Risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in natural lake bathing areas: The role of indirect indicators in water quality monitoring
Water is one of the potential routes of fast spreading of coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease, as suggested by analyses of household sewage. SARS-CoV-2 has so far not been detected in objects supplying drinking water, or in swimming pool water subjected to disinfection. Our study verified the possi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Desalination and Water Treatment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002231 |
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| Summary: | Water is one of the potential routes of fast spreading of coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease, as suggested by analyses of household sewage. SARS-CoV-2 has so far not been detected in objects supplying drinking water, or in swimming pool water subjected to disinfection. Our study verified the possibility of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus in open waters of natural bathing areas where no disinfection is conducted. The research covered three bathing areas organised in lakes of the Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland (E Poland). The results of analysis of water samples collected twice from the bathing areas in the summer season 2021 showed that irrespectively of the hydro-chemical water properties or study term, the RNA of microorganisms content was at a level of 200 ng/µl, and SARS-COV-2 ORF1ab and SARS-COV-2GEN N < 200 copies of the virus/100 ml. The concentration of Escherichia coli did not exceed the acceptable norms for bathing areas (<1000 CFU/100 ml). The bathing areas showed higher than average concentrations of ammonium ion, orthophosphates, chlorophyll “a”, turbidity, and urea in comparison to analysed sites outside the bathing areas. Statistically significant correlations with the number of bathing persons were determined for urea (P ≤ 0.01) and RNA of microorganisms (P ≤ 0.05). This suggests the possibility of the use of urea as an indirect indicator for fast (in situ) identification of human contaminants of bathing areas. The study was conducted in a period of low COVID-19 morbidity, and does not exclude the possibility of potential infection in natural waters of bathing areas. |
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| ISSN: | 1944-3986 |