ABSTRACT
Viruses and other microorganisms can enter water sources from different routes and cause pollution and irreparable damage. So, cost-effective and efficient systems for providing safe water are necessary. Efficient filtration systems based on antimicrobial materials have received a lot of attention in this regard. A wide range of materials play an important role in the production of efficient water filtration systems. Metal and metal oxide particles with anti-viral and antimicrobial properties comprising Cu, Cu2O, Ag, TiO2, and ZnO play a valuable role in the preparation of water filtration systems. Biopolymers such as cellulose or carbon nanomaterials like graphene or its derivatives have been reported to provide safe water. In this review, we summarize the use of diverse materials in the preparation of efficient filtration-based systems like membranes and paper filters for water treatment. Pathogen-containing water samples were effectively disinfected using the prepared water disinfection systems.Copyright © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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The present research deals with the Risk assessment of groundwater quality. 79 groundwater samples were collected from domestic and agricultural usage open and bore wells during January 2021(COVID-19 Pandemic Period). Groundwater samples were tested to determine the physicochemical parameters using standard testing procedure for the preparation of spatial distribution maps of each parameter based on the World Health Organization (WHO) standard. Multivariate statistical analysis has shown the source of groundwater pollution from secondary leaching of chemical weathering of rocks. From the Water Quality Index and bivariate plot reveals that less than 20% of the area comes under high and very high-risk zone. The types of hardness diagram showed 32.91% of the samples fall in hard brackish water as illustrated by the Piper trilinear diagram. The research outcome result shows that the least percentage of industrials effluents due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not working for all industries during lock down period.
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The development of sensitive and affordable testing devices for infectious diseases is essential to preserve public health, especially in pandemic scenarios. In this work, we have developed an attractive analytical method to monitor products of genetic amplification, particularly the loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction (RT-LAMP). The method is based on electrochemical impedance measurements and the distribution of relaxation times model, to provide the so-called time-constant-domain spectroscopy (TCDS). The proposed method is tested for the SARS-CoV-2 genome, since it has been of worldwide interest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, once the method is calibrated, its performance is demonstrated using real wastewater samples. Moreover, we propose a simple classification algorithm based on TCDS data to discriminate among positive and negative samples. Results show how a TCDS-based method provides an alternative mechanism for label-free and automated assays, exhibiting robustness and specificity for genetic detection.
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The continuous outbreak of COVID-19 results in a large number of therapeutic drugs inevitably entering water bodies through different pathways, and there are problems of accurate and rapid detection in the treatment and ecological evaluation of these drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a method for simultaneous detection of multiple antiviral drugs for treatment of COVID-19 in water. A method for the simultaneous detection of 8 antiviral drugs（ribavirin, oseltamivir, nevirapine, lamivudine,abacavir, stavudine, acyclovir and penciclovir） in source water was developed by optimizing the determining parameters of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry（LC-MS/MS）. The daughter ion response values of 8 antiviral drugs in this method were relatively high, which was beneficial to the detection of target compounds. The correlation coefficient（r） of the standard curve of 8 antiviral drugs was not less than 0.995 0, the method detection limit（MDL） and the lower limit of determination were in the range of 0.004-0.081 μg/L and 0.013-0.267 μg/L, respectively, and the spike recoveries and RSDs of actual water samples were 81.61%-113.03% and 0.84%-8.12%, respectively.
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While Rwanda is aiming at environmental pollution resilience and green growth, some industries are still discharging untreated effluent into the environment. This study gives a general overview of the compliance level of industrial effluent discharge in Rwanda and the linked negative environmental impacts. It comprises qualitative and quantitative analyses of data obtained from wastewater samples collected from five selected industries in Rwanda. The selected industries had previously been audited and monitored by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), due to complains from neighboring residents. The study found that the effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for all concerned industries failed to comply with (i) oil and grease (O&G) national and international tolerable parameter limits or the (ii) fecal coliforms national standard. In addition, a compliance level of 66.7% was observed for key water quality monitoring parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and heavy metals (i.e., lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr)). Following these study findings, one industry was closed by the REMA for deliberately discharging untreated effluent into an adjacent river. This study recommends the adoption of the best available technology for effluent treatment, installation or renovation of existing WWTPs, and the relocation to industrial zones of industries adjacent to fragile environments.
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Most sewer networks collect domestic wastewater and a variable proportion of extraneous water, such as rainwater, through surface runoff and industrial discharges. Accounting for wastewater dilution is essential to properly quantify wastewater particle loads, whether these are molecular fragments of SARS-CoV-2, or other substances of interest such as illicit drugs or microplastics. This paper presents a novel method for obtaining real-time estimates of wastewater dilution and total daily volume through wastewater treatment works, namely when flow data is not available or unreliable. The approach considers the levels of several physico-chemical markers (ammonia, electrical conductivity, and orthophosphate) in the wastewater against their dry-weather levels. Using high-resolution data from the national Wastewater Surveillance Programme of Wales, we illustrate how the method is robust to spikes in markers and can recover peaks in wastewater flow measurements that may have been capped by hydraulic relief valves. We show the method proves effective in normalising SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in wastewater samples and discuss other applications for this method, looking at wastewater surveillance as a vital tool to monitor both human and environmental health.
