1
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Armenta-Castro A, Núñez-Soto MT, Rodriguez-Aguillón KO, Aguayo-Acosta A, Oyervides-Muñoz MA, Snyder SA, Barceló D, Saththasivam J, Lawler J, Sosa-Hernández JE, Parra-Saldívar R. Urine biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: A new opportunity for wastewater-based epidemiology? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 184:108462. [PMID: 38335627 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
While Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, management, and care have become priorities for healthcare providers and researcher's worldwide due to rapid population aging, epidemiologic surveillance efforts are currently limited by costly, invasive diagnostic procedures, particularly in low to middle income countries (LMIC). In recent years, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a promising tool for public health assessment through detection and quantification of specific biomarkers in wastewater, but applications for non-infectious diseases such as AD remain limited. This early review seeks to summarize AD-related biomarkers and urine and other peripheral biofluids and discuss their potential integration to WBE platforms to guide the first prospective efforts in the field. Promising results have been reported in clinical settings, indicating the potential of amyloid β, tau, neural thread protein, long non-coding RNAs, oxidative stress markers and other dysregulated metabolites for AD diagnosis, but questions regarding their concentration and stability in wastewater and the correlation between clinical levels and sewage circulation must be addressed in future studies before comprehensive WBE systems can be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mónica T Núñez-Soto
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Kassandra O Rodriguez-Aguillón
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Alberto Aguayo-Acosta
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Mariel Araceli Oyervides-Muñoz
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Shane A Snyder
- Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Damià Barceló
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering at the UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Jayaprakash Saththasivam
- Water Center, Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Qatar
| | - Jenny Lawler
- Water Center, Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Qatar
| | - Juan Eduardo Sosa-Hernández
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
| | - Roberto Parra-Saldívar
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
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2
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Sánchez-Jiménez E, Abian J, Ginebreda A, Barceló D, Carrascal M. Shotgun proteomics to characterize wastewater proteins. MethodsX 2023; 11:102403. [PMID: 37854711 PMCID: PMC10579522 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Classically, the characterization of wastewater components has been restricted to the measurement of indirect parameters (chemical and biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen) and small molecules of interest in epidemiology or for environmental control. Despite the fact that metaproteomics has provided important knowledge about the microbial communities in these waters, practically nothing is known about other non-microbial proteins transported in the wastewater. The method described here has allowed us to perform a large-scale characterization of the wastewater proteome. Wastewater protein profiles have shown to be very different in different collection sites probably reflecting their human population and industrial activities. We believe that wastewater proteomics is opening the doors to the discovery of new environmental and health biomarkers and the development of new, more effective monitoring devices for issues like monitorization of population health, pest control, or control of industry discharges. The method developed is relatively simple and combines procedures for the separation of the soluble and particulate fractions of wastewater and their concentration, and conventional shotgun proteomics using high-resolution mass spectrometry for protein identification. •Unprecedented method for wastewater proteome characterization.•Proteins as new potential biomarkers for sewage chemical-information mining, wastewater epidemiology and environmental monitoring.•Wastewater protein profiles reflect human and industrial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Sánchez-Jiménez
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, Barcelona 08036, Spain
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Joaquin Abian
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | - Antoni Ginebreda
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Damià Barceló
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Montserrat Carrascal
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, Barcelona 08036, Spain
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3
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Devianto LA, Sano D. Systematic review and meta-analysis of human health-related protein markers for realizing real-time wastewater-based epidemiology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 897:165304. [PMID: 37419365 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
For effective implementation of the wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach, real-time quantification of markers in wastewater is critical for data acquisition before data interpretation, dissemination, and decision-making. This can be achieved by using biosensor technology, but whether the quantification/detection limits of different types of biosensors comply with the concentration of WBE markers in wastewater is unclear. In the present study, we identified promising protein markers with relatively high concentrations in wastewater samples and analyzed biosensor technologies that are potentially available for real-time WBE. The concentrations of potential protein markers in stool and urine samples were obtained through systematic review and meta-analysis. We examined 231 peer-review papers to collect information regarding potential protein markers that can enable us to achieve real-time monitoring using biosensor technology. Fourteen markers in stool samples were identified at the ng/g level, presumably equivalent to ng/L of wastewater after dilution. Moreover, relatively high average concentrations of fecal inflammatory proteins were observed, e.g., fecal calprotectin, clusterin, and lactoferrin. Fecal calprotectin exhibited the highest average log concentration among the markers identified in stool samples with its mean value being 5.24 [95 % CI: 5.05, 5.42] ng/g. We identified 50 protein markers in urine samples at the ng/mL level. Uromodulin (4.48 [95 % CI: 4.20, 4.76] ng/mL) and plasmin (4.18 [95 % CI: 3.15, 5.21] ng/mL) had the top two highest log concentrations in urine samples. Furthermore, the quantification limit of some electrochemical- and optical-based biosensors was found to be around the femtogram/mL level, which is sufficiently low to detect protein markers in wastewater even after dilution in sewer pipes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luhur Akbar Devianto
- Department of Frontier Science for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture Technology, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia.
| | - Daisuke Sano
- Department of Frontier Science for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Wastewater Information Research Center, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.
