Sewer system sampling for wastewater-based disease surveillance

Is the work worth it?

verfasst von: Urda Düker, Regina Nogueira, Estefania Carpio-Vallejo, Ingeborg Joost, Katharina Hüppe, Roland Suchenwirth, Yvonne Saathoff, Markus Wallner
Abstract: Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent sampling is commonly used in wastewater-based disease surveillance to assess the circulation of pathogens in the population aggregated in a catchment area. However, the signal can be lost within the sewer network due to adsorption, degradation, and dilution processes. The present work aimed to investigate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 concentration in three sub-catchments of the sewer system in the city of Hildesheim, Germany, characterised by different levels of urbanisation and presence/absence of industry, and to evaluate the benefit of sub-catchment sampling compared to WWTP influent sampling. Our study shows that sampling and analysis of virus concentrations in sub-catchments with particular settlement structures allows the identification of high concentrations of the virus at a local level in the wastewater, which are lower in samples collected at the inlet of the treatment plant covering the whole catchment. Higher virus concentrations per inhabitant were found in the sub-catchments in comparison to the inlet of the WWTP. Additionally, sewer sampling provides spatially resolved concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the catchment area, which is important for detecting local high incidences of COVID-19.
Organisationseinheit(en): Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
Externe Organisation(en): Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg
Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften – Hochschule Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel
Local Health Authority Hildesheim
Public Health Agency of Lower Saxony
Typ: Artikel
Journal: Journal of water and health
Band: 22
Seiten: 2218-2232
Anzahl der Seiten: 15
ISSN: 1477-8920
Publikationsdatum: 01.11.2024
Publikationsstatus: Veröffentlicht
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Gewässerkunde und -technologie, Abfallwirtschaft und -entsorgung, Öffentliche Gesundheit, Umwelt- und Arbeitsmedizin, Mikrobiologie (medizinisch), Infektionskrankheiten
Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung: SDG 3 – Gute Gesundheit und Wohlergehen, SDG 11 – Nachhaltige Städte und Gemeinschaften
Elektronische Version(en): https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2024.301 (Zugang: Offen)

BibTeX

@article{be0db93041864de9a17285f4c383f64f,
title = "Sewer system sampling for wastewater-based disease surveillance: Is the work worth it?",
abstract = "Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent sampling is commonly used in wastewater-based disease surveillance to assess the circulation of pathogens in the population aggregated in a catchment area. However, the signal can be lost within the sewer network due to adsorption, degradation, and dilution processes. The present work aimed to investigate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 concentration in three sub-catchments of the sewer system in the city of Hildesheim, Germany, characterised by different levels of urbanisation and presence/absence of industry, and to evaluate the benefit of sub-catchment sampling compared to WWTP influent sampling. Our study shows that sampling and analysis of virus concentrations in sub-catchments with particular settlement structures allows the identification of high concentrations of the virus at a local level in the wastewater, which are lower in samples collected at the inlet of the treatment plant covering the whole catchment. Higher virus concentrations per inhabitant were found in the sub-catchments in comparison to the inlet of the WWTP. Additionally, sewer sampling provides spatially resolved concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the catchment area, which is important for detecting local high incidences of COVID-19.",
keywords = "digital droplet PCR, SARS-CoV-2, sewer system sampling, wastewater-based disease surveillance",
author = "Urda D{\"u}ker and Regina Nogueira and Estefania Carpio-Vallejo and Ingeborg Joost and Katharina H{\"u}ppe and Roland Suchenwirth and Yvonne Saathoff and Markus Wallner",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors.",
year = "2024",
month = nov,
day = "1",
doi = "10.2166/wh.2024.301",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
pages = "2218--2232",
journal = "Journal of water and health",
issn = "1477-8920",
publisher = "IWA Publishing",
number = "11",
}