Bidirectional association between COVID-19 and the environment: A systematic review

Nayereh Rezaie Rahimi; Reza Fouladi-Fard; Rahim Aali; Ali Shahryari; Mostafa Rezaali; Yadollah Ghafouri; Mohammad Rezvani Ghalhari; Mahdi Asadi-Ghalhari; Babak Farzinnia; Oliveri Conti Gea; Maria Fiore

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.110692

Bidirectional association between COVID-19 and the environment: A systematic review

Environ Res. 2021 Mar:194:110692. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110692. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran; Student Research Committee, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
² Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. Electronic address: rfouladi@qum.ac.ir.
³ Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. Electronic address: Aali1400@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
⁵ Independent researcher, Isfahan, Iran.
⁶ Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
⁷ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁸ Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

Abstract

The global crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) affected economics, social affairs, and the environment, not to mention public health. It is estimated that near 82% of the SARS-CoV-2 genome is similar to the severe acute respiratory syndrome. The purpose of the review is to highlight how the virus is impacted by the environment and how the virus has impacted the environment. This review was based on an electronic search of the literature in the Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed database published from December 2019 to July 2020 using combinations of the following keywords: SARS-CoV-2 transmission, COVID-19 transmission, coronavirus transmission, waterborne, wastewater, airborne, solid waste, fomites, and fecal-oral transmission. Studies suggest the thermal properties of ambient air, as well as relative humidity, may affect the transmissibility and viability of the virus. Samples taken from the wastewater collection network were detected contaminated with the novel coronavirus; consequently, there is a concern of its transmission via an urban sewer system. There are concerns about the efficacy of the wastewater treatment plant disinfection process as the last chance to inactivate the virus. Handling solid waste also requires an utmost caution as it may contain infectious masks, etc. Following the PRISMA approach, among all reviewed studies, more than 36% of them were directly or indirectly related to the indoor and outdoor environment, 16% to meteorological factors, 11% to wastewater, 14% to fomites, 8% to water, 9% to solid waste, and 6% to the secondary environment. The still growing body of literature on COVID-19 and air, suggests the importance of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via air and indoor air quality, especially during lockdown interventions. Environmental conditions are found to be a factor in transmitting the virus beyond geographical borders. Accordingly, countries need to pay extra attention to sustainable development themes and goals.

Keywords: Air pollution; Air quality; Air transmission; COVID-19; Fomites; SARS-CoV-2; Solid waste; Wastewater; Water.

Publication types

Systematic Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Communicable Disease Control
Coronavirus Infections*
Coronavirus*
Humans
SARS-CoV-2