Virus Removal from Real Wastewater as an Environmental Management Approach

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microbiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Rising antimicrobial resistance necessitates advanced water treatment methods.
• Conventional wastewater treatments struggle with emerging contaminants like viruses.
• Invasive species management can offer novel bioremediation solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Corbicula fluminea (invasive clam) in removing viruses from municipal wastewater.
• To assess the potential of using this bivalve as a pest management strategy for water disinfection.
• To correlate molecular detection (PCR) with infectivity of viruses in treated wastewater.

Main Methods:

• Collected wastewater influent and effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP).
• Exposed wastewater to Corbicula fluminea for virus removal assessment.
• Identified and quantified JC virus, norovirus (GI, GII), and hepatitis A (HAV) using PCR.
• Performed infectivity assays with mengovirus to validate PCR results.

Main Results:

• Corbicula fluminea significantly removed norovirus GI and GII within 72 hours.
• A slight reduction in JC virus concentration was observed.
• PCR detection correlated with infectious virus presence, but low levels of viable viruses remained undetectable by PCR.

Conclusions:

• Corbicula fluminea demonstrates potential as a biological agent for virus removal in wastewater treatment.
• This invasive species can be leveraged for pest management and water disinfection.
• PCR is a reliable indicator of infectious virus presence, though infectivity assays are crucial for confirming complete inactivation.