Cancers doi: 10.20517/wecn.2024.80

Authors: Manuela Oliveira, Bharath Prithiviraj, Olayinka O. Osuolale, Juan A. Ugalde, Malay Bhattacharyya, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Áurea Madureira-Carvalho, Diana Dias da Silva

In recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as an effective tool for the early detection of disease outbreaks. This manuscript presents a novel perspective on WBE by highlighting sewage as a predictive instrument, capable of providing near-real-time, community-level pathogen surveillance and anticipating and mitigating future pandemics even before the first clinical symptoms are detected. This approach enables cost-effective, non-invasive, and population-wide monitoring of infectious diseases’ emergence, evolution, and decline. By identifying pathogens in human waste (e.g., viruses and bacteria), WBE delivers real-time insights into infection trends, encompassing data from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic populations, enabling timely interventions from public health authorities. Among the key advantages are its capacity to encompass large populations, pinpoint transmission hotspots, and facilitate resource allocation for containment efforts. The efficacy of sewage surveillance in predicting infection has already been validated during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its potential as a critical component of pandemic response preparedness. However, this approach also presents challenges such as sample variability, environmental factors, and infrastructure limitations. Through a comprehensive review of the state-of-art available on this topic, including almost 300 published papers, the present manuscript emphasizes the expected impact of integrating sewage monitoring into global health surveillance frameworks and discusses its future applications in mitigating emerging infectious diseases, aiming to provide a multidimensional overview of WBE and its integration with other environmental surveillance tools.

Cancers doi: 10.20517/wecn.2024.80

Authors: Manuela Oliveira,Bharath Prithiviraj,Olayinka O. Osuolale,Juan A. Ugalde,Malay Bhattacharyya,Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira,Áurea Madureira-Carvalho,Diana Dias da Silva

In recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as an effective tool for the early detection of disease outbreaks. This manuscript presents a novel perspective on WBE by highlighting sewage as a predictive instrument, capable of providing near-real-time, community-level pathogen surveillance and anticipating and mitigating future pandemics even before the first clinical symptoms are detected. This approach enables cost-effective, non-invasive, and population-wide monitoring of infectious diseases’ emergence, evolution, and decline. By identifying pathogens in human waste (e.g., viruses and bacteria), WBE delivers real-time insights into infection trends, encompassing data from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic populations, enabling timely interventions from public health authorities. Among the key advantages are its capacity to encompass large populations, pinpoint transmission hotspots, and facilitate resource allocation for containment efforts. The efficacy of sewage surveillance in predicting infection has already been validated during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its potential as a critical component of pandemic response preparedness. However, this approach also presents challenges such as sample variability, environmental factors, and infrastructure limitations. Through a comprehensive review of the state-of-art available on this topic, including almost 300 published papers, the present manuscript emphasizes the expected impact of integrating sewage monitoring into global health surveillance frameworks and discusses its future applications in mitigating emerging infectious diseases, aiming to provide a multidimensional overview of WBE and its integration with other environmental surveillance tools.

Cancers doi: 10.20517/wecn.2025.04

Authors: Chingakham Chinglenthoiba,Hamiz Raziq Danish,Sabiqah Tuan Anuar,Jose Hernandez Santos

Microplastic pollution poses a significant threat to global environmental health, particularly within freshwater ecosystems, where these minute particles accumulate and persist. This research endeavors to provide a thorough examination of microplastic contamination within the Brunei River, aiming to elucidate its abundance, distribution patterns, and polymer composition. Sediment and water samples were systematically collected from six locations along the river, employing rigorous methodologies for microplastic isolation and characterization, including microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The analysis revealed substantial microplastic abundance within both sediment and the water column, with concentrations averaging 1212 particles/g and 850 particles/L, respectively. Notably, transparent microplastics dominated sediment samples, constituting 28% of observed particles, while black microplastics prevailed in the water column, comprising 38% of the total. Through attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis, six distinct polymer compositions were identified, encompassing mixed polymers, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyamide, high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene. Furthermore, spatial analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between microplastic contamination in sediment and water samples and the proximity to densely populated and urbanized areas along the riverbanks. This relationship highlights the substantial influence of anthropogenic activities on pollution levels within these ecosystems. These findings underscore the critical need for targeted interventions to address microplastic pollution in riverine environments. Implementing sustainable waste management practices and enforcing robust regulatory measures are essential steps to mitigate this growing environmental challenge and protect both ecological integrity and human health.