Occurrence and decay of SARS-CoV-2 in community sewage drainage systems.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in over 200 countries poses a substantial threat to human health. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, can be discharged with feces into the drainage system. However, a comprehensive understanding of the occurrence, presence, and potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in sewers, especially in community sewers, is still lacking. This study investigated the virus occurrence by viral nucleic acid testing in vent stacks, septic tanks, and the main sewer outlets of community where confirmed patients had lived during the outbreak of the epidemic in Wuhan, China. The results indicated that the risk of long-term emission of SARS-CoV-2 to the environment via vent stacks of buildings was low after confirmed patients were hospitalized. SARS-CoV-2 were mainly detected in the liquid phase, as opposed to being detected in aerosols, and its RNA in the sewage of septic tanks could be detected for only four days after confirmed patients were hospitalized. The surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage could be a sensitive indicator for the possible presence of asymptomatic patients in the community, though the viral concentration could be diluted more than 10 times, depending on the sampling site, as indicated by the Escherichia coli (E. coli) test. The comprehensive investigation of the community sewage drainage system is helpful to understand the occurrence characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage after excretion with feces and the feasibility of sewage surveillance for COVID-19 pandemic monitoring.

[Preconcentration of trace Pd (II) on crosslinked chitosan and determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry].

A novel crosslinked chitosan(CCTS) not dissolved in acidic or alkaline solutions was synthesized by the crosslinking reaction of chitosan (CTS) with crosslinking agent (3-chloro-1,2-epoxypropane). The adsorption capability of Pd(II ) by CCTS was studied at different pH value. The results showed that the adsorption efficiency was above 98% after preconcentration for 20 minutes when pH values were 1-4. The effects of preconcentration time, dosage of CCTS, adsorption capacity of CCTS, sample volume, coexistent elements, and elution of Pd(II) were investigated. The mechanism of adsorption of CCTS for Pd(II) was discussed. A novel method for the preconcentration and separation of trace Pd(II) with crosslinked chitosan (CCTS) and its determination in water by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry has been developed. The detection limit (3sigma, n=8) was 0.143 microg x L(-1), the relative standard deviation(RSD) was less than 5.47%, and this preconcentration method was used to detect Pd(II) in lake water and sea water with recoveries of 92%-96%. It also can be used to recycle Pd(II).