Absence of virological and epidemiological evidence that SARS-CoV-2 poses COVID-19 risks from environmental fecal waste, wastewater and water exposures

Infected People ◽

Microbial Risk ◽

Abstract This review considers evidence for infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presence and COVID-19 infection and illness resulting from exposure to environmental fecal wastes and waters. There is no documented evidence that (1) infectious, replication-capable SARS-CoV-2 is present in environmental fecal wastes, wastewater or water, and (2) well-documented epidemiological evidence of COVID-19 infection, illness or death has never been reported for these exposure media. COVID-19 is transmitted mainly by direct personal contact and respiratory secretions as airborne droplets and aerosols, and less so by respiratory-secreted fomites via contact (touch) exposures. While SARS-CoV-2 often infects the gastrointestinal tract of infected people, its presence as infectious, replication-capable virus in environmental fecal wastes and waters has never been documented. There is only rare and unquantified evidence of infectious, replication-capable SARS-CoV-2 in recently shed feces of COVID-19 hospital patients. The human infectivity dose–response relationship of SARS-CoV-2 is unknown, thereby making it impossible to estimate evidence-based quantitative health effects assessments by quantitative microbial risk assessment methods requiring both known exposure assessment and health effects assessment data. The World Health Organization, Water Environment Federation, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others do not consider environmental fecal wastes and waters as sources of exposure to infectious SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 infection and illness.

Assessment of E. coli and Salmonella spp. infection risks associated with different fecal sludge disposal practices in Thailand

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2009.310 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 355-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

A. Yajima ◽

T. Koottatep

Keyword(s):

High Water ◽

Developed Countries ◽

World Health ◽

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment ◽

Salmonella Spp ◽

Microbial Risk ◽

Risk Levels ◽

E Coli ◽

Fecal Sludge

The proper management of fecal sludge (FS), to block the transmission pathways of pathogens, is rarely enforced in many parts of the world. Health risks associated with different disposal practices of FS in peri-urban settings of a large metropolis in Thailand were assessed; Tha Klong sub-district with indiscriminate FS dumping, and Klong Luang sub-district which has an FS treatment system. The study showed that indiscriminate FS dumping from along the canal banks and discharge of market waste were likely the major sources of E. coli and Salmonella spp. in contamination of the canal water. The increased microbial pathogen concentrations near the FS treatment facility also indicated contamination risks from poorly designed treatment facilities. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) indicated very high water-related infection risk levels compared to the actual locally recorded disease occurrences. These results indicated that the QMRA model needs to be modified to take account of immunological differences between populations in developed countries, where the model was developed, and developing countries. In addition, further sensitivity factors are needed to reflect different societal behavior patterns, and therefore contact with potentially contaminated water, in different sub-populations of many less developed communities.

FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA): Twenty Years of International Microbiological Risk Assessment

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10081873 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1873

Author(s):

Jeffrey T. LeJeune ◽

Kang Zhou ◽

Christine Kopko ◽

Haruka Igarashi

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Food Safety ◽

International Standards ◽

World Health ◽

Middle Income ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Microbial Risk ◽

Safety Research ◽

Since the late 1990s, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) has convened expert meetings and consultations to address the microbiological risk assessment (MRA). These meetings are held to provide scientific advice in response to requests for from Codex Alimentarius, the international food standard-setting body. Individuals participate in the FAO/WHO joint expert meetings on the microbiological risk assessment (JEMRA) in their personal capacity, as technical experts, yet bring diverse regional and national perspectives that contribute to practical applications, particularly for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Over 370 experts from around the globe have contributed to the meeting outcomes that have been published in nearly 40 monographs in the FAO/WHO microbial risk assessment (MRA) series, addressing particular food commodities with microbial hazard(s) combinations or a methodological aspect of microbial risk assessment. FAO/WHO MRA series inform Codex decision-making for the development of international standards for safe food and faire trade in food products; are consulted by risk managers such as food safety authorities and food business operators to make science-based decisions; and are used by academics to advance food safety research and educate the next generation of food safety professionals.

How to Overcome Barriers for Wastewater Agricultural Reuse in Sicily (Italy)?

Water ◽

10.3390/w11020335 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 335 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Delia Ventura ◽

Simona Consoli ◽

Salvatore Barbagallo ◽

Alessia Marzo ◽

Daniela Vanella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Reclaimed Water ◽

World Health ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Microbial Risk ◽

E Coli ◽

This study reports an up-to-date summary of the principal barriers still limiting reclaimed water use for agriculture in Italy, and particularly in Sicily. Moreover, it provides a geographic informative system (GIS)-based procedure for evaluating the potential treated wastewater (TW) reuse in the Sicilian region as a decision support system for its management. The survey, based on possible economic, morphologic, and design solutions, evidenced a feasible integration of several wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with irrigation areas, allowing the water availability enhancement. Overall, the potential volume of TW by WWTPs (connected to irrigation districts) is 163 × 106 m3 year−1, while the water deficit is 66 × 106 m3 year−1. The feasibility of TW reuse in Sicily was also analysed at the light of the World Health Organization microbial risk assessment. Escherichia coli (E. coli) analyses mostly accomplished these guidelines while conflicting with the restrictive Italian standards. Despite several limiting factors (restrictive legislations, high distance and unfavourable slope between WWTPs and irrigable areas, high monitoring and distribution costs) still hamper the exploitation of reclaimed water use in Sicilian agriculture, some solutions were identified to implement this practice.

Pathogenic parasites and enteroviruses in wastewater: support for a regulation on water reuse

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2013.019 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 67 (7) ◽

pp. 1512-1518 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Elayse M. Hachich ◽

Ana T. Galvani ◽

Jose A. Padula ◽

Nancy C. Stoppe ◽

Suzi C. Garcia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Water Reuse ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Immunomagnetic Separation ◽

World Health ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment ◽

Wastewater Samples ◽

Brazilian regulations for nonpotable reuse are being established using World Health Organization guidelines, however, they should be developed based on local monitoring studies. This study intended to analyze enteroviruses, protozoa and viable Ascaris sp. eggs in raw (24) and treated (24) effluents from four Wastewater Treatment Plants of São Paulo State, Brazil. The protozoa were detected with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 1623 in the treated effluents and by centrifugation/Immunomagnetic Separation in the raw influent samples. Viable Ascaris sp. eggs were analyzed according to a modified USEPA method. Enteroviruses were quantified by using human rhabdomyosarcoma cells after adequate concentration procedures. All wastewater influents were positive for Giardia sp. whereas Cryptosporidium sp. was detected in 58.3% of the samples. Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium sp. were present in 79.2 and 25.0% respectively, of the treated wastewater samples. Viable Ascaris sp. eggs were detected in 50.0 and 12.5% of influent and treated wastewater samples. Enteroviruses were isolated in the 24 raw influent samples and in 46% of the treated samples. Taking into account the densities of Giardia sp. in some treated wastewaters intended to be used as reclaimed water, Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment studies should be conducted to establish pathogen quantitative criteria for a future Brazilian regulation for water reuse.