Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Quantification and Whole Genome Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater and Air Samples
Published on: June 30, 2023
Early SARS-CoV-2 outbreak detection by sewage-based epidemiology
Gorka Orive1, Unax Lertxundi2, Damia Barcelo3
1NanoBioCel Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo de la Universidad 7, Vitoria-Gasteiz 01006, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; University Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Oral Implantology - UIRMI (UPV/EHU-Fundación Eduardo Anitua), Vitoria, Spain; Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower, Singapore.
Sewage epidemiology, or Waste-Based Epidemiology (WBE), offers a novel method for tracking COVID-19 outbreaks. This approach analyzes wastewater to reveal the true scale of the pandemic within communities linked to treatment plants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Virology
Background:
- Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an established method for tracking viral outbreaks like Hepatitis A, Poliovirus, and Norovirus.
- SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, is shed in feces and can persist in wastewater for hours to days.
- Traditional methods for COVID-19 detection, such as PCR assays, are effective but can be resource-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the utility of sewage epidemiology for monitoring COVID-19 outbreaks.
- To highlight the potential of WBE in providing early warnings and assessing the true scale of community infection.
- To discuss advancements in wastewater-based detection methods for SARS-CoV-2.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing sewage samples to detect the presence and concentration of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material.
- Employing established WBE techniques, historically used for other pathogens.
- Exploring novel, cost-effective, and rapid detection tools such as biosensors, ELISA, and paper-based assays.
Main Results:
- Wastewater analysis can accurately reflect the prevalence of COVID-19 in linked populations.
- The WBE approach provides a complementary tool for epidemiological surveillance.
- Emerging technologies promise faster and more accessible wastewater-based detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusions:
- Sewage epidemiology is a viable and valuable tool for understanding the scale of COVID-19 outbreaks.
- WBE offers a non-invasive, population-level surveillance method.
- Continued development of rapid detection tools will enhance the effectiveness of wastewater-based public health monitoring.
