Anonymously determine the health status of any community, without having to fill out any surveys, without providing our urine, and in near real time. has been the dream of epidemiologists for decades. It’s possible now. A group of researchers from the University of Bath in the UK have developed a tool that has the potential to make this seemingly unattainable dream come true.
For 15 years Professor Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern and several colleagues at the Institute for Sustainability and the Center for Water Research and Innovation at the University of Bath have so-called ‘wastewater-based epidemiology(WB).
it is a tool analyzes wastewater samples from entire communities for more than 100 chemicals, indicators of health and disease markers, drug use, and human exposure to hazardous chemicals or those that could adversely affect human health or the environment.
A powerful approach to the ‘One Health’ concept of health, the WBE has the potential to be used to address a wide variety of health issues, including: monitor the spread of new epidemics, monitor the use of prescription or illicit drugs, measure exposure to alcohol or tobacco, and even identify pesticides taken through food.
The advantage over traditional epidemiological studies is that the WBE does not rely on people completing questionnaires or providing samples. In addition, there is no limit to the accuracy of the data provided by the persons surveyed or the time required to collect the data.
Illicit drug use in Europe
“Testing wastewater is like taking a very dilute, pooled urine sample from an entire community. a fingerprint of that community’s collective health and lifestyle“, explains Kasprzyk-Hordern.
Data collected through WBE”complete” And “anonymous“. Moreover, can be collected and processed continuously and “near real time”Emphasizes Kasprzyk-Hordern.
This technology has made it possible to monitor risks to public and environmental health in recent years. covid-19 surveillance And antibiotic resistance. increased his understanding. Illicit drug use across Europeand can be used as early warning system to control the spread of infectious diseases.
How does this technology work? “It’s conceptually simple, but methodologically very complex,” says Kasprzyk-Hordern.
Water samples are taken from rivers or wastewater treatment plants. How the water is sampled depends on what is being investigated, but samples are usually taken every 10-30 minutes every 24 hours and then pooled.
After filtering the solid particles, the relevant chemicals, which are usually present in small quantities, are separated from the wastewater.
After the sample is concentrated, it is analyzed using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometrythis makes it possible to quantify the amount contained in the sample as well as identify each chemical component with a unique fingerprint.
“We have developed methods that can analyze more than 100 targets simultaneously, save time and resources, and are critical for comprehensive target profiling. biomarkers“, emphasizes Kasprzyk-Hordern.
For example, the researchers created a repository of mass spectra that allow to understand changing patterns of antimicrobial agent use and resistance.
Identification of bacteria and viruses
The technique is sensitive enough. Detect traces of very small molecules such as pharmaceutical product residues to large molecules such as proteins. Bacteria and viruses can also be identified.
“This is particularly useful when looking at a population’s exposure to environmental pollutants such as: household chemicalsmay be related to certain diseases such as cancer or diabetes, chemicals found in personal care products suspected of having endocrine disrupting activity or antimicrobial resistance, food contaminants such as pesticides, pathogenic organisms, and lifestyle-related chemicals, including drugs,” says the University of Bath.
Scientists analyze various chemicals produced by the body, such as ammonia, caffeine or nicotine, to calculate the number of contributors to the sample. Rains dilute samples, so mathematical models that take these variables into account are used.
The eWBE story began 15 years ago, when Kasprzyk-Hordern’s team began investigating illicit drugs released into the environment through sewage.
Until now Analyzed data on illicit drug use from 75 cities in 25 countries. “Our techniques can reveal where the chemicals were made and from which batch they came, and whether they passed through a human body or flushed directly down the toilet during a raid,” Kasprzyk-Hordern said.
“Moreover we can identify new drugs entering the black market and alert public health agencies related,” he adds.
Reference report: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022000691
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