Risks associated with the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage and possible approaches to limit its spread through aquatic matrices

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is a new type of coronavirus capable of infecting humans and cause the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), an illness that has causing enormous impacts in Brazil and worldwide. The disease, due to its high-level dissemination and lethality rates, was declared pandemic by the World Health Organization in the first half of 2020. Several studies have frequently indicated the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in samples from sewage networks, treatment plants and natural waters. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in those environments has raised the possibility of transmission through the contact with contaminated waters and aerosols generated during their flow or treatment. Objective: Describe detection reports of the new coronavius in samples obtained from sewage networks, from waste sludges of treatment plants and from natural water bodies, and present the viability of this virus when artificially inoculated in those environments. Method: Integrative literature review based on scientific articles written in English or Portuguese, indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and MedRxiv databases. Results: It was possible to highlight the risks that the SARS-CoV-2 poses to human and wildlife populations when present in wastewater, appropriate strategies to be used to limit the spread of this pathogen in aquatic matrices, and the importance of implementing epidemiological monitoring systems in those places. Conclusions: In order to reduce the risks of emerging and re-emerging outbreaks of COVID-19 through aqueous matrices, precautionary approaches regarding the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in those environments have been strongly recommended.