Novel High-Volume Direct Capture Column for Efficient Nucleic Acid Recovery from Wastewater

The 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic renewed global interest in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a public health monitoring tool. Molecular analyses of wastewater are often limited by small processable volumes due to column clogging, handling constraints, and processing time. Additionally, inhibitors in the complex wastewater matrix reduce the sensitivity of downstream assays like RT-PCR and sequencing. To address these issues, a novel column (PureBioX Xpurify Column) was developed, incorporating a hydrophobic pre-filtration layer and sequential glass fiber filters. This enhanced column design enables processing of 1.58 times more wastewater, representing a 58% increase in throughput. It also reduces RT-PCR inhibitors and maintains compatibility with existing workflows. Despite a modest reduction in nucleic acid yield, the modified column consistently improved viral RNA detection sensitivity, including for SARS-CoV-2. This accessible and scalable upgrade strengthens the utility of direct capture methods in WBE-based public health surveillance.