Exploring adenovirus in water environments: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Adenoviruses (AdVs) have a significant impact in both medical and environmental contexts. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of AdV in different water types, such as untreated and treated wastewater, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, and other water matrices. A total of 239 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Adenoviruses were detected in various waters worldwide. The overall prevalence in water was found to be 59.2%, with the highest prevalence in untreated wastewater (83.1%) and treated wastewater (75.3%), followed by "other water matrices" (53.4%), surface water (49.5%) drinking water (22.7%), and groundwater (18.5%). Most of the studies did not assess the viability of the viruses, leading to weak links between water contamination and risk. Both human and animal AdV were found in water environments. The findings suggest that water, including drinking water, could be a significant route of AdV transmission in both developed and developing economies.

Occurrence of Hepatitis A Virus in Water Matrices: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Hepatitis A is a common form of viral hepatitis. It is usually transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. This systematic review was carried out to summarise the overall prevalence of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) in different water matrices: untreated and treated wastewater, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, and others (e.g., irrigation water and floodwater). The literature search was performed in four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Global Index Medicus, and Excerpta Medica Database. Heterogeneity (I2) was assessed using the χ2 test on the Cochran Q statistic and H parameters. A total of 200 prevalence data from 144 articles were included in this meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of HAV in water matrices was 16.7% (95% CI: 13.4−20.3). The prevalence for individual matrix was as follows: 31.4% (95% CI: 23.0−40.4) untreated wastewater, 18.0% (95% CI: 9.5−28.2) treated wastewater, 15.0% (95% CI: 10.1−20.5) surface water, 2.3% (95% CI: 0.1−6.0) in groundwater, 0.3% (95% CI: 0.0−1.7) in drinking water, and 8.5% (95% CI: 3.1−15.6) in other matrices. The prevalence was higher in low-income economies (29.0%). Africa and Eastern Mediterranean were the regions with higher HAV prevalence values. This study showed a high heterogeneity (I2 > 75%) with a significant publication bias (p value Egger test < 0.001). The results of this review suggest that water matrices could be an important route of HAV transmission even in industrialized countries, despite the lower prevalence compared to less industrialized countries, and the availability of advanced water management systems. More effective water/wastewater treatment strategies are needed in developing countries to limit the environmental circulation of HAV.

Photodegradation of N-nitrosodimethylamine under 365 nm Light Emitting Diode Irradiation

The photodegradation of NDMA has been extensively investigated under the irradiation of low-pressure or medium-pressure Hg lamps and xenon lamp. However, NDMA photolysis remains unknown under 365 nm ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED) irradiation. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation on NDMA photodegradation by 365 nm UV-LED illumination. The quantum yield of NDMA photolysis under 365 nm UV-LED irradiation was determined to be 0.0312 ± 0.0047. The influence of pH on NDMA photodegradation was found to be wavelength dependent. Compared with distilled and deionized water (DDW), tap water inhibited NDMA photodegradation, but secondary wastewater effluent did not. Based on the quantification of NDMA photolysis products and pH influence, the photooxidation of the excited NDMA in the nonprotonated form was proposed to be a major pathway for NDMA photodegradation under the irradiation of UV-LED lamp at 365 nm. This study further enhances our knowledge on NDMA photodegradation. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Quantum yield of NDMA photolysis at 365 nm was determined to be 0.0312 ± 0.0047. The influence of pH on NDMA photodegradation was wavelength dependent. NDMA photodegradation was inhibited in tap water compared with that in DDW. NDMA photodegradation in SWE was similar to that in DDW. Excited nonprotonated NDMA photooxidation is a major degradation pathway.