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4
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Almulhim F, Hong PY. Evaluation of protein extraction methods to improve meta-proteomics analysis of treated wastewater biofilms. Proteomics 2023; 23:e2300191. [PMID: 37541654 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Metaproteomics can be used to study functionally active biofilm-based bacterial populations in reclaimed water distribution systems, which in turn result in bacterial regrowth that impacts the water quality. However, existing protein extraction methods have differences in their protein recovery and have not been evaluated for their efficacies in reclaimed water biofilm samples. In this study, we first evaluated six different protein extraction methods with diverse chemical and physical properties on a mixture of bacterial cell culture. Based on a weighting scores-based evaluation, the extraction protocols in order of decreasing performance are listed as B-PER > RIPA > PreOmics > SDS > AllPrep > Urea. The highest four optimal methods on cell culture were further tested against treated wastewater non-chlorinated and chlorinated effluent biofilms. In terms of protein yield, our findings showed that RIPA performed the best; however, the highest number of proteins were extracted from SDS and PreOmics. Furthermore, SDS and PreOmics worked best to rupture gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial cell walls. Considering the five evaluation factors, PreOmics obtained highest weighted score, indicating its potential effectiveness in extracting proteins from biofilms. This study provides the first insight into evaluating protein extraction methods to facilitate metaproteomics for complex reclaimed water matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatimah Almulhim
- Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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5
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Carrascal M, Sánchez-Jiménez E, Fang J, Pérez-López C, Ginebreda A, Barceló D, Abian J. Sewage Protein Information Mining: Discovery of Large Biomolecules as Biomarkers of Population and Industrial Activities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37463250 PMCID: PMC10399289 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology has been revealed as a powerful approach for surveying the health and lifestyle of a population. In this context, proteins have been proposed as potential biomarkers that complement the information provided by currently available methods. However, little is known about the range of molecular species and dynamics of proteins in wastewater and the information hidden in these protein profiles is still to be uncovered. In this study, we investigated the protein composition of wastewater from 10 municipalities in Catalonia with diverse populations and industrial activities at three different times of the year. The soluble fraction of this material was analyzed using liquid chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry using a shotgun proteomics approach. The complete proteomic profile, distribution among different organisms, and semiquantitative analysis of the main constituents are described. Excreta (urine and feces) from humans, and blood and other residues from livestock were identified as the two main protein sources. Our findings provide new insights into the characterization of wastewater proteomics that allow for the proposal of specific bioindicators for wastewater-based environmental monitoring. This includes human and animal population monitoring, most notably for rodent pest control (immunoglobulins (Igs) and amylases) and livestock processing industry monitoring (albumins).
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Carrascal
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ester Sánchez-Jiménez
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jie Fang
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Pérez-López
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Ginebreda
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Damià Barceló
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquin Abian
- Biological and Environmental Proteomics Group, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Rosellón 161, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Amin V, Bowes DA, Halden RU. Systematic scoping review evaluating the potential of wastewater-based epidemiology for monitoring cardiovascular disease and cancer. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:160103. [PMID: 36370774 PMCID: PMC9643312 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are collectively responsible for tens of millions of global deaths each year. These rates are projected to intensify as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in individualized diagnostics, or exacerbated prevalence due to Post Acute Coronavirus (COVID-19) Syndrome. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has successfully been employed as a useful tool for generating population-level health assessments, and was examined here in this systematic scoping literature review to (i) identify endogenous human biomarkers reported to indicate CVD or cancer in clinical practice, (ii) assess specificity to the indicated diseases, (iii) evaluate the utility for estimating population-level disease prevalence in community wastewater, and (iv) contextualize the obtained information for monitoring CVD and cancer presence via WBE. A total of 48 peer-reviewed papers were critically examined identifying five urinary protein biomarkers: cardiac troponin I (cTnI) (heart attack/heart failure), cystatin C (atherosclerosis), normetanephrine (tumor presence), α-fetoprotein (prostate and liver cancer), and microtubule assisted serine/threonine kinase 4 (MAST4) (breast cancer). Next, urinary excretion information was utilized to predict biomarker concentrations extant in community wastewater, resulting in average healthy concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 1159 ng/L, and disease-indicating thresholds from 0.16 to 3041 ng/L. Finally, estimating prevalence-adjusted wastewater measurements was explored in order to assess community-level CVD and cancer presence utilizing U.S. reported prevalence rates. Results obtained suggest that WBE can serve as a viable tool in support of current methods for CVD and cancer assessment to reduce morbidities and mortalities worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Amin
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, AZ 85287-8101, USA
| | - Devin A Bowes
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, AZ 85287-8101, USA
| | - Rolf U Halden
