Passive sampling of viruses for wastewater-based epidemiology: a case-study of SARS-CoV-2

The shedding of pathogens by infected humans enables the use of sewage monitoring to conduct wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Although most WBE studies use data from large sewage treatment plants, timely data from smaller catchments is needed for any targeted public health action. Traditional sampling methods, like autosamplers or grab sampling, are not conducive to quick ad hoc deployments and high-resolution monitoring at these smaller scales. This study develops and validates a cheap and easily deployable passive sampler unit, made from readily available consumables, with relevance to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic but with broader use for WBE. This study provides the first evidence that passive samplers can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, demonstrating their ability at three different scales (lot, suburb and city).