TY - JOUR
T1 - Human viral pathogens in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum
T2 - Evidence, health risks, and lessons for future outbreaks in low-income settings
AU - Gwenzi, Willis
AU - Adelodun, Bashir
AU - Kumar, Pankaj
AU - Ajibade, Fidelis Odedishemi
AU - Silva, Luis F.O.
AU - Choi, Kyung Sook
AU - Selvarajan, Ramganesh
AU - Abia, Akebe Luther King
AU - Gholipour, Sahar
AU - Mohammadi, Farzaneh
AU - Nikaeen, Mahnaz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/3/25
Y1 - 2024/3/25
N2 - Human viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 continue to attract public and research attention due to their disruption of society, global health, and the economy. Several earlier reviews have investigated the occurrence and fate of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, and the potential to use such data in wastewater-based epidemiology. However, comprehensive reviews tracking SARS-CoV-2 and other viral pathogens in the wastewater-water-drinking water continuum and the associated risk assessment are still lacking. Therefore, to address this gap, the present paper makes the following contributions: (1) critically examines the early empirical results to highlight the occurrence and stability of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum, (2) discusses the anthropogenic and hydro(geo)logical processes controlling the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum, (3) discusses the risky behaviour, drivers and high-risk settings in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum, (4) uses the available empirical data on SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum to discuss human health risks from multiple exposure pathways, gendered aspects of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via shared on-site sanitation systems, and (5) develops and risk mitigation strategy based on the available empirical evidence and quantitative human risk assessment data. Finally, it presents a comprehensive research agenda on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 to guide the mitigation of future similar outbreaks in low-income settings.
AB - Human viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 continue to attract public and research attention due to their disruption of society, global health, and the economy. Several earlier reviews have investigated the occurrence and fate of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, and the potential to use such data in wastewater-based epidemiology. However, comprehensive reviews tracking SARS-CoV-2 and other viral pathogens in the wastewater-water-drinking water continuum and the associated risk assessment are still lacking. Therefore, to address this gap, the present paper makes the following contributions: (1) critically examines the early empirical results to highlight the occurrence and stability of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum, (2) discusses the anthropogenic and hydro(geo)logical processes controlling the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum, (3) discusses the risky behaviour, drivers and high-risk settings in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum, (4) uses the available empirical data on SARS-CoV-2 occurrence in the wastewater-source water-drinking water continuum to discuss human health risks from multiple exposure pathways, gendered aspects of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via shared on-site sanitation systems, and (5) develops and risk mitigation strategy based on the available empirical evidence and quantitative human risk assessment data. Finally, it presents a comprehensive research agenda on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 to guide the mitigation of future similar outbreaks in low-income settings.
KW - Aqueous continuum
KW - Coronavirus
KW - Health risk
KW - Low-income countries
KW - Viral infections
KW - Water borne disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85184751879&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170214
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170214
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38278242
AN - SCOPUS:85184751879
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 918
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 170214
ER -