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, AZ 85287-8101, USA; School for Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, AZ 85287-8101, USA; OneWaterOneHealth, The Arizona State University Foundation, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona State University, 800 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
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7
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Parra-Arroyo L, Martinez-Ruiz M, Lucero S, Oyervides-Muñoz MA, Wilkinson M, Melchor-Martínez EM, Araújo RG, Coronado-Apodaca KG, Velasco Bedran H, Buitrón G, Noyola A, Barceló D, Iqbal HM, Sosa-Hernández JE, Parra-Saldívar R. Degradation of viral RNA in wastewater complex matrix models and other standards for wastewater-based epidemiology: A review. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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8
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Kennes-Veiga D, Trueba-Santiso A, Gallardo-Garay V, Balboa S, Carballa M, Lema JM. Sulfamethoxazole Enhances Specific Enzymatic Activities under Aerobic Heterotrophic Conditions: A Metaproteomic Approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:13152-13159. [PMID: 36073795 PMCID: PMC9686132 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The growing concern about antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has focused on the sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as a potential hotspot for their development and spread. To this end, it seems relevant to analyze the changes on the microbiota as a consequence of the antibiotics that wastewater may contain. This study aims at determining whether the presence of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), even in relatively low concentrations, modifies the microbial activities and the enzymatic expression of an activated sludge under aerobic heterotrophic conditions. For that purpose, we applied a metaproteomic approach in combination with genomic and transformation product analyses. SMX was biotransformed, and the metabolite 2,4(1H,3H)-pteridinedione-SMX (PtO-SMX) from the pterin-conjugation pathway was detected at all concentrations tested. Metaproteomics showed that SMX at 50-2000 μg/L slightly affected the microbial community structure, which was confirmed by DNA metabarcoding. Interestingly, an enhanced activity of the genus Corynebacterium and specifically of five enzymes involved in its central carbon metabolism was found at increased SMX concentrations. Our results suggest a role of Corynebacterium genus on SMX risks mitigation in our bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David
M. Kennes-Veiga
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Alba Trueba-Santiso
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Valentina Gallardo-Garay
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Sabela Balboa
- CRETUS,
Department of Microbiology, University of
Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Marta Carballa
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Juan M. Lema
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
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9
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Robins K, Leonard AFC, Farkas K, Graham DW, Jones DL, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Bunce JT, Grimsley JMS, Wade MJ, Zealand AM, McIntyre-Nolan S. Research needs for optimising wastewater-based epidemiology monitoring for public health protection. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2022; 20:1284-1313. [PMID: 36170187 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2022.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an unobtrusive method used to observe patterns in illicit drug use, poliovirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic and need for surveillance measures have led to the rapid acceleration of WBE research and development globally. With the infrastructure available to monitor SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater in 58 countries globally, there is potential to expand targets and applications for public health protection, such as other viral pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pharmaceutical consumption, or exposure to chemical pollutants. Some applications have been explored in academic research but are not used to inform public health decision-making. We reflect on the current knowledge of WBE for these applications and identify barriers and opportunities for expanding beyond SARS-CoV-2. This paper critically reviews the applications of WBE for public health and identifies the important research gaps for WBE to be a useful tool in public health. It considers possible uses for pathogenic viruses, AMR, and chemicals. It summarises the current evidence on the following: (1) the presence of markers in stool and urine; (2) environmental factors influencing persistence of markers in wastewater; (3) methods for sample collection and storage; (4) prospective methods for detection and quantification; (5) reducing uncertainties; and (6) further considerations for public health use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Robins
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Anne F C Leonard
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; University of Exeter Medical School, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Kata Farkas
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - David W Graham
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - David L Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK; SoilsWest, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6105, Australia
| | | | - Joshua T Bunce
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Jasmine M S Grimsley
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail:
| | - Matthew J Wade
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Cassie Building, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Andrew M Zealand
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail:
| | - Shannon McIntyre-Nolan
- Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection, UK Health Security Agency, Nobel House, London SW1P 3HX, UK E-mail: ; Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, Ministry of Justice, London, SW1H 9AJ, UK
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10
