Volume 10, Issue 3 (September 2025)
J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2025, 10(3): 2734-2745 |
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Feizi R, Jaafarzadeh N, Panahi Fard M, Neisi N, Dargahi A, Mehrbakhsh M. Hospital Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA: Association With COVID-19 Cases and Insights into Environmental Persistence. J Environ Health Sustain Dev 2025; 10 (3) :2734-2745
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-975-en.html
URL: http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-975-en.html
Rozhan Feizi 
, Neematollah Jaafarzadeh , Masoud Panahi Fard * , Niloofar Neisi , Abdollah Dargahi , Maryam Mehrbakhsh
, Neematollah Jaafarzadeh , Masoud Panahi Fard * , Niloofar Neisi , Abdollah Dargahi , Maryam Mehrbakhsh
Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract: (53 Views)
Introduction: Analyzing municipal wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA serves as a cost-effective and timely tool for epidemiological surveillance to mitigate virus-related health risks. Therefore, this study assessed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in untreated hospital wastewater and its correlation with COVID-19 case numbers over six months at Shahidzadeh Hospital in southwest Iran.
Materials and Methods: In this analytical investigation, a total of 24 grab samples of untreated hospital wastewater were systematically collected over six months, spanning from September 2020 to February 2021. Each sample was subsequently processed and analyzed using a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) approach, with specific amplification targeting both the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene and the nucleocapsid (N) gene of SARS-CoV-2.
Results: All 24 wastewater samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Concentrations ranged between 130 to 490 gene copies/100 mL, with mean values increasing from 247 (September) to 425 (February). RNA levels were strongly correlated with hospitalized COVID-19 cases (Spearman’s p < 0.05, R² = 0.87).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the value of hospital wastewater surveillance as a cost-effective epidemiological tool, particularly in settings with limited diagnostic capacity. Future research should investigate viral viability and optimize disinfection strategies to reduce potential environmental risk.
Materials and Methods: In this analytical investigation, a total of 24 grab samples of untreated hospital wastewater were systematically collected over six months, spanning from September 2020 to February 2021. Each sample was subsequently processed and analyzed using a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) approach, with specific amplification targeting both the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene and the nucleocapsid (N) gene of SARS-CoV-2.
Results: All 24 wastewater samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Concentrations ranged between 130 to 490 gene copies/100 mL, with mean values increasing from 247 (September) to 425 (February). RNA levels were strongly correlated with hospitalized COVID-19 cases (Spearman’s p < 0.05, R² = 0.87).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the value of hospital wastewater surveillance as a cost-effective epidemiological tool, particularly in settings with limited diagnostic capacity. Future research should investigate viral viability and optimize disinfection strategies to reduce potential environmental risk.
Type of Study: Original articles |
Subject:
Environmental microbiology
Received: 2025/06/16 | Accepted: 2025/08/20 | Published: 2025/09/30
Received: 2025/06/16 | Accepted: 2025/08/20 | Published: 2025/09/30
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