December 16, 2021

Development of Magnetic Separation Technology for the COVID-19 Virusin Wastewater- Significant contribution to wastewater-based epidemiological surveys –JNC Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO and President: Keizo Yamada) andProfessor Eiji Haramoto of the Interdisciplinary Center for River Basin Environment, Graduate
Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Yamanashi (Headquarters: Kofu, Yamanashi
Prefecture; President: Shinji Shimada) jointly developed the world’s fastest level of new coronavirus
separation technology for wastewater using the Pegcision method (Figure 1), which is a patented
technology developed by JNC Corporation.
As the COVID-19 infection rages on, the sensitivity of PCR tests has increased by several levels inJapan compared to other countries, and as a result, there are high expectations for the “wastewaterbased epidemiological survey (see Note 1),” which will enable early detection of the spread ofepidemics by regularly monitoring the COVID-19 viruses in wastewater.
However, unlike the cases for saliva and blood tests, there was no technology developed to efficiently
separate and concentrate the COVID-19 virus from a large amount of wastewater, which was a major
obstacle to the wider use of sewage epidemiological surveys.
In this study, use of the Pegcision method made it possible to separate the COVID-19 virus from waste
water in about 30 minutes, and the recovery rate was confirmed to be equivalent to the polyethylene
glycol (PEG) precipitation method (processing time: more than 9 hours) recommended in the “Manualfor Detecting COVID-19 Genes in Wastewater” published by the COVID-19 Task Force of the Japan
Society on Water Environment (see Note 2).
The Pegcision method also allows high throughputs as it uses magnetism to separate COVID-19 virus,
enabling the processing of a large number of samples with commonly used magnetic separation
devices.
Compared to conventional virus isolation techniques such as the PEG precipitation method, thePegcision method is faster, simpler, higher-yield, and less expensive (no antibodies, etc. are needed)(Table 1).
We will continue developing the technology so that it will lead to the early dissemination of sewage
epidemiological surveys of COVID-19 virus.
Note 1: The term describing the academic field “wastewater-based epidemiology” has been translated

into the Japanese term “gesui-ekigaku (下水疫学)” by a research group led by Professor Haramoto of
the University of Yamanashi and Associate Professor Kitajima of Hokkaido University and is now
widely used outside of academia in Japan.
Note 2: “Manual for Detecting the COVID-19 Genes in Sewage” was written and edited by theCOVID-19 Task Force of the Japan Society on Water Environment and published on March 30, 2021.

Magnetic nanoparticles(positively charged)(1) Inject magnetic
nanoparticles into sewage

Viruses (negativelycharged)

Contaminants(2) Inject polyethylene glycol (PEG)
Inject sodium chloride (NaCl)(3) Magnetic separation ofvirus-magnetic nanoparticle
complexes

Figure 1. Concentration principle of the Pegcision method

Table 1. Comparison of the Pegcision method with other concentration methods
Pegcision method

Processing time

Separation method

PEG precipitation

Electronegative

Ultrafiltration

methodmembrane-membranevortex method

methodOKGoodOKOK

Not goodNot good

GoodGoodOK

Not good

GoodNot good(< 1 hour)(> 9 hours)

GoodNot good

(Magnetic separation)(Centrifugalseparation)

Throughput

Virus recovery rate

GoodNot good(High)(Low)

GoodGood(Equivalent to(High)conventional methods)
CostOKGood(Inexpensive)(Very inexpensive)Inquiries concerning this research
Noriyuki Onishi, Corporate Research and Development Div., JNC
Corporation
Phone: +81-436-37-2265
E-mail: onishi@jnc-corp.co.jp
Professor Eiji Haramoto, the Graduate Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research,
University of Yamanashi
Phone: +81-55-220-8725
E-mail：eharamoto@yamanashi.ac.jp
URL:http://www.ccn.yamanashi.ac.jp/~eharamoto/
Inquiries concerning public relations
General Affairs Dept., JNC Corporation
Phone: +81-3-3243-6370
E-mail: kouhou@jnc-corp.co.jp
URL: https://www.jnc-corp.co.jp/
Public Relations and Planning Office, General Affairs Division, General
Affairs Department, University of Yamanashi
Phone: +81-55-220-8005/8006
Facsimile: +81-55-220-8799
E-mail: koho@yamanashi.ac.jp