Abstract
Following the official announcement of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) worldwide pandemic spread by WHO on March 11, 2020, more than 300,000 COVID-19 cases reported in Iran resulting in approximately 17,000 deaths as of August 2, 2020. In the present survey, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in raw and treated wastewater samples in Tehran, Iran. Untreated and treated wastewater samples were gathered from four wastewater treatment plants over a month period from June to July 2020. Firstly, an adsorption-elution concentration method was tested using an avian coronavirus (infectious bronchitis virus, IBV). Then, the method was effectively employed to survey the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genome in influent and effluent wastewater samples. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in 8 out of 10 treated wastewater samples utilizing a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) test to detect ORF1ab and N genes. Moreover, the rate of positivity in wastewater samples increased in last sample collection that shows circulation of SARS-CoV-2 was increased among the population. In addition, the high values detected in effluent wastewater from local wastewater treatment plants have several implications in health and ecology that should be further assessed.
Keywords: COVID-19; Effluent; Influent water; Iran; SARS-CoV-2; Wastewater.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, wastewater, Iran, Effluent, Influent water, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, coronavirus, Local, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, Spread, polymerase chain reaction, RT-qPCR, wastewater, Iran, Health, SARS-CoV-2 genome, death, WHO, reverse transcription, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, circulation, plant, Concentration, ORF1ab, Effluent, influent, Chain Reaction, water, Ecology, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, COVID-19 case, worldwide pandemic, Infectious Bronchitis Virus, N genes, avian coronavirus, ORF1, Tehran, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, IBV, implication, polymerase chain, resulting, detect, reported, addition, investigated, treated, was increased, was tested,