Laboratory Technologies for the Efficient Use and Management of Water and Wastewater, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese, 301 - 00123, Roma, Italy.
Laboratory Technologies for the Efficient Use and Management of Water and Wastewater, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via M.M. Sole 4, 40129, Bologna, Italy.
Environ Pollut. 2021 Jan 1;268(Pt A):115806. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115806. Epub 2020 Oct 13.
The occurrence of human pathogenic viruses in aquatic ecosystems and, in particular, in internal water bodies (i.e., river, lakes, groundwater, drinking water reservoirs, recreational water utilities, and wastewater), raises concerns regarding the related impacts on environment and human health, especially in relation to the possibility of human exposure and waterborne infections. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presence and persistence in human excreta, wastewaters, sewage sludge as well as in natural water bodies, and the possible implications for water services in terms of fecal transmission, public health, and workers' risk. Furthermore, the impacts related to the adopted containment and emergency management measures on household water consumptions are also discussed, together with the potential use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) assessment as a monitoring and early warning tool, to be applied in case of infectious disease outbreaks. The knowledge and tools summarized in this paper provide a basic information reference, supporting decisions makers in the definition of suitable measures able to pursue an efficient water and wastewater management and a reduction of health risks. Furthermore, research questions are provided, in order to direct technical and public health communities towards a sustainable water service management in the event of a SARS-CoV-2 re-emergence, as well as a future deadly outbreak or pandemic.
人类病原病毒在水生生态系统中的出现，特别是在内部水体（即河流、湖泊、地下水、饮用水水库、娱乐用水设施和废水）中，引起了人们对环境和人类健康相关影响的关注，特别是与人类暴露和水传播感染的可能性有关。本文综述了关于严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）在人类粪便、废水中、污水污泥以及天然水体中的存在和持久性的最新知识，以及在粪便传播、公共卫生和工人风险方面对水服务可能产生的影响。此外，还讨论了与所采取的遏制和紧急管理措施相关的对家庭用水量的影响，以及将基于废水的流行病学（WBE）评估用作监测和预警工具的潜在用途，以便在传染病爆发时应用。本文总结的知识和工具提供了基本的信息参考，支持决策者制定合适的措施，以实现有效的水和废水管理，降低健康风险。此外，还提出了研究问题，以便在 SARS-CoV-2 再次出现、未来致命性爆发或大流行时，引导技术和公共卫生界朝着可持续的水服务管理方向发展。
