RAPID: Aerosolization of Viruses and Bacteria in the Coastal Atmosphere

该RAPID项目将调查COVID-19疾病的病原体SARS-CoV-2病毒在污水流出区域附近的沿海沃茨中的存在情况。污水流可能会被困在碎波带，这是水生物种可以转移到大气中的区域。任何释放在小的海洋喷雾液滴中的病毒都可以在空气中停留数小时，最近的研究表明，雾化的SARS-CoV-2病毒可以保持长达3小时的传染性。因此，附近地区的居民可能会通过这种意想不到的大气途径接触到病毒。空气样本将在美国和墨西哥边境附近收集，在过去的5个月里，数百万加仑未经处理的污水从蒂华纳河不断流入海洋。将通过RTqPCR实验室技术检测样本是否存在SARS-CoV-2，并进行宏基因组和元转录组DNA和RNA测序。这些数据将使用与加州大学圣地亚哥分校WIFIRE团队合作创建的地图进行可视化，显示在空气样本中检测到SARS-CoV-2和其他病毒和细菌的位置，提供有关空气微生物组空间分布的关键前所未有的信息。该计划是在COVID-19在未处理污水的来源地区蒂华纳广泛传播之前和之后收集空气样本。这将使研究人员能够研究SARS-CoV-2的空气传播与确诊和可能的COVID-19病例分布之间的关系。该项目将有助于回答以下问题：在沿海环境中，哪些病毒、细菌和其他与污水有关的污染物在海上喷雾气溶胶中释放？海洋中肠道病毒和细菌的浓度以及各种条件（涌浪、水流、风速）如何影响空气中的浓度？传统的粪便污染水指标提供任何联系与空气中的细菌和肠道病毒的浓度？是否存在在大气中检测到某些病毒和细菌菌株丰度较高的“热点”（如蒂华纳河口附近）？该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This RAPID project will investigate the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of the COVID-19 disease, in coastal waters near an area of sewage outflow. The flow of sewage can become trapped in the surf zone, the region where waterborne species can be transferred into the atmosphere. Any viruses released in small sea spray droplets can remain airborne for hours, and recent research has demonstrated that the aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain infectious for up to 3 hours. Thus residents in nearby regions could be exposed to the virus through this unanticipated atmospheric pathway.Airborne samples will be collected near the US-Mexican border where millions of gallons of untreated sewage from the Tijuana River have been flowing into the ocean continuously for the last 5 months. The samples will be tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by the RTqPCR laboratory technique, and subject to metagenomic and metatranscriptomic DNA and RNA sequencing. The data will be visualized using a map created in collaboration with the UC San Diego WIFIRE team showing the locations in which SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses and bacteria are detected in air samples, providing critical unprecedented information on the spatial distribution of the airborne microbiome. The plan is for the air samples to be collected before and after COVID-19 becomes widespread in Tijuana, the source region of the raw sewage. This will enable the researchers to examine the relationship between the airborne distribution of SARS-CoV-2 and the distribution of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. This project will help to answer questions such as: Which strains of viruses, bacteria, and other sewage-related pollutants are released in sea spray aerosol in a coastal environment? How do ocean concentrations of enteric viruses and bacteria and conditions (swell, flow, wind speed) affect airborne concentrations? Do traditional water indicators of fecal contamination provide any link with airborne concentrations of bacteria and enteric viruses? Are there “hot spots” where certain strains of viruses and bacteria are detected in higher abundance in the atmosphere (such as near the mouth of the Tijuana River)?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.