Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at a Canadian University Campus and the Impact of Wastewater Characteristics on Viral RNA Detection

Abstract

Because of the increased population density, high-risk behavior of young students, and lower vaccination rates, university campuses are considered hot spots for COVID-19 transmission. This study monitored the SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in the wastewater of a Canadian university campus for a year to provide actionable information to safely manage COVID-19 on campus. Wastewater samples were collected from the campus sewer and residence buildings to identify changes, peaks, and hotspots and search for associations with campus events, social gatherings, long weekends, and holidays. Furthermore, the impact of wastewater parameters (total solids, volatile solids, temperature, pH, turbidity, and UV absorbance) on SARS-CoV-2 detection was investigated, and the efficiency of ultrafiltration and centrifugation concentration methods were compared. RT-qPCR was used for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Wastewater signals largely correlated positively with the clinically confirmed COVID-19 cases on campus. Long weekends and holidays were often followed by increased viral signals, and the implementation of lockdowns quickly decreased the case numbers. In spite of online teaching and restricted access to campus, the university represented a microcosm of the city and mirrored the same trends. Results indicated that the centrifugation concentration method was more sensitive for wastewater with high solids content and that the ultrafiltration concentration method was more sensitive for wastewater with low solids content. Wastewater characteristics collected from the buildings and the campus sewer were different. Statistical analysis was performed to manifest the observations. Overall, wastewater surveillance provided actionable information and was also able to bring high-risk factors and events to the attention of decision-makers, enabling timely corrective measures.

COVID-19 Trends at The University of Tennessee: Predictive Insights from Raw Sewage SARS-CoV-2 Detection and Evaluation and PMMoV as an Indicator for Human Waste

“…Fraternities may be factored into the analysis due to the correlation between males and the presence of fecal viruses (Daou et al 2022). This correlation is consistent with the research conducted by Bitter et al (2022), wherein the university was identified as a microcosm of the corresponding city and exhibited analogous trends in COVID-19 cases.…”

Actionable wastewater surveillance: application to a university residence hall during the transition between Delta and Omicron resurgences of COVID-19

“…Wastewater monitoring at upstream sites may act as mirrors of trends within the community ( Supplementary Figure S2 ) ( 50 , 51 ). Additionally, variant-specific assays as well as sequencing of variants within upstream sites can provide insight about variants of SARS-CoV-2 within the larger population.…”

Application of neighborhood-scale wastewater-based epidemiology in low COVID-19 incidence situations

“…Neighborhood-scale monitoring for COVID-19 has been conducted (Barrios et al, 2021;Spurbeck et al, 2021). While this neighborhood-scale monitoring could allow for a more targeted public health intervention in a specific community, SARS-CoV-2 N gene concentrations presented lower correlation coefficients with COVID-19 infection cases as the catchment populations decreased (Bitter et al, 2022;Rusiñol et al, 2021;Sangsanont et al, 2022).…”