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The war in Ukraine only served to worsen the situation as Russia is Sri Lanka’s third biggest export market for tea and, together with Ukraine, are major sources of tourist arrivals. <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block;width: 0px;overflow: hidden;line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> In April, the Rajapaksa government announced that it would default on payment to creditors totalling a staggering US$51 billion and begin a loan restructuring process. Vithanage, who is doing research on chronic kidney disease that affects farmers in remote rural areas, says it has become prohibitively expensive to do basic work, such as collecting water samples and talking to patients. “Initially, we cooked at our boarding house, but now we are forced to buy food from outside due to shortage of gas, but buying food outside is costly as prices doubled over a year,” says Madushika Sewwandi, a chemical technology graduate student from Matara, a town in southern Sri Lanka.
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The Association of the Chemical Engineers of Serbia has organized the 11th proficiency testing (PT) scheme for laboratories on March 22, 2022, in Kru"sevac, in which 33 laboratories from the region took part with more than 100 experts in water quality analysis. March 22 is celebrated each year as the World Water Day and in the present time of COVID-19 pandemic the scheme was one of the rare events that aimed to draw attention to this important day. The host was the Public Utility Company "Vodovod-Kru"sevac" and its water factory in Majdevo near the city of Kru"sevac at the lake ??elije, which supplies the city and the surroundings with drinking water. This company has been rapidly growing in recent years and expanding its distribution network. The participants rated the PT scheme as excellent and as one of the rare occasions for them to meet the colleagues and exchange experiences in laboratory practices. The event was covered by the local media and the Radio Television of Serbia.
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There are a range of spatial scales addressed in the papers, from the individual building scale to the cargo ship (Coxon et al., 'Exploring opportunities for sewage testing on cargo ships as a tool to screen seafarers for COVID-19'), subcatchment to sewershed (Nicoll et al., 'Neighbourhood-scale wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19'), and city to national (Gilpin et al., A pilot study of wastewater monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 in New Zealand' and Trowsdale et al., 'Establishing New Zealand's national pathogen surveillance system using wastewater-based epidemiology');and all the papers make use of the international literature to provide context for what is a global pandemic. Marrying such information with environmental water samples collected on a daily or weekly basis is problematic. Repurposing data also raises important ethical questions of ownership, confidentiality and responsibility that need to be asked to ensure what we scientists do is both good and right (Price and Trowsdale, 'The ethics of wastewater surveillance for public health').
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Limited information is available regarding chemical water quality at the tap in Guatemala City, preventing individuals, water utilities, and public health authorities from making data-driven decisions related to water quality. To address this need, 113 participants among households served by a range of water providers across the Guatemala City metropolitan area were recruited as participatory scientists to collect first-draw and flushed tap water samples at their residence. Samples were transported to the U.S. and analyzed for 20 metals and 25 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). At least one metal exceeded the Guatemalan Maximum Permissible Limit (MPL) for drinking water in 63% of households (n = 71). Arsenic and lead exceeded the MPL in 33.6% (n = 38) and 8.9% (n = 10) of samples, respectively. Arsenic was strongly associated with groundwater while lead occurrence was not associated with location, water source, or provider. One or more PFAS were detected in 19% of samples (n = 21, range 2.1–64.2 ppt). PFAS were significantly associated with the use of plastic water storage tanks but not with location, water source, or provider. Overall, the high prevalence of arsenic above the MPL in Guatemala City tap water represents a potential health risk that current water treatment processes are not optimized to remove. Furthermore, potential contaminants from premise plumbing and storage, including lead and PFAS, represent additional risks requiring further investigation and public engagement.
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Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were investigated in five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), groundwater, irrigated soils, and plants in Amman and Al-Balqa governorates in Jordan. PPCPs were extracted from water samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). Carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, ceftiofur, diclofenac, erythromycin, lincomycin, ofloxacin, pyrimthamine, spiramycin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, testosterone, trimethoprim, and thiamphenicol were detected in all raw wastewaters in μg/L, whereas 45 PPCPs were below the detection limits (<0.02 μg/L) in all samples. Na`ur and Abu Nuseir WWTPs showed high PPCPs removal efficiencies in comparison with AL-Baqa`a, Salt, and Fuhais-Mahis WWTPs. Boqorreya spring showed signs of contamination by Salt WWTP effluents as a result of mixing. Irrigation with effluents showed higher carbamazepine concentrations in soils at the top soil layers (0 to 20 cm) in all farms than its concentrations at the root zone (20 to 40 cm) by using drip irrigation system with various plants. In plants, carbamazepine concentration was only detected in high concentration level in mint leaves. In the same farm, diclofenac concentration was detected only in olives and not in twigs and leaves, indicating a high rate of plant uptake especially during the olive’s growth period. Furthermore, plant fruits, leaves, and stems left on the farm after harvesting are generally consumed by cattle, which means entering the food chain of humans.
