About this Research Topic
Global SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Monitoring Efforts - developed by UC Merced Researchers - indicates that 66 countries are currently involved in Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance, with over 3,390 sampling sites. Indeed, evidence for the importance of WBE has been documented since mid-20th century and this methodology has been implemented and developed continuously for a variety of purposes. More specifically, WBE has been widely employed as a tool for assessing drug consumption, pathogens prevalence, chemical contaminations, and pollution exposure. This indicates the importance of the development and deployment of WBE techniques for public health assessments and monitoring, as well as for the assessment of environmental risks.
The use of WBE has many benefits, as it can monitor large populations and has the potential to provide an early-warning platform for spread of diseases or of contaminants. Nevertheless, WBE also holds some limitations. These include the lack of sensitive, fast, and cheap detection methods that are required for establishing WBE as a reliable means for public health assessments. In addition, this monitoring approach requires custom and suitable data analysis and management.
This Research Topic aims to accrue publications aimed at representing important advances in the field of WBE, including those covering identification and monitoring of pathogens such as SARS-COV 2, Hepatitis, Polio, etc., as well as publications identifying the presence of chemical pollutants ranging from pharmaceuticals (and their breakdown products), pesticides, plastics, and petroleum-based products as warning systems regarding human population and environmental health.
The use of WBE has many benefits, as it can monitor large populations and has the potential to provide an early-warning platform for spread of diseases or of contaminants. Nevertheless, WBE also holds some limitations. These include the lack of sensitive, fast, and cheap detection methods that are required for establishing WBE as a reliable means for public health assessments. In addition, this monitoring approach requires custom and suitable data analysis and management.
This Research Topic aims to accrue publications aimed at representing important advances in the field of WBE, including those covering identification and monitoring of pathogens such as SARS-COV 2, Hepatitis, Polio, etc., as well as publications identifying the presence of chemical pollutants ranging from pharmaceuticals (and their breakdown products), pesticides, plastics, and petroleum-based products as warning systems regarding human population and environmental health.
Keywords: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), COVID-19, Public health, population surveillance, pathogen, toxicology
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