Field-deployable wastewater sensors for public health

Abstract

A sustainable early warning monitoring system can overcome key limitations of conventional approaches for managing infectious diseases and epidemics. It enables consistent monitoring of pathogens, including SARS CoV-2, in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) analyses biological markers excreted in sewage to monitor community health. It has emerged as a powerful tool because it is cost-effective, non-invasive, and capable of detecting pathogen circulation within the population, even before clinical cases are reported [1]. These features provide WBE a clear advantage over traditional clinical testing, particularly by enabling the early detection of new variants [2].