Potential Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts of the COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Test.

Massive diagnostic testing has been performed for appropriate screening and identification of COVID-19 cases in the ongoing global pandemic. However, the environmental impacts of COVID-19 diagnostics have been least considered. In this paper, the environmental impacts of the COVID-19 nucleic acid diagnostics were assessed by following a full cradle-to-grave life-cycle approach. The corresponding life-cycle anthology was established to provide quantitative analysis. Moreover, three alternative scenarios, i.e., material substitution, improved waste treatment, and electric vehicle (EV)-based transportation, were further proposed to discuss the potential environmental mitigation and conservation strategies. It was estimated that the life cycle of a single COVID-19 nucleic acid diagnostic test in China would lead to the emission of 612.9 g CO2 equiv global warming potential. Waste treatment, as a step of life cycle, worsen the environmental impacts such as global warming potential, eutrophication, and ecotoxicity. Meanwhile, diesel-driven transportation was considered as the major contributor to particulate air. Even though COVID-19 diagnostics are of the greatest importance to end the pandemic, their environmental impacts should not be ignored. It is suggested that improved approaches for waste treatment, low-carbon transportation, and a reliable pool sampling strategy are critical for the achievement of sustainable and green diagnostics.

Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the aquatic environment associated with disinfection byproducts and pharmaceuticals.

In this study, concentrations of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and COVID-19 related pharmaceuticals in wastewater effluents and surface water were measured two weeks, three months and eight months after the lockdown in Wuhan. Little temporal variation in DBP concentrations suggested intensified disinfection during the COVID-19 pandemic had limited impacts on the occurrence of DBPs in the aquatic environment. In contrast, the pandemic led to a significant increase in concentrations of lopinavir and ritonavir in wastewater effluents and surface water. The high detection frequency of these pharmaceuticals in surface water after the lockdown highlighted their mobility and persistence in the aquatic environment. The initial ecological risk assessment indicated moderate risks associated with these pharmaceuticals in surface water. As the global situation is still rapidly evolving with a continuous surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, our results suggest a pressing need for monitoring COVID-19 related pharmaceuticals as well as a systematic evaluation of their ecotoxicities in the aquatic environment.