The field of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) continues to gain momentum as an effective and trusted tool to assess population health, resulting in a need to expand beyond the conventional methodologies. Two studies contained herein examine new WBE applications to assess human health and alternative sample collection methods. In the first study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of consuming a plant-based diet by tracking two major types of phytoestrogens, isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) and lignans (enterolactone), in a sub-catchment of an urban population located in the southwestern United States. Time-averaged, daily composite samples were collected for seven consecutive days each month from August 2017 to July 2018 (n = 75); analytes were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results showed minimum daily mass loads for each compound occurred on weekdays rather than weekends (p = 0.05). Per capita excretion values (g-d-1 per person) showed sequential seasonal trends, with excretion activity increasing per capita from summer (832 ± 143) to autumn (1177 ± 153) to winter (1607 ± 391) and spring (1661 ± 463). In the second study, we compared the capture of wastewater-borne biomarkers of licit and illicit drug consumption using two different devices, a traditional time-integrated liquid capture sampler and a low-flow, near-continuous active sampler performing in situ solid phase extraction. Results from modeling and field studies showed that the continuous sampler (i) drew samples for 93% of the total sampling duration as compared to the 3% for the conventional sampler that operated in 15-min intervals only; (ii) captured pulse events whereas the discrete sample did not, including for the opioids heroin and fentanyl, and the opioid antagonists norbuprenorphine and methadone; and (iii) consistently provided statistically significantly higher mass loading rates for morphine, heroin, fentanyl, norfentanyl, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (methadone metabolite), norbuprenorphine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and caffeine (p ≤ 0.01).

New methods in wastewater-based epidemiology: Plant-based dietary trends and in situ active sample collection

2019 Fall National Meeting

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