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Amount of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater (GU)
Historic Data last updated:
As of April 2024, the SARS-CoV-2 data will no longer be updated by GU. Data from after April 2024 is available from other research groups.
This project is led by Professor Helene Norder (University of Gothenburg, GU), and supported by co-workers from the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Hao Wang, Marianela Patzi Churqui, Timur Tunovic, Fredy Saguti, and Kristina Nyström). The wastewater sample collections were performed by Lucica Enache at Ryaverket, Gryaab AB, Gothenburg.
The group began collecting samples on 10 February (week 7) 2020. They updated the analysis methods during 2023 and began using the updated method on 15 May (week 20) 2023. This page includes both the earlier method and the updated method. The associated data and visualisations are no longer being updated.
The Norder group's SARS-CoV-2 monitoring was conducted alongside monitoring of enteric viruses in wastewater. Those data are also shared on this portal.
Wastewater collection sites
Influent wastewater samples were collected from Ryaverket wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Gothenburg. Sample collection began on 10 February (week 7) 2020. Ryaverket WWTP receives wastewater from the households of more than 790,000 residents of Gothenburg, as well as from industry. Wastewater is also received from residents and industry in surrounding municipalities, including Ale, Härryda, Kungälv, Lerum, Mölndal, and Partille, and from storm and snow-melt water in older parts of Gothenburg. Household wastewater is relatively consistent through the year, but overall volumes are affected by weather. More information about sample location, week, volume, and influent flow is available in Wang et al. (2022).
Historic SARS-CoV-2 quantification (method used until May 2023)
The blue block on the graph indicates the period where sample collection was not completed (week 45 of 2022 to week 2 of 2023).
The script used to produce this plot is available on GitHub.
Commentary from the research group
Date: 2023-11-07
Commentary: There are still low amounts of SARS-CoV-2 in Gothenburg's wastewater. There was a small increase in weeks 41, 42, and 43, but levels remain low.
Dataset
The earlier-method quantification data are available from the SciLifeLab Data Repository: Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other human enteric viruses in wastewater from Gothenburg. Results cover SARS-CoV-2 from week 7 of 2020, with a sampling gap over winter 2022–2023, and enteric viruses from week 2 of 2023. The last entry is week 43 of 2023.
Contact: helene.norder@gu.se
How to cite the dataset
Norder, H., Nyström, K., Patzi Churqui, M., Tunovic, T., and Wang, H. (2023). Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other human enteric viruses in wastewater from Gothenburg. https://doi.org/10.17044/scilifelab.22510501.
How to cite the method
Saguti, F., Magnil, E., Enache, L., Churqui, M.P., Johansson, A., Lumley, D., Davidsson, F., Dotevall, L., Mattsson, A., Trybala, E., Lagging, M., Lindh, M., Gisslen, M., Brezicka, T., Nystrom, K., and Norder, H. (2021). Surveillance of wastewater revealed peaks of SARS-CoV-2 preceding those of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116620.
Wang, H., Churqui, M.P., Tunovic, T., Enache, L., Johansson, A., Karmander, A., Nilsson, S., Lagging, M., Andersson, M., Dotevall, L., Brezicka, T., Nystrom, K., and Norder, H. (2022). The amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater relates to the development of the pandemic and its burden on the health system. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105000.
Methods
Samples of wastewater were collected using a fixed-site sampler that collected 30 ml per 10,000 m³ of incoming wastewater. Seven 24-hour samples were pooled into a weekly sample of 1.5–15 litres, depending on the flow, and sent to the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Analyses were conducted on the Monday after collection.
Viruses were concentrated to 2.5 ml using an in-house method with a NanoCeram electropositive filter (Argonide, Florida, USA) and ultracentrifugation (Saguti et al., 2021). Nucleic acids were extracted from 1 ml of concentrate using the QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). RT-qPCR detected the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) region of SARS-CoV-2. The relative amount of viral genome was calculated by dividing the amount in the sample by the amount in incoming wastewater during week 11 (mid-March) of 2020.
Updated SARS-CoV-2 quantification (method used from May 2023)
The script used to produce this plot is available on GitHub.
The data underlying this visualisation is available for download.
Commentary from the research group
Date: 2024-02-15
Commentary: There are very low amounts of SARS-CoV-2 in Gothenburg's wastewater. There was an increase from week 41 that peaked between weeks 45 and 50 of 2023, at lower levels than previous outbreaks.
Dataset
The updated-method quantification data can be downloaded using the link beneath the visualisation. Results are available from week 20 of 2023 through week 13 of 2024.
Contact: helene.norder@gu.se
How to cite the dataset
Norder, H., Nyström, K., Patzi Churqui, M., Tunovic, T., Wang, H., and Saguti, F. (2023). Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other human enteric viruses in wastewater from Gothenburg. https://doi.org/10.17044/scilifelab.24787353.v1.
How to cite the method
Saguti, F., Magnil, E., Enache, L., Churqui, M.P., Johansson, A., Lumley, D., Davidsson, F., Dotevall, L., Mattsson, A., Trybala, E., Lagging, M., Lindh, M., Gisslen, M., Brezicka, T., Nystrom, K., and Norder, H. (2021). Surveillance of wastewater revealed peaks of SARS-CoV-2 preceding those of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116620.
Wang, H., Churqui, M.P., Tunovic, T., Enache, L., Johansson, A., Karmander, A., Nilsson, S., Lagging, M., Andersson, M., Dotevall, L., Brezicka, T., Nystrom, K., and Norder, H. (2022). The amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater relates to the development of the pandemic and its burden on the health system. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105000.
Methods
Sample collection followed the same weekly pooled, flow-weighted scheme described above.
At the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, two in-house concentration methods were used. The updated method uses ultrafiltration. The earlier method used an electropositive filter (Saguti et al., 2021). The two techniques were used in parallel between weeks 20 and 43 of 2023.
Nucleic acids were extracted and quantified as described above. Calculation details are provided in Hellmér et al. (2014), Saguti et al. (2021), Wang et al. (2022), and Wang et al. (2023). With the updated technique, virus genome quantities are reported as daily averages based on one week of wastewater sampling.