The present study evaluated the river water quality improvement by implementation of household-based biodigesters in vulnerability and poverty rural area, in Minas Gerais State-Brazil. For that, 78 household-based biodigesters were installed for domestic wastewater treatment. Wastewater was collected before and after treatment and the physicochemical parameters and pathogens removal (human adenovirus (HAdV), hepatitis A (HAV) virus, Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli) were evaluated; Additionally, river water was sampled before and after the household-based biodigesters implementation, to verify the contamination reduction and the positive impact of domestic wastewater treatment on waterborne pathogen reduction, considering HAdV, HAV, Salmonella sp. and E. coli quantification. The applicability in real-scale of decentralized treatment systems using household-based biodigesters promoted reduction of 90, 99, 99.99 and 99.999% from HAV, Salmonella sp., E. coli and HAdV from domestic wastewater, respectively; The river water quality improvement before the wastewater treatment application was highlight in the present study, considering that the reduction of waterborne pathogens in this water in 90, 99.99 and 99.999% of E. coli, HAV and HAdV, respectively (Salmonella sp. was not detected in river water). In general, this is an important study for encouraging the decentralized sanitation in vulnerable and poverty area, as well in rural sites, considering the positive impact of this implementation on public health.

Profiling bathing waters supported by Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is key to the WHO's recommendations for the 2020/2021 revision of the European Bathing Water Directive. We developed an area-specific QMRA model on four pathogens, using fecal indicator concentrations (E. coli, enterococci) for calculating pathogen loads. The predominance of illness was found to be attributable to Human Adenovirus, followed by Salmonella, Vibrio, and Norovirus. Overall, the cumulative illness risk showed a median of around 1 case/10000 exposures. The risk estimates were strongly influenced by the indicators that were used, suggesting the need for a more detailed investigation of the different sources of fecal contamination. Area-specific threshold values for fecal indicators were estimated on a risk-basis by modelling the cumulative risk against E. coli and enterococci concentrations. To improve bathing waters assessment, we suggest considering source apportionment, locally estimating of pathogen/indicator ratios, and calculating site-specific indicators thresholds based on risk assessment.

Anthropogenic contamination of beaches in the south of Brazil was assessed by detection of Escherichia coli, human mastadenovirus species C (HAdV-C) and F (HAdV-F) and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Sampling was carried out in October (2016), and in January, April and July (2017). Water, sediment, sea surface microlayer (SML), bivalves, and air sentinel samples were evaluated. Quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) was used to estimate the probability of swimmer infection. HAdV-C was present in 26% of the samples, for both qPCR and viral isolation. The highest rates of detection in genomic copies (GC) were in water (2.42E+10 GC/L), SML (2.08E+10 GC/L), sediment (3.82E+08 GC/g) and bivalves (3.91E+07 GC/g). QMRA estimated daily and annual risks with a maximum value (9.99E-01) in almost all of the samples. Viable HAdV-C was often detected in the SML, pointing that this is a source of infection for people bathing in these waters.

Because of health concerns regarding the presence of enteric viruses in wastewater effluents, this study was designed to investigate the occurrence of human adenovirus (HAdV) in the irrigation water-soil-crop continuum. Viral particles were extracted from wastewater and wastewater- or water-irrigated soil and crop samples and analyzed using real-time PCR. Concentration of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were also determined. Quantitative microbial risk assessment was performed to determine the HAdV illness risk associated with the consumption of wastewater-irrigated vegetables. HAdV-F was detected in 74% of wastewater effluent samples with a mean concentration of 38 Genomic Copy (GC)/mL. HAdV was also detected in wastewater-irrigated soil (2 × 10² GC/g) and crop (< 10 GC/g) samples, with no statistically significant difference in concentrations between wastewater- and freshwater-irrigated samples. The results showed no correlation between concentrations of FIB and HAdV in the analyzed samples. Mean probability of illness risk from consumption of wastewater-irrigated vegetables was 4 × 10⁻¹ per person per year (pppy) which was about two orders of magnitude higher than the proposed value by WHO (10⁻³ pppy) for safe reuse of wastewater. This finding suggests that the wastewater reuse for irrigation of vegetables eaten raw could pose a threat to human health with respect to the risk of viral illness, signifying stricter management of wastewater reuse. However, because of uncertainties in the QMRA model, particularly the ratio of infectious to non-infectious virus particles, more data is required to validate the predicted risk. This information is especially important in arid and semi-arid regions where high temperatures, UV radiation intensity, and desiccation can efficiently inactivate microorganisms in the environment.

