Multifaceted Assessment of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 in Selected Urban Communities in Davao City, Philippines: A Pilot Study.

Over 60 countries have integrated wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in their COVID-19 surveillance programs, focusing on wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In this paper, we piloted the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 WBE as a complementary public health surveillance method in susceptible communities in a highly urbanized city without WWTP in the Philippines by exploring the extraction and detection methods, evaluating the contribution of physico-chemical-anthropogenic factors, and attempting whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Weekly wastewater samples were collected from sewer pipes or creeks in six communities with moderate-to-high risk of COVID-19 transmission, as categorized by the City Government of Davao from November to December 2020.

Influence of fat and oil type on the yield, physico-chemical properties, and microstructure of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) deposits.

Fat, oil, and grease (FOG) deposit, in the form of calcium soap, was found to cause sanitary sewer overflows due to its adhesion on pipe walls. To address this problem, laboratory-prepared calcium soaps have been used to investigate the formation mechanisms of FOG deposits. However, the fats and oils previously utilized were limited and some soap characteristics were not examined.