A Review on the Degradation of Pollutants by Fenton-Like Systems Based on Zero-Valent Iron and Persulfate: Effects of Reduction Potentials, pH, and Anions Occurring in Waste Waters

Among the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), the Fenton reaction has attracted much attention in recent years for the treatment of water and wastewater. This review provides insight into a particular variant of the process, where soluble Fe(II) salts are replaced by zero-valent iron (ZVI), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is replaced by persulfate (S2O82-). Heterogeneous Fenton with ZVI has the advantage of minimizing a major problem found with homogeneous Fenton. Indeed, the precipitation of Fe(III) at pH > 4 interferes with the recycling of Fe species and inhibits oxidation in homogeneous Fenton; in contrast, suspended ZVI as iron source is less sensitive to the increase of pH. Moreover, persulfate favors the production of sulfate radicals (SO4•-) that are more selective towards pollutant degradation, compared to the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) produced in classic, H2O2-based Fenton. Higher selectivity means that degradation of SO4•--reactive contaminants is less affected by interfering agents typically found in wastewater; however, the ability of SO4•- to oxidize H2O/OH- to •OH makes it difficult to obtain conditions where SO4•- is the only reactive species. Research results have shown that ZVI-Fenton with persulfate works best at acidic pH, but it is often possible to get reasonable degradation at pH values that are not too far from neutrality. Moreover, inorganic ions that are very common in water and wastewater (Cl-, HCO3-, CO32-, NO3-, NO2-) can sometimes inhibit degradation by scavenging SO4•- and/or •OH, but in other cases they even enhance the process. Therefore, ZVI-Fenton with persulfate might perform unexpectedly well in some saline waters, although the possible formation of harmful by-products upon oxidation of the anions cannot be ruled out.

Sonoelectrochemical Degradation of Propyl Paraben: An Examination of the Synergy in Different Water Matrices

The synergistic action of anodic oxidation using boron-doped diamond and low-frequency ultrasound in different water matrices and operating conditions for the decomposition of the emerging contaminant propyl paraben was investigated. The degree of synergy was found to decrease with an increase in current in the range 1.25–6.25 mA/cm² or the ultrasound power until 36 W/L, where a further decrease was observed. Despite the fact that the increased propyl paraben concentration decreased the observed kinetic constant for both the separated and the hybrid process, the degree of synergy was increased from 37.3 to 43.4% for 0.5 and 2 mg/L propyl paraben, respectively. Bicarbonates (100–250 mg/L) or humic acid (10–20 mg/L) enhanced the synergy significantly by up to 55.8%, due to the higher demand for reactive oxygen species. The presence of chloride ions decreased the observed synergistic action in comparison with ultrapure water, possibly due to the electro-generation of active chlorine that diffuses to the bulk solution. The same behavior was observed with the secondary effluent that contained almost 68 mg/L of chlorides. The efficiency was favored in a neutral medium, while the hybrid process was delayed in alkaline conditions.

Carbon and Tin-Based Polyacrylonitrile Hybrid Architecture Solid Phase Microextraction Fiber for the Detection and Quantification of Antibiotic Compounds in Aqueous Environmental Systems

In this study, the detection and quantification of multiple classes of antibiotics in water matrices are proposed using a lab-made solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The lab-made fiber was prepared using a graphene oxide (G), carbon nanotubes (C), and titanium dioxide (T) composite, namely GCT, with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as supporting material. The detected antibiotics were enrofloxacin, sulfathiazole, erythromycin, and trimethoprim. The custom-made fiber was found to be superior compared with a commercial C18 fiber. The excellent reproducibility and lower intra-fiber relative standard deviations (RSDs 1.8% to 6.8%) and inter-fiber RSDs (4.5% to 8.8%) made it an ideal candidate for the detection of traces of antibiotics in real environmental samples. The proposed validated method provides a satisfactory limit of detection and good linear ranges with higher (>0.99) coefficient of determination in the aqueous system. Application of the method was made in different real water systems such as river, pond and tap water using the standard spiking method. Excellent sensitivity, reproducibility, lower amount of sample detection and higher recovery was found in a real water sample. Therefore, the extraction method was successfully applied to the detection and quantification of multiple classes of antibiotics in different aqueous systems with satisfactory results.