Adenoviruses are emerging pathogens which may represent new indicators of microbial water quality. In the present study, environmental samples of seawater, estuarine water, and influents of sewage treatment plants underwent both standard bacteriological and viral analyses (adenovirus identification, typing and quantification) in order to evaluate the role of surface water contamination as a possible vehicle for the transmission of adenovirus, and the relevance of adenoviruses as an additional tool in water quality assessment. Qualitative PCR methods were used for the detection and typing of adenoviruses. This was done through the sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of segments of the hexon- and fiber-coding regions of the viral genome. Subsequently, quantitative PCR assays based on TaqMan probe hydrolysis technology were used to assess virus concentrations in environmental samples. Results showed a widespread presence of adenovirus in the environment, even in the absence of bacterial indicators, confirming the relevance of evaluating these viruses as possible indicators of viral contamination of water.

The present study reports the monitoring of viruses indicating fecal contamination in two distinct regions affected by poor management of wastewater located above the Guarani Aquifer, which is one of the biggest freshwater reservoirs in the world. In the city of Três Lagoas (located in the Midwest region, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul), water samples were collected from Lagoa Maior, a lake used for recreation, and in Concórdia (located in the South region, in the state of Santa Catarina), from the Queimados River, which crosses the urban area. Four sampling sites were monitored from March to July 2018 in Lagoa Maior, and four sampling sites were monitored along the urban part of the Queimados River area over two periods (rainy and dry). Water samples were analyzed by concentration of Human adenovirus (HAdV), Norovirus (NoV), Rotavirus A (RAV), and Hepatitis A virus (HAV) for the Lagoa Maior samples and RVA, HAV, and Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) for the Queimados River samples. All sampling sites presented enteric viruses, demonstrating fecal input and potential contamination of groundwater. Results highlight the need for wastewater management to improve environmental health quality.

Fresh produce irrigated with surface water that may contain pathogens such as enteric viruses can lead to outbreaks of foodborne viral illnesses. In the current study, we performed real-time PCR (qPCR) to monitor the presence of enteric viruses such as human adenoviruses (HAdVs), hepatitis A virus (HAV), rotavirus group A (RVA), and norovirus GI (NoV GI) in surface water and fresh produce that were grown using this surface water in Egypt. Samples were collected on four occasions from different sites located in the Delta and in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Of the 32 water samples and 128 fresh produce samples, 27/32 (84.3%) and 99/128 (77.3%), respectively, were positive for at least one virus. HAdV (30/32) with a mean viral load = 1.5 × 10⁷ genome copies/L (GC/L) was the most commonly detected virus in water, followed by RVA (16/32, with a mean viral load = 2.7 × 10⁵ GC/L), HAV (11/32, with a mean viral load = 1.2 × 10⁴ GC /L), and NoV GI (10/32, with a mean viral load = 3.5 × 10³ GC/L). Additionally, HAdV (71/128, with a mean viral load = 9.8 × 10⁵ GC/g) was also the most commonly detected virus in the fresh produce, followed by NoV GI (43/128, with a mean viral load = 4.5 × 10³ GC/g), HAV (33/128, with a mean viral load = 6.4 × 10³ GC/g), and RVA (25/128, with a mean viral load = 1.5 × 10⁴ GC/g). Our results indicate that fresh produce may be contaminated with a wide range of enteric viruses, and these viruses may originate from virus-contaminated irrigation water. Moreover, this fresh produce may serve as a potential vector for the transmission of viral foodborne illnesses. These findings are important for future risk assessment analysis related to water/foodborne viruses. Graphical abstract . Please provide caption for Graphical AbstractGraphical abstract showing sample collection and processing

