Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA contamination in water supply resources of Tabriz metropolitan during a peak of COVID-19 pandemic

Hamed Sabzchi-Dehkharghani; Hossein Samadi Kafil; Abolfazl Majnooni-Heris; Abbas Akbarzadeh; Rana Naderi-Ahranjani; Ahmad Fakherifard; Mohammad Mosaferi; Neda Gilani; Mojtaba Noury; Parisa Eydi; Sajjad Sayyari Sis; Nasimolzahra Toghyanian; Reza Yegani

doi:10.1007/s40899-022-00809-8

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA contamination in water supply resources of Tabriz metropolitan during a peak of COVID-19 pandemic

Sustain Water Resour Manag. 2023;9(1):21. doi: 10.1007/s40899-022-00809-8. Epub 2022 Dec 17.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
² Drug Applied Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
³ Water Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Membrane Technology Research Center, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, PO. BOX 51335/1996, Tabriz, Iran.
⁵ Health and Environment Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
⁶ Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
⁷ Iranian Water Resources Management Company, Tehran, Iran.
⁸ Parks and Green Space Organization of Tabriz Municipality, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

It is crucial to have access to clean water resources during the COVID-19 pandemic for hygiene, since virus infection through wastewater leaks in metropolitan areas can be a threat. Accurate monitoring of urban water resources during the pandemic seems to be the only way to confirm safe and infected resources. Here, in this study, the amount of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2's Ribonucleic Acid (SARS-CoV-2 RNA) in the Tabriz urban water network located in the northwest of Iran was investigated by an extensive sampling of the city's water sources at a severe peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sampling process comprised a range of water sources, including wells, qanats, water treatment facilities, dams, and reservoirs. For each sample, a combination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium chloride (NaCl) was used for concentration and a laboratory RNA-based method was conducted for quantification. Before applying the extraction and quantification procedure to real samples, the proposed concentration method was verified with synthetic serum samples for the first time. After the concentration, RNA extraction was done by the BehPrep extraction column method, and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) detection of the virus was done by Covitech COVID-19 RT-PCR kit. In none of the water supply resources, SARS-COV-2 RNA has been detected except in a sample grabbed from a well adjacent to an urban wastewater discharge point downstream. The results of molecular analysis for the positive sample showed that the CT value and concentration of the virus genome were equal to 32.57 and 5720 copies/L, respectively. Quantitative analysis of real samples shows that the city's water network was safe at the time of the study. However, given that the positive sample was exposed to wastewater leakage, periodic sampling from wells and qanats is suggested during the pandemic until it can be proven that the leakage to these water sources is impossible.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; SARS-CoV-2 RNA; Tabriz; Virus concentration; Virus quantification; Water resources.

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