The last issue of Wiley's Research Headlines highlighted part one of a study in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry that involved analysis of sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in Connecticut, and revealed trends in levels of chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and drugs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In part two of the study, investigators evaluated the relationships among detected chemical features and parallel measurements of COVID-19 metrics, including levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the sludge, COVID-19 case numbers, and hospital admissions.
The investigators found multiple chemical features that relate strongly to COVID-19 metrics and have not previously been studied in relation to wastewater and COVID-19.
Sewage sludge contains urine and feces samples from an entire population, and we are investigating chemicals in this mixture whose presence is dependent on the amount of COVID-19 infection in the community. Research from additional locations is needed to confirm our results, which could lead to new methods for tracking COVID-19."
Sara L. Nason, PhD, corresponding author, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Source:
Journal reference:
Nason, S.L., et al. (2021) Changes in Sewage Sludge Chemical Signatures During a COVID-19 Community Lockdown, Part 2: Nontargeted Analysis of Sludge and Evaluation with COVID-19 Metrics. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. doi.org/10.1002/etc.5226.
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