Wastewater-based epidemiology, a tool to bridge biomarkers of exposure, contaminants, and human health

The concept of wastewater-based epidemiology also known as sewage epidemiology was proposed by Daughton in 2001. Wastewater-based epidemiology has become now a reality that makes it possible to determine consumption or exposure to chemical substances or pathogens in a population by measuring certain compounds (drugs of abuse, metabolites, or biomarkers) or microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, and parasites) in wastewater. The first and most developed application is the estimation of illicit drug consumption in communities or populations, but it can be used to measure both consumption and exposure to a wide range of substances and pathogens. Its recent application to measure the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoVID-2) loads in neighborhoods, towns, and cities serves as an example of its usefulness. As a result, wastewater-based epidemiology can be helpful to determine lifestyle, exposure to toxic agents, and prevalence of disease in a given population. This review highlights how it has become a tool to bridge biomarkers of exposure, contaminants, and human health.

Automated summary

Wastewater-based epidemiology, proposed by Daughton in 2001, is a method to measure human exposure and consumption of chemical substances or pathogens through wastewater. It has been applied in various fields, including estimating illicit drug consumption.