To sample or not to sample: A governance-focused decision tree for wastewater service providers considering participation in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in support of public health programs.

Sci Total Environ

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO, USA; Environmental Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO, USA. Electronic address:

Published: December 2023

AI Article Synopsis

  • Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is essential for public health, but participation from wastewater operators is declining due to concerns like resource limitations and ethical issues.
  • WBE efforts face challenges from operator fatigue, especially post-COVID, leading to hesitance in engaging with WBE programs.
  • The study introduces a decision-making tool to help WBE teams address operators' needs and risks, improving collaboration and data quality across public health initiatives.

Article Abstract

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides value to public health monitoring and protection. Participation of public and private wastewater system operators in WBE efforts is critical to public health surveillance program success and sustainability. However, given the number of WBE solicitations wastewater service providers receive, the limitation of service provider resources, the concerns around privacy, ethics, and equity, and the fatigue associated with responding to COVID-19, operators are becoming more hesitant to participate in WBE efforts. While various ethical concerns and sustainability challenges associated with WBE have been documented, no efforts to date have investigated what factors should systematically influence the decision to provide samples to a WBE effort. Therefore, this study develops a decision-making tool for WBE teams to proactively monitor, manage, and avoid wastewater system operators' operational risks and potential liabilities. Ultimately, using this tool allows WBE program partners in academia, government, and industry to better understand wastewater system operators' needs and challenges surrounding data quality and use, public health ethics, and daily wastewater infrastructure operation.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167128DOI Listing

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