State of knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 and wastewater

Abstract

A large majority of studies on the environmental sources, fate, and transport of viruses have focused on non-enveloped viruses such as norovirus and enteroviruses despite recent global outbreaks of viral diseases having been caused by enveloped viruses including the Coronavirus family. Lack of knowledge on the presence of infective enveloped viruses in human waste, the environmental fate and transport of enveloped viruses, best practices to disinfect surfaces and water, wash contaminated body parts, and treat wastewater and faeces to removal enveloped viruses, has generally hampered outbreak response. Limited direct research is therefore available on the environmental persistence of viruses in the Coronavirus family, with majority of research having been conducted on enveloped ‘surrogate’ viruses. This knowledge review therefore attempts to provide some insight on SARS-CoV-2 and wastewater, particularly its persistence and behaviour as an enveloped virus in the environment. The review further explores surrogate enveloped viruses in wastewater as much of the research conducted to date have used surrogate enveloped viruses that have similar properties to the human enveloped viruses currently of urgent interest. The review outlines the required outbreak response and highlight key areas of research that require further attention.

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