A Review on the Potential of Common Disinfection Processes for the Removal of Virus from Wastewater

Abstract

Due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as findings of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and the possibility of viral transmission through wastewater, disinfection is required. As a consequence, based on prior investigations, this work initially employed the viral concentration detection technique, followed by the RT-qPCR assay, as the foundation for identifying the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater. After that, the ability and efficacy of chlorine, ozone, and UV disinfection to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus from wastewater were examined. Chlorine disinfection is the most extensively used disinfection technology due to its multiple advantages. With a chlorine dioxide disinfectant dose of 40 mg/L, the SARS-CoV virus is inactivated after 30 min of contact time. On the other hand, ozone is a powerful oxidizer and an effective microbicide that is employed as a disinfectant due to its positive characteristics. After 30 min of exposure to 1000 ppmv ozone, corona pseudoviruses are reduced by 99%. Another common method of disinfection is using ultraviolet radiation, which is usually 253.7 nm suitable for ultraviolet disinfection. At a dose of 1048 mJ/cm 2 , UVC radiation completely inactivates the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Finally, to evaluate disinfection performance and optimize disinfection strategies to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, this study attempted to investigate the ability to remove and compare the effectiveness of each disinfectant to inactive the SARS-CoV-2 virus from wastewater, summarize studies, and provide future solutions due to the limited availability of integrated resources in this field and the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide.

A critical review on the existing wastewater treatment methods in the COVID-19 era: What is the potential of advanced oxidation processes in combatting viral especially SARS-CoV-2?

“…Coronaviruses (CoVs) are responsible for three zoonotic epidemics in the last 20 years including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) identified in China 2002–2003, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) started in 2012 in the Middle East, and the current COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of December 2019, the first detection of COVID-19 was found in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China [4] , [5] , [6] . Then as of January 30, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern [5] .…”

“…Findings indicated that both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients excreted SARS-CoV-2 virus through feces and other body secretions that disposed in wastewater. In the same vein, virus introduces into the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by sewer systems [2] , [4] , [6] . Coronaviruses can survive for several days in wastewater under different situations and the plumbing systems are described as the possible transmission route for this kind of viruses in 2003 [2] , [4] , [5] , [7] .…”

“…In the same vein, virus introduces into the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by sewer systems [2] , [4] , [6] . Coronaviruses can survive for several days in wastewater under different situations and the plumbing systems are described as the possible transmission route for this kind of viruses in 2003 [2] , [4] , [5] , [7] . However, the main transmission route of SARS-Cov-2 virus is known as human to human transmission by small respiratory droplets [4] , [8] , live SARS-CoV-2 detection in some patient feces highlighted the possibility of fecal transmission route of the viruses [6] , [9] .…”

“…Coronaviruses can survive for several days in wastewater under different situations and the plumbing systems are described as the possible transmission route for this kind of viruses in 2003 [2] , [4] , [5] , [7] . However, the main transmission route of SARS-Cov-2 virus is known as human to human transmission by small respiratory droplets [4] , [8] , live SARS-CoV-2 detection in some patient feces highlighted the possibility of fecal transmission route of the viruses [6] , [9] . The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (genetic material of the virus) in influent and effluent of WWTPs as well as in sludge has been reported in different countries.…”

“…The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (genetic material of the virus) in influent and effluent of WWTPs as well as in sludge has been reported in different countries. This last raised the question of the efficiency of treatment methods in eliminating the virus [4] , [6] . Although, such data do not imply infectivity of the virus, the route of possible spread of the viral through the wastewater cannot be neglected [2] , [6] , [9] .…”