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Evaluation of intra- and inter-lab variability in quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in a state-wide wastewater monitoring network
Citation:
Davis, A., S. Keely, N. Brinkman, Z. Bohrer, Y. Ai, X. Mou, S. Chattopadhyay, O. Hershey, J. Senko, N. Hull, E. Lytmer, A. Quintero, AND J. Lee. Evaluation of intra- and inter-lab variability in quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in a state-wide wastewater monitoring network. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, Uk, 9(4):1053-1068, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EW00737A
Impact/Purpose:
Wastewater surveillance can be hindered by the uncertainty in measurements due to methodological processes. Understanding the variability in measurements across labs that contribute data to the Ohio network is important for meaningful use of the data to protect public health. This report emphasizes the need for interlaboratory method validation among network analytical labs.
Description:
In December 2019, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, was first reported and subsequently triggered a global pandemic. Wastewater monitoring, a strategy for quantifying viral gene concentrations from wastewater influent within a community, has served as an early warning and management tool for the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a community. Ohio built a collaborative statewide wastewater monitoring network that is supported by eight labs (university, government, and commercial laboratories) with unique sample processing workflows. Consequently, we sought to characterize the variability in wastewater monitoring results for network labs. Across seven trials between October 2020 and November 2021, eight participating labs successfully quantified two SARS-CoV-2 RNA targets and human fecal indicator virus targets in wastewater sample aliquots with reproducible results, although recovery efficiencies of spiked surrogates ranged from 3 to 75%. When SARS-CoV-2 gene fragment concentrations were adjusted for both recovery efficiency and flow, the proportion of variance between laboratories was minimized, serving as the best model to account for between-lab variance. Another adjustment factor (alone and in different combinations with the above factors) considered to account for sample and measurement variability include fecal marker normalization. Genetic quantification variability can potentially be attributed to many factors including the methods, individual samples, and water quality parameters. In addition, statistically significant correlations were observed between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and COVID-19 case numbers, supporting the notion that wastewater surveillance continues to serve as an effective monitoring tool. This study serves as a real-time example of multi-laboratory collaboration for public health preparedness of infectious diseases.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Evaluation of intra- and inter-lab variability in quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in a state-wide wastewater monitoring network
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