Mining Population Exposure and Community Health via Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

Abstract

An individual’s excreta contains chemical information that reflects the chemicals one has consumed or been exposed to. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is the discipline concerned with mining the chemical information from municipal wastewater. WBE, also known as wastewater epidemiology, sewer epidemiology, urban water fingerprinting or sewage chemical information monitoring (SCIM), has been applied in populations around the globe to mainly measure chemical consumption and exposure patterns. In particular, WBE studies have added to our knowledge of illicit and licit drug consumption patterns, and shows increasing potential as a tool for measuring aspects of public health and socioeconomics. This chapter presents readers with an overview of key methodologies, advances and perspectives in adapting WBE as a tool for better understanding relationships between biochemical consumption and exposure behaviour with public health and socioeconomics.