COVID-19: mitigating transmission via wastewater plumbing systems

Gormley, Michael; Aspray, Thomas J.; Kelly, David

doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30112-1

Cited by 167 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Ong et al (2020) believed that transmission may also occur through fomites in the immediate environment around the infected person. Based on previous studies concerning the pathogen transmission in wastewater system, Gormley et al (2020) claimed that under some circumstances, the wastewater system has the potential to enable airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. These are consistent with the fact in a study that SARS-CoV-2 from a single stool specimen has been cultured (Zhang et al, 2020).…”

Section: Suggestions For Disinfection Of Hospital Wastes and Wastewatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disinfection technology of hospital wastes and wastewater: Suggestions for disinfection strategy during coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China

Wang

Shen

et al. 2020

Environmental Pollution

514

415

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Hospitals are important sources of pollutants resulted from diagnostic, laboratory and research activities as well as medicine excretion by patients, which include active component of drugs and metabolite, chemicals, residues of pharmaceuticals, radioactive markers, iodinated contrast media, etc. The discharge of hospital wastes and wastewater, especially those without appropriate treatment would expose the public in danger of infection. In particular, under the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic context in China, it is of great significance to reduce the health risks to the public and environment. In this study, technologies of different types of hospital wastes and wastewater disinfection have been summarized. Liquid chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and ultraviolet irradiation disinfection are commonly used for hospital wastewater disinfection. While incineration, chemical disinfection, and physical disinfection are commonly used for hospital wastes disinfection. In addition, considering the characteristics of various hospital wastes, the classification and selection of corresponding disinfection technologies are discussed. On this basis, this study provides scientific suggestions for management, technology selection, and operation of hospital wastes and wastewater disinfection in China, which is of great significance for development of national disinfection strategy for hospital wastes and wastewater during COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: Suggestions For Disinfection Of Hospital Wastes and Wastewatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disinfection technology of hospital wastes and wastewater: Suggestions for disinfection strategy during coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China

Wang

Shen

et al. 2020

Environmental Pollution

514

415

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Based on our knowledge of viruses and treated drinking water, it is suspected that drinking water is very well protected against all viruses, including the latest coronavirus. But wastewater is considered as a significant infectious source of viruses (Puig et al 1994;Castignolles et al 1998;Gormley et al 2020). Viruses have a direct link to wastewater when excreted in feces or urine, but limited data are available on the concentration of enveloped viruses in feces and urine (Wigginton et al 2015;Wigginton and Boehm 2020).…”

Section: Sewage Water As An Indicator For Spreading Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although infective novel coronavirus has not yet been confirmed in stool samples, the SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA shedding pattern suggests viruses are replicating in the GI tract (Woelfel et al 2020). In conjunction with the potential for airborne transmission due to aerosolization of the virus, the potential for a significant viral load inside the wastewater plumbing system (and thus the main sewage network) calls for wastewater plumbing systems to be considered a possible transmission route for COVID-19 (Gormley et al 2020). If COVID-19 is confirmed to be fecally transmissible, healthcare and laboratory settings pose another potential target for preempting further spread of the disease.…”

Section: Sewage Water As An Indicator For Spreading Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a new challenge in untreated wastewater

Chaudhry

Sachdeva

2020

Can. J. Civ. Eng.

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COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 12 March 2020. As of 27 May 2020, WHO statistics exhibited that more than five million confirmed cases have been reported globally. Much remains unclear about the fate and impact of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus 2019, in wastewater. SARS-CoV-2 infection, the etiologic agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic, is followed by virus shedding in the stool. The quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, therefore, enables monitoring of the prevalence of infections among the population through wastewater-based epidemiology. This review discusses the possible spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater and its impact on human health, if any. The information and resources outlined in this paper are based on recently published studies and provide information to decision-makers on the successful management of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of human exposure to COVID-19. Additionally, systems-based approaches to curtail COVID-19 spread are also discussed.

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“…This study addresses the concerns of the aerosol generation from toilet flushing and their persistence in building drainage system [28][29] using a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Two possible transmission scenarios are analyzed: 1) inhalation of aerosols from toilet flushing of patient feces by a healthy person sharing the toilet room; and 2) inhalation of contaminated aerosols from the main sewer pipe entering the bathroom through a faulty floor drain by a neighboring resident.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the Risk of Indoor Drainage System in Multi-unit Apartment Building as a Transmission Route of SARS-CoV-2

Shi

Huang

Quon

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on human society. The isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from patients feces on human cell line raised concerns of possible transmission through human feces including exposure to aerosols generated by toilet flushing and through the indoor drainage system. Currently, routes of transmission, other than the close contact droplet transmission, are still not well understood. A quantitative microbial risk assessment was conducted to estimate the health risks associated with two aerosol exposure scenarios: 1) toilet flushing, and 2) faulty connection of a floor drain with the building main sewer pipe. SARS-CoV-2 data were collected from the emerging literature. The infectivity of the virus in feces was estimated based on a range of assumption between viral genome equivalence and infectious unit. The human exposure dose was calculated using Monte Carlo simulation of viral concentrations in aerosols under each scenario and human breathing rates. The probability of COVID-19 illness was generated using the dose-response model for SARS-CoV-1, a close relative of SARS-CoV-2, that was responsible for the SARS outbreak in 2003. The results indicate the median risks of developing COVID-19 for a single day exposure is 1.11 x 10-10 and 3.52 x 10-11 for toilet flushing and faulty drain scenario, respectively. The worst case scenario predicted the high end of COVID-19 risk for the toilet flushing scenario was 5.78 x 10-4 (at 95th percentile). The infectious viral loads in human feces are the most sensitive input parameter and contribute significantly to model uncertainty.

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COVID-19: mitigating transmission via wastewater plumbing systems

Cited by 167 publications

References 3 publications

Disinfection technology of hospital wastes and wastewater: Suggestions for disinfection strategy during coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China

Disinfection technology of hospital wastes and wastewater: Suggestions for disinfection strategy during coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a new challenge in untreated wastewater

Quantifying the Risk of Indoor Drainage System in Multi-unit Apartment Building as a Transmission Route of SARS-CoV-2

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