Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Environ Health Perspect. 2022 Dec;130(12):125002. doi: 10.1289/EHP11519. Epub 2022 Dec 29.
In just over 2 years, tracking the COVID-19 pandemic through wastewater surveillance advanced from early reports of successful SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in untreated wastewater to implementation of programs in at least 60 countries. Early wastewater monitoring efforts primarily originated in research laboratories and are now transitioning into more formal surveillance programs run in commercial and public health laboratories. A major challenge in this progression has been to simultaneously optimize methods and build scientific consensus while implementing surveillance programs, particularly during the rapidly changing landscape of the pandemic. Translating wastewater surveillance results for effective use by public health agencies also remains a key objective for the field.
We examined the evolution of wastewater surveillance to identify model collaborations and effective partnerships that have created rapid and sustained success. We propose needed areas of research and key roles academic researchers can play in the framework of wastewater surveillance to aid in the transition from early monitoring efforts to more formalized programs within the public health system.
Although wastewater surveillance has rapidly developed as a useful public health tool for tracking COVID-19, there remain technical challenges and open scientific questions that academic researchers are equipped to address. This includes validating methodology and backfilling important knowledge gaps, such as fate and transport of surveillance targets and epidemiological links to wastewater concentrations. Our experience in initiating and implementing wastewater surveillance programs in the United States has allowed us to reflect on key barriers and draw useful lessons on how to promote synergy between different areas of expertise. As wastewater surveillance programs are formalized, the working relationships developed between academic researchers, commercial and public health laboratories, and data users should promote knowledge co-development. We believe active involvement of academic researchers will contribute to building robust surveillance programs that will ultimately provide new insights into population health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11519.
在短短两年多的时间里，通过污水监测追踪 COVID-19 大流行的工作从最初成功检测未经处理污水中 SARS-CoV-2 RNA 的报告进展到至少 60 个国家实施了相关计划。早期的污水监测工作主要由研究实验室开展，现在正逐步过渡到在商业和公共卫生实验室中开展更正式的监测计划。在这一进展过程中，一个主要挑战是在实施监测计划的同时，既要优化方法，又要建立科学共识，特别是在大流行迅速变化的情况下。将污水监测结果转化为公共卫生机构的有效使用仍然是该领域的一个关键目标。
我们考察了污水监测的演变，以确定为快速和持续成功创造条件的合作模式和有效伙伴关系。我们提出了该领域需要研究的领域和关键角色，以及学术研究人员在污水监测框架内可以发挥的作用，以帮助从早期监测工作过渡到公共卫生系统内更正式的计划。
尽管污水监测已迅速发展成为追踪 COVID-19 的一种有用的公共卫生工具，但仍存在技术挑战和悬而未决的科学问题，这是学术研究人员有能力解决的。这包括验证方法和填补重要的知识空白，例如监测目标的命运和迁移以及与污水浓度的流行病学联系。我们在美国启动和实施污水监测计划的经验使我们能够反思关键障碍，并吸取关于如何促进不同专业领域之间协同作用的有益经验教训。随着污水监测计划的正式化，学术研究人员、商业和公共卫生实验室以及数据用户之间建立的工作关系应促进知识共同发展。我们相信，学术研究人员的积极参与将有助于建立强大的监测计划，最终为人口健康提供新的见解。https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11519.
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