The Brazilian Biodigester Septic Tank (BBST) is an on-site appropriate technology for blackwater treatment, which was developed to yield an effluent suitable for agricultural use. Although several studies have proven its efficacy for secondary blackwater treatment, there are few published studies about the microbiological quality of its effluent, and most of them focus on the quantification of total or thermotolerant coliforms. This study evaluates the performance of a BBST for the removal of human adenovirus (HAdV), Enterococcus spp., Salmonella sp., and Escherichia coli. The results further clarify the safety and risks associated with the reuse of the obtained effluent. The full-scale system consists of three 1.2 m³ interconnected reactors, with a blackwater input of 0.045 m³/day, and hydraulic retention time of 80 days. Six sample campaigns were performed at different stages of the monthly operating cycle. The system presented an average removal efficiency of 5.09 log₁₀ for E. coli, 3.22 log₁₀ for Enterococcus spp., 1.2 log₁₀ for Salmonella sp., and 3.0 log₁₀ for HAdV. According to the World Health Organization standards, the obtained effluent is suitable for subsurface irrigation, and for use in crops that develop distant from the soil or highly mechanized crop systems.

Typical recreational water risk to swimmers is assessed using epidemiologically derived correlations by means of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). It has been documented that concentrations of FIB do not necessarily correlate well with protozoa and viral pathogens, which pose an actual threat of illness and thus sometimes may not adequately assess the overall microbial risks from water resources. Many of the known pathogens have dose-response relationships; however, measuring water quality for all possible pathogens is impossible. In consideration of a typical freshwater receiving secondarily treated effluent, we investigated the level of consistency between the indicator-derived correlations and the sum of risks from six reference pathogens using a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) approach. Enterococci and E. coli were selected as the benchmark FIBs, and norovirus, human adenovirus (HAdV), Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enterica, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp. were selected as the reference pathogens. Microbial decay rates in freshwater and uncertainties in exposure relationships were considered in developing our analysis. Based on our exploratory assessment, the total risk was found within the range of risk estimated by the indicator organisms, with viral pathogens as dominant risk agents, followed by protozoan and bacterial pathogens. The risk evaluated in this study captured the likelihood of gastrointestinal illnesses only, and did not address the overall health risk potential of recreational waters with respect to other disease endpoints. Since other highly infectious pathogens like hepatitis A and Legionella spp. were not included in our analysis, these estimates should be interpreted with caution.

The presence of caffeine in environmental water samples is almost entirely human-related, given that there are virtually no industrial or agricultural releases. Caffeine has already been proposed as an anthropogenic marker for wastewater contamination of surface waters. The aim of this study was to evaluate if caffeine concentrations in water can be a predictor of virological and bacteriological contamination. Water samples were taken at three sampling sites from urban water streams from the hydrographic basin of the Sinos River (Brazil) monthly in the period of May 9th, 2016 to April 11th, 2017 (n = 36). Concentrations of Human mastadenovirus (HAdV-F and HAdV-C), fecal coliforms, and caffeine were measured in all collected samples. Concentrations of caffeine in water were strongly correlated with HAdV-F (rₛ = 0.704, p = 0.000). This study, for the first time, characterized caffeine concentrations in water as predictors of virus presence, with cut-off values presenting 92.9% specificity and 95.5% sensitivity for HAdV-F and 66.7% specificity and 80% sensitivity for HAdV-C. Considering its marked chemical stability and ease of quantification, caffeine concentrations can be used as a comprehensive marker of human contamination of water resources, also being predictive of bacteriological and virological concentrations.