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During January and February, 2021, SeaSatellites Inc, (Seasats) in collaboration with the Scripps Ecological Observatory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, conducted a series of sea trials to demonstrate the capability of collecting ocean water samples using a newly developed Programmable Water Sampling System (ProWaSS) that had been integrated into a solar/battery powered 3m (9.0ft) Seasats Autonomous Surface Vehicle. During the past decade there has been a steady growth in the number of autonomous surface vehicles being deployed to conduct a variety of missions ranging in duration of only a few hours to multiple days, weeks and in some cases multiple months. For many, the idea of deploying an autonomous surface vehicle for extended periods of time, in all- weather conditions while still performing the allotted tasks is a welcomed option. Alleviating the need to go to sea for long periods and now having seen the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic curtailing crewed ship activities, the autonomous surface and subsurface vehicle option has proven invaluable. Collecting water samples for microbial and eDNA analysis is key to better understanding the health of marine ecosystems. For example, knowing the location and density of organisms capable of producing a harmful algal bloom (HAB) is critical to predicting their landfall on beaches where they impact the health and safety of humans and marine wildlife with a potential for substantial financial loss due to closure of recreational and commercial enterprises on our coasts. One way to provide an early warning of HABs landing on coastal beaches is through regular offshore water sampling at HAB initiation sites. This can sometimes be challenging due to rough seas and the unavailability or expense of vessels. The Seasats autonomous surface vehicle equipped with a Programmable Water Sampling System (ProWaSS) allows sampling to commence when other types of sampling are difficult or impossible or crewed vessels are unavailable or operationally prohibited. Trials of the ProWaSS demonstrated the ability to repeatedly collect water samples at pre-determined GPS waypoints offshore of Scripps Pier, return to the pier where the Seasats vehicle was quickly and easily recovered and the samples sent to the laboratory for analysis. This paper and presentation describe the Seasats vehicle and the ProWaSS and presents the results of the water sample analysis provided by Dr Jeff Bowman and Elizabeth Connors from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, and proposed further development to expand the ProWaSS to accommodate additional water samples and the inclusion of data from CTD and fluorometer sensors. © 2021 MTS.
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The consumption of illicit drugs represents a global social and economic problem. Using suitable analytical methods, monitoring, and detection of different illegal drugs residues and their metabolites in wastewater samples can help combat this problem. Our article defines a method to develop, validate, and practically applicate a rapid and robust analytical process for the evaluation of six naturally occurring cannabinoids (CBG, CBD, CBDV, CBN, THC, THCV), two cannabinoids in acidic form (CBDA, THCA-A), and the major cannabis-related human metabolite (THC-COOH). After SPE offline enrichment, we used a UPLC–ESI-MS/MS system, which permitted the determination of several by-products. Studied matrices were samples of different origins: (i) effluent water from a wastewater treatment plant in the Porto urban area;(ii) environmental water from Febros River, the last left-bank tributary of the Douro River. The multi-residue approach was substantiated and successfully employed to analyze the water samples collected in the above locations. The rapid and precise quantification of nine different cannabinoids in different water samples occurred within nine minutes at the ng L−1 level. The appearance of dozens of ng L−1 of some cannabis secondary metabolites, such as CBD, CBDA, CBN, THCA-A, indicates this plant species’ widespread usage among the general population in the considered area.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has become a planetary concern that affecting the sustenance of the human population all around the globe. The effective measured has been taken in Malaysia to control the virus transmission by limiting the human vitality which unsurprisingly propitious to the environment. A monitoring study was conducted to assess the water quality status of surface seawater along the Port Dickson coast based on the Malaysian Marine Water Quality Index (MMWQI) and Malaysian Marine Water Quality Standards (MMWQCS) with an interval period of a year (March 2020-March 2021). In situ, water quality parameters incorporate temperature, pH, salinity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and total dissolved solids (TDS) were measured at 14 sampling sites to evaluate the biochemical characteristics of water. Surface water samples were collected from the same sites and transported back to Universiti Putra Malaysia for nitrate (NO3-), ammonia (NH3), phosphate (PO4), biochemical oxygen demands (BOD), fecal coliform (Escherichia coli), and total suspended solids (TSS) analyses. The MMWQI showed the status of surface water from the Port Dickson coast was classified as moderate quality (50.41 - 64.05) for both sampling events. However, there are some indexes that showed significant decreases (p< 0.05) in the latter year. The concentration of nutrient pollution such as phosphate, nitrates, ammonia, fecal coliform as well as oil and grease, was decreased by 11.12%, 77.39%, 82.4%, 90.26%, and 99.9% respectively. The water parameters namely TDS, pH, and BOD levels were significantly decreased by 1.77%, 20.73%, and 77.16%. Certain parameters listed in the MMWQS such as temperature, pH, ammonia, fecal coliform, oil and grease were classified as Class 1 in March 2021. These occurrences recorded were greatly influenced by the reduction of the substantial human activities around the recreational beach of Port Dickson followed by the declaration of Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia.