated air can effectively inhibit the infectivity of COVID-19 pseudovirus, whether attached to plastic or copper. Furthermore, in a cold-chain environment, plasma-generated reactive species are more efficient in deactivating wet pseudovirus compared to ozone.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manish Kumar, Petros Gikas, Keisuke Kuroda, Meththika Vithanage
Summary: This virtual special issue focuses on water security in the Anthropocene, highlighting the need for global interdisciplinary approaches to address water-related challenges.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manish Kumar, Keisuke Kuroda, Damia Barcelo, Hiroaki Furumai
Summary: The seasonal variations in water vulnerability in Guwahati, India were studied, showing that pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pathogenic viruses, metals, and microbial pollution were more concentrated at the confluence points of urban drains and the river. However, they were mostly undetectable at upstream and downstream locations, indicating the self-purification ability of the river. The presence of the pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) was found to be a good indicator of fecal pollution. This study contributes to understanding the seasonal variations of viruses and their concurrence with emerging contaminants, which is important for addressing the current pandemic.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuichi Horii, Nobutoshi Ohtsuka, Takahiro Nishino, Keisuke Kuroda, Yoshitaka Imaizumi, Takeo Sakurai
Summary: This study investigated the distribution, mass profiles, and benthic risk assessment of methylsiloxanes in sediments from Tokyo Bay. The results showed the widespread presence of methylsiloxanes in the sediment samples, but the risk assessment indicated low threat to benthic organisms.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pia Ramos, Ryo Honda, Eric M. V. Hoek, Shaily Mahendra
Summary: The influence of carbon/nitrogen (C/N) molar ratios on biofilm characteristics and development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was examined. C/N = 9 had a unique effect on biofilm composition and quorum sensing pathways, with higher carbohydrates and proteins in the biofilm and upregulation of the QS gene lasI in planktonic cells. C/N ratio also affected organic compound utilization and the development of dual-species biofilms.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Xuan Li, Shuxin Zhang, Samendrdra Sherchan, Gorka Orive, Unax Lertxundi, Eiji Haramoto, Ryo Honda, Manish Kumar, Sudipti Arora, Masaaki Kitajima, Guangming Jiang
Summary: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising approach for monitoring COVID-19, but the correlation between CRNA and clinically confirmed cases varies and the impacts of environmental and other factors are unclear. This study analyzed the correlation between CRNA and different types of clinically confirmed case numbers. It found a stronger correlation between CRNA and new cases, influenced by environmental and epidemiological conditions as well as sampling design.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ryoko Yamamoto-Ikemoto, Norihisa Matsuura, Ryo Honda, Hiroe Hara-Yamamura, Kanhchany Some, Sereyroth Prak, Kazuyoshi Koike, Taketo Togari
Summary: This study investigated the effect of gradually decreasing rice straw addition on methane production in the thermophilic anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. The results showed that reducing rice straw addition did not lead to the accumulation of volatile fatty acids and resulted in stable methane production. Even without rice straw, methane production continued under high ammonia conditions. The digested sludge from the experimental digester exhibited higher ammonia tolerance and was dominated by cellulose-degrading bacteria Clostridia and high ammonia-resistant archaea Methanosarcina. The community remained stable for over 200 days after rice straw supply was discontinued.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guangming Jiang, Yanchen Liu, Song Tang, Masaaki Kitajima, Eiji Haramoto, Sudipti Arora, Phil M. Choi, Greg Jackson, Patrick M. D'Aoust, Robert Delatolla, Shuxin Zhang, Ying Guo, Jiangping Wu, Yan Chen, Elipsha Sharma, Tanjila Alam Prosun, Jiawei Zhao, Manish Kumar, Ryo Honda, Warish Ahmed, Jon Meiman
Summary: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has the potential to track COVID-19 transmission, but faces methodological limitations. Future research should focus on standardizing sampling and analysis protocols, understanding viral stability in sewer systems, and utilizing artificial intelligence and big data models for smart wastewater surveillance. Further research is also needed for monitoring other viral pathogens and applying WBE beyond COVID-19.
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rasindu Galagoda, Monychottepy Chanto, Yasuyuki Takemura, Noriko Tomioka, Kazuaki Syutsubo, Ryo Honda, Ryoko Yamamoto-Ikemoto, Norihisa Matsuura
Summary: Quantitative sequencing (qSeq) with spike-in internal standards was used to comprehensively quantify bacterial pathogens in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). A novel bacterial pathogen database based on biosafety levels (BSLs) was constructed for rapid pathogen identification. The concentrations of total pathogens decreased gradually from 6.8 +/- 4.9 x 10(7) copies/mL in the influent to 1.6 +/- 1.4 x 10(5) copies/mL in the effluent.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sovannlaksmy Sorn, Hiroe Hara-Yamamura, Sreyla Vet, Minhao Xiao, Eric M. V. Hoek, Ryo Honda
Summary: In this study, the biological treatment of PFOS using microbial capsules was proposed and the performance of polymeric membrane encapsulation technique was evaluated. The results showed that microbial capsules could significantly enhance the removal efficiency of PFOS, and microbial capsules coated with 10% polysulfone membrane demonstrated longer physical stability.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manish Kumar, Madhvi Joshi, Guangming Jiang, Rintaro Yamada, Ryo Honda, Vaibhav Srivastava, Juergen Mahlknecht, Damia Barcelo, Sabarathinam Chidambram, Anwar Khursheed, David W. Graham, Ritusmita Goswami, Keisuke Kuroda, Ananda Tiwari, Chaitanya Joshi
Summary: This study presents an eight-month longitudinal study of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in Ahmedabad, India, and demonstrates the potential of wastewater surveillance in predicting and monitoring COVID-19 outbreaks. The analysis of wastewater samples showed a correlation between the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and the number of confirmed clinical cases. The study highlights the value of WBE as a monitoring tool for early detection of outbreaks and guiding management interventions.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuno Meuchi, Miu Nakada, Keisuke Kuroda, Seiya Hanamoto, Akihiko Hata
Summary: This study evaluated the usefulness of FPH subgroups, PMMoV, and crAssphage as indicators of source-specific fecal contamination and viral inactivation. FPH subgroups, PMMoV, and crAssphage were associated with pig and human fecal contamination, and showed different behaviors in viral inactivation. FRNA phage genogroups, especially the GIV-FRNA phage, were highly inactivated during the warm months in Japan.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Keisuke Kuroda, Bing Lu, Yuna Hama, Yu Yang
Summary: Arsenic contamination in drinking water is a major global public health challenge. Photocatalysis, using new photocatalysts and nanoscale adsorbents, offers an efficient and environmentally friendly method for arsenic removal. This technology allows for oxidation and adsorption of arsenic in a short period of time, making it economically feasible for decentralized water systems.
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manish Kumar, Payal Mazumder, Rahul Silori, Suvendu Manna, Durga Prasad Panday, Nilotpal Das, Susanta Kumar Sethy, Keisuke Kuroda, Durga Madhab Mahapatra, Juergen Mahlknecht, Vinay Kumar Tyagi, Rajesh Singh, Jian Zang, Damia Barcelo
Summary: Personal care products and microplastics are significant environmental concerns that need to be documented and analyzed. During the pandemic, efforts have been made to identify and assess the potential hazards of these pollutants in aquatic habitats. It has been found that these pollutants pose serious consequences to aquatic ecosystems and the health of nearby populations, and may also contribute to the amplification of antimicrobial resistance.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Payal Mazumder, Siddhant Dash, Ryo Honda, Christian Sonne, Manish Kumar
Summary: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater provides important information on the spread of COVID-19. However, there are methodological challenges in accurately estimating prevalence. Positive patients and asymptomatic carriers expel the virus through their feces, but at a lower rate through urine. Environmental virology and microbiology laboratories play a significant role in identifying and analyzing SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater.
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Minhao Xiao, Fan Yang, Sungju Im, Derrick S. Dlamini, David Jassby, Shaily Mahendra, Ryo Honda, Eric M. V. Hoek
Summary: This investigation proposes and verifies a novel method for quantifying surface porosity of porous poly-meric membranes using contact angle measurements. The researchers fabricated porous membranes with different concentrations of PVDF and PVDF-PMMA using the NIPS method, and used both sessile drop and captive bubble contact angle measurements to determine contact angles and porosity of dry and wet membranes. Image analysis and a simple analytical model were used to obtain surface porosity from contact angle measurements. The results show a strong correlation between the surface porosity calculated from contact angle measurements and that calculated from SEM images. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of swollen porous membranes in determining porosity for aqueous membrane separations.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
