TITLE:
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Matrices of Rio de Janeiro State
AUTHORS:
Priscila Santana-Pereira, Lorena da Graça Pedrosa de Macena, Kauê Francisco Corrêa de Souza-Souza, Valéria Teixeira Laneuville, Izabel Christina N. P. Paixão
KEYWORDS:
Aquatic Matrices, Environmental Monitoring, Rio de Janeiro, RT-qPCR, SARS-CoV-2
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Hydrology,
Vol.16 No.4,
October
9,
2026
ABSTRACT: Since the investigation to discover the possible origin and routes of dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 from effluent analyses, countless urban centers have adopted this measure as a research base to understand the factors that would guarantee viral survival and the degree of local human contamination. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in seven distinct aquatic matrices using RT-qPCR and transmission electron microscopy techniques, as well as to analyze the physicochemical parameters of aquatic matrices and bacteriological indicators that could influence its survival and propagation. Of the aquatic matrices analyzed (coastal , brackish water, freshwater river, drinking water, untreated and treated domestic raw sewage, and untreated hospital raw sewage), presented detection of SARS-CoV-2. The brackish water matrix showed a higher frequency of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. In addition, an association between SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection and pH was observed. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was associated with the presence of E. coli. However, complementary analyses are needed to identify additional parameters that may interfere with the presence and survival of viruses in aquatic matrices.