Abstract:Background:Wastewater contains a variety of pathogens and bio -aerosols generated during the wastewater treatment process, which could be a potential health risk for exposed individuals. This study was carried out to detect Legionella spp. in the bio -aerosols generated from different processes of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Isfahan, Iran, and the downwind distances.Materials and Methods:A total of 54 air samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of Legionella spp. by a nested- polymerase… Show more
“…This bacterium can cause severe pneumonia (Legionellosis) when enough bacteria are inhaled and deposited in the alveoli of the lungs (Hamilton & Haas, 2016). Some studies have confirmed and quantified the presence of this bacteria in municipal (human) wastewater (Blatny et al., 2008; Medema et al., 2004; Mirzaee et al., 2015). It should be noted that this bacterium is from the water, not the waste, but its presence in wastewater that could be used for irrigation is cause for concern.…”
The conservation of freshwater is of both global and national importance, and in the United States, agriculture is one of the largest consumers of this resource. Reduction of the strain farming puts on local surface or groundwater is vital for ensuring resilience in the face of climate change, and one possible option is to irrigate with a combination of freshwater and reclaimed water from municipal wastewater treatment facilities. However, this wastewater can contain pathogens that are harmful to human health, such as Legionella pneumophila, which is a bacterium that can survive aerosolization and airborne transportation and cause severe pneumonia when inhaled. To assess an individual adult's risk of infection with L. pneumophila from a single exposure to agricultural spray irrigation, a quantitative microbial risk assessment was conducted for a scenario of spray irrigation in central Illinois, for the growing seasons in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The assessment found that the mean risk of infection for a single exposure exceeded the safety threshold of 10–6 infections/exposure up to 1 km from a low‐pressure irrigator and up to 2 km from a high‐pressure irrigator, although no median risk exceeded the threshold for any distance or irrigator pressure. These findings suggest that spray irrigation with treated municipal wastewater could be a viable option for reducing freshwater consumption in Midwest farming, as long as irrigation on windy days is avoided and close proximity to the active irrigator is limited.
“…This bacterium can cause severe pneumonia (Legionellosis) when enough bacteria are inhaled and deposited in the alveoli of the lungs (Hamilton & Haas, 2016). Some studies have confirmed and quantified the presence of this bacteria in municipal (human) wastewater (Blatny et al., 2008; Medema et al., 2004; Mirzaee et al., 2015). It should be noted that this bacterium is from the water, not the waste, but its presence in wastewater that could be used for irrigation is cause for concern.…”
The conservation of freshwater is of both global and national importance, and in the United States, agriculture is one of the largest consumers of this resource. Reduction of the strain farming puts on local surface or groundwater is vital for ensuring resilience in the face of climate change, and one possible option is to irrigate with a combination of freshwater and reclaimed water from municipal wastewater treatment facilities. However, this wastewater can contain pathogens that are harmful to human health, such as Legionella pneumophila, which is a bacterium that can survive aerosolization and airborne transportation and cause severe pneumonia when inhaled. To assess an individual adult's risk of infection with L. pneumophila from a single exposure to agricultural spray irrigation, a quantitative microbial risk assessment was conducted for a scenario of spray irrigation in central Illinois, for the growing seasons in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The assessment found that the mean risk of infection for a single exposure exceeded the safety threshold of 10–6 infections/exposure up to 1 km from a low‐pressure irrigator and up to 2 km from a high‐pressure irrigator, although no median risk exceeded the threshold for any distance or irrigator pressure. These findings suggest that spray irrigation with treated municipal wastewater could be a viable option for reducing freshwater consumption in Midwest farming, as long as irrigation on windy days is avoided and close proximity to the active irrigator is limited.
“…The formation of droplets and aerosolization of the pathogens from wastewater could be a major source of spread. There are examples of aerosolization of several pathogens from water such as Legionella, Cryptosporidium, Norovirus, and Hantavirus, resulting in ingestion or inhalation of the virus ( Brisebois et al 2018 ; Mirzaee et al 2015 ; Pascual et al 2003 ; Pillai 2002; Yazdanbakhsh et al 2020 ) ( Figure 5 ). Figure 5 Distribution of human viruses in aerosols samples collected from sampling locations from three different sites of a WWTP in Canada.…”
The rapid transmission tendency, severity, and wide geographical spread of newly emerged novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in different environmental matrices, including water, air, and soil, has posed severe health, environmental, energy, and economic challenges worldwide. Despite the severe health effects, unprecedented improvements in air quality in many countries due to emergency measures, and public behavior changes have been reported. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in air and sewage samples in several studies across the globe. The use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) could be a valuable method to monitor the outbreak of COVID-19, which requires fast and reliable methods for virus detection in sewage. However, water treatment companies face many pressures due to potential for aerosolization, PPE shortages, and changed usage patterns. In addition, the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the worldwide economy especially the energy sector, and its impact on our ecosystem required instant responses. This article discusses the recent developments and challenges faced in water, air, and energy resources, including renewables and non-renewables as the significant and interrelated components of the ecosystem. Furthermore, some recommendations have been directed, which may serve as a guideline to the scientists, legislators, and other stakeholders. A future roadmap has been proposed to overcome the tragic effects of COVID-19 and developing a sustainable environmental system to minimize the impact of such infectious outbreaks in the future.
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