Water bodies are potential hub for spatio-allotment of cell-free nucleic acid and pandemic: a pentadecadal (1969–2021) critical review on particulate cell-free DNA reservoirs in water nexus

BACKGROUND: In recent times, there had been report of diverse particulate nucleic acid-related infections and diseases which have been associated with endemic, sporadic, and pandemic reports spreading within water nexus. Some of such disease cases were seldom reported in earlier years of technological advancement and research based knowledge-scape. Although the usefulness of water, wastewater treatment systems, water regulatory organizations and water re-use policy in compliant regions remains sacrosanct, it has been implicated in diverse gene distribution. MAIN BODY: A cosmopolitan bibliometric and critical assessment of cell-free DNA reservoir in water bodies was determined. This is done by analysing retrieved pentadecadal scientific publications in Scopus and Pubmed centre database, determining the twelve-monthly publication rates of related articles, and a content-review assessment of cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs) in water environment. Our results revealed thirty-eight metric documents with sources as journals and books that conform to the inclusion criteria. The average reports/publication rate per year shows 16.7, while several single and collaborating authors are included with a collaboration index of 4.31. A zero average citation per document and citation per year indicate poor research interest and awareness. SHORT CONCLUSION: It is important to note that a redirected interest to studies on cfNAs in water environments would encourage advancement of water treatment strategies to include specific approaches on the removal of cfNAs, membrane vesicles or DNA reservoirs, plasmids or extra-chromosomal DNA and other exogenous nucleic acids from water bodies. It may also lead to a generational development/improvement of water treatment strategies for the removals of cfNAs and its members from water bodies.