Fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 from COVID-19 patients and presence of the viral RNA in wastewater have extensively been reported. Some wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes generate aerosols which have the potential to transmit pathogenic microorganisms and present a health risk for exposed individuals. We analyzed the presence of viral RNA of SARS-CoV-2 in raw wastewater and air samples of WWTPs. The risk that may arise from exposure to virus-contaminated aerosols of wastewater was estimated by developing a quantitative microbial risk analysis (QMRA) method. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 9 of 24 (37.5%) wastewater samples with a concentration about 10⁴ genomic copies L^-1. The viral RNA was also detected in 40% (6/15) of air samples. QMRA analysis showed a relatively high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection for wastewater workers via exposure to the viral aerosols. The estimated annual infection risk ranged from 1.1 × 10^-2 to 2.3 × 10^-2 per person per year (PPPY) for wastewater workers which was higher than the reference level recommended by WHO (10^-3 pppy). However, due to the lack of data on survival of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and its fate in aerosolized state, more research is needed to determine the importance of wastewater in transmission of COVID-19.

已广泛报道了 COVID-19 患者从粪便中排出的 SARS-CoV-2 以及废水中病毒 RNA 的存在。一些污水处理厂 (WWTP) 过程会产生气溶胶，这些气溶胶有可能传播病原微生物，并对暴露的个体构成健康风险。我们分析了污水处理厂的原始废水和空气样本中 SARS-CoV-2 病毒 RNA 的存在。通过开发一种定量微生物风险分析 (QMRA) 方法来评估暴露于被病毒污染的废水气溶胶可能产生的风险。在 24 个（37.5%）废水样本中的 9 个中检测到 SARS-CoV-2，浓度约为 10 ⁴基因组拷贝 L ^-1. 在 40% (6/15) 的空气样本中也检测到病毒 RNA。QMRA 分析显示，污水处理工人通过接触病毒气溶胶而感染 SARS-CoV-2 的风险相对较高。污水工人的估计年感染风险范围为每人每年1.1 × 10 ^-2至 2.3 × 10 ^-2 (PPPY)，高于 WHO 推荐的参考水平 (10 ^-3 pppy)。然而，由于缺乏关于 SARS-CoV-2 在废水中的存活及其在雾化状态下的归宿的数据，需要更多的研究来确定废水在 COVID-19 传播中的重要性。