o:2538 Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Danube River in Serbia associated with the discharge of untreated wastewaters en Abstract - In Serbia less than 13% of collected municipal wastewaters is being treated before their release in the environment. This includes all municipal wastewater discharges from Belgrade (capital city of Serbia; population 1,700,000). Previous research has identified the impacts of raw wastewater discharges from Belgrade on the Danube River, and this study investigated if such discharges also provided a pathway for SARS-CoV-2 RNA material. Samples were collected during the most critical circumstances that occurred so far within the COVID-19 pandemics in Serbia. Grab and composite samples were collected in December 2020, during the peak of the third wave (in terms of reported cases) at the site which receives the wastewater loads in Belgrade. Grab samples collected upstream and downstream of Belgrade were also analyzed. RNA was quantified using RT-qPCR with primer sets targeting nucleocapsid (N1 and N2) and envelope (E) protein genes. SARS-CoV-2 RNA (5.97 × 103 to 1.32 × 104 copies/L) was detected only in samples collected at the site strongly impacted by the wastewaters where all three applied primer sets gave positive signals. Determined concentrations correspond to those reported in wastewater influents sampled at treatment plants in other countries indicating an epidemiological indicator function of used approach for rivers with high pollution loads in countries with poor wastewater treatment. SARS-CoV-2, Danube River, Faecal pollution, Untreated wastewaters, Serbia 1552099 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146967 1552101 0048-9697 2023-07-13T10:39:11.961Z 44 no 46 Stoimir Kolarević University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” Momir Paunović University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” person Karolina Sunjog University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research person Tanja Nenin Jaroslav Černi Water Institute, Belgrade, Serbia person Jasna Čolić Jaroslav Černi Water Institute, Belgrade, Serbia person 0000-0002-4407-1885 Aleksandar Djukic Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade person Andreas H. Farnleitner Interuniversity Cooperation CenterWater and Health (ICC), Austria person Alexander K.T. Kirschner Medical University Vienna, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology - Water Microbiology person Lian Lundy Middlesex University, The Burroughs, London person Margareta Kračun-Kolarević University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” person Alena Lukács Biomi Ltd., Gödöllő, Hungary person Réka Szántó-Egész Biomi Ltd., Gödöllő, Hungary person Adrienn Micsinai WESSLING Hungary Ltd., Budapest person application/pdf 1278536 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:2538 no yes 18 70 92000001 71A04 Science of the Total Environment 783 1 7 Elsevier 2021 Received 20 January 2021 Received in revised form 30 March 2021 Accepted 1 April 2021