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Picó Y, Barceló D. Mass Spectrometry in Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for the Determination of Small and Large Molecules as Biomarkers of Exposure: Toward a Global View of Environment and Human Health under the COVID-19 Outbreak. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:30865-30872. [PMID: 34841130 PMCID: PMC8613814 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) estimates collective consumption or exposure to chemicals or pathogens by monitoring the substances excreted in the population's wastewater. Advances in mass spectrometry (MS) and the application of some clinical diagnostic tools and proteomics to wastewater fingerprinting have been linked to the discovery of new biomarkers and indicators of population health and are broadening the scope of WBE that nowadays cover not only small molecule biomarkers but also genetic biomarkers, large molecules, viruses, infection diseases, resistance, etc. This mini-review highlights recent WBE advances using MS and how this progress can create a fingerprint of a city's health hazards, habits, and lifestyle, which is gaining in public health emphasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Picó
- Environmental
and Food Safety Research Group-University of Valencia (SAMA-UV), Desertification
Research Centre (CIDE), Joint Center CSIC-University
of Valencia-Generalitat Valenciana, Moncada Naquera Road km 4.3, 46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Damià Barceló
- Water
and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18−26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan
Institute for Water Research, ICRA − CERCA, Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
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11
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Su Z, McDonnell D, Bentley BL, He J, Shi F, Cheshmehzangi A, Ahmad J, Jia P. Addressing Biodisaster X Threats With Artificial Intelligence and 6G Technologies: Literature Review and Critical Insights. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e26109. [PMID: 33961583 PMCID: PMC8153034 DOI: 10.2196/26109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With advances in science and technology, biotechnology is becoming more accessible to people of all demographics. These advances inevitably hold the promise to improve personal and population well-being and welfare substantially. It is paradoxical that while greater access to biotechnology on a population level has many advantages, it may also increase the likelihood and frequency of biodisasters due to accidental or malicious use. Similar to "Disease X" (describing unknown naturally emerging pathogenic diseases with a pandemic potential), we term this unknown risk from biotechnologies "Biodisaster X." To date, no studies have examined the potential role of information technologies in preventing and mitigating Biodisaster X. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore (1) what Biodisaster X might entail and (2) solutions that use artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging 6G technologies to help monitor and manage Biodisaster X threats. METHODS A review of the literature on applying AI and 6G technologies for monitoring and managing biodisasters was conducted on PubMed, using articles published from database inception through to November 16, 2020. RESULTS Our findings show that Biodisaster X has the potential to upend lives and livelihoods and destroy economies, essentially posing a looming risk for civilizations worldwide. To shed light on Biodisaster X threats, we detailed effective AI and 6G-enabled strategies, ranging from natural language processing to deep learning-based image analysis to address issues ranging from early Biodisaster X detection (eg, identification of suspicious behaviors), remote design and development of pharmaceuticals (eg, treatment development), and public health interventions (eg, reactive shelter-at-home mandate enforcement), as well as disaster recovery (eg, sentiment analysis of social media posts to shed light on the public's feelings and readiness for recovery building). CONCLUSIONS Biodisaster X is a looming but avoidable catastrophe. Considering the potential human and economic consequences Biodisaster X could cause, actions that can effectively monitor and manage Biodisaster X threats must be taken promptly and proactively. Rather than solely depending on overstretched professional attention of health experts and government officials, it is perhaps more cost-effective and practical to deploy technology-based solutions to prevent and control Biodisaster X threats. This study discusses what Biodisaster X could entail and emphasizes the importance of monitoring and managing Biodisaster X threats by AI techniques and 6G technologies. Future studies could explore how the convergence of AI and 6G systems may further advance the preparedness for high-impact, less likely events beyond Biodisaster X.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohui Su
- Center on Smart and Connected Health Technologies, Mays Cancer Center, School of Nursing, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Dean McDonnell
- Department of Humanities, Institute of Technology Carlow, Carlow, Ireland
| | - Barry L Bentley
- Cardiff School of Technologies, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Jiguang He
- Centre for Wireless Communications, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Feng Shi
- Department of Research and Development, Shanghai United Imaging Intelligence, Shanghai, China
| | - Ali Cheshmehzangi
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, China
- Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Junaid Ahmad
- Prime Institute of Public Health, Peshawar Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Peng Jia
- Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- International Institute of Spatial Lifecourse Epidemiology, Hong Kong, China
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Barceló D. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology to monitor COVID-19 outbreak: Present and future diagnostic methods to be in your radar. CASE STUDIES IN CHEMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2020; 2:100042. [PMID: 38620482 PMCID: PMC7489268 DOI: 10.1016/j.cscee.2020.100042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The WHO has declared the COVID-19 epidemic on January 31, 2020. This virus has infected millions of people worldwide in just a few months. Shortly afterwards, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) announced nucleic acid testing as the gold standard for virus detection. Antibody testing is used as well as a supplementary test for suspected cases where nucleic acid detection was negative. In short, nucleic acid-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the mainstream detection method for clinical samples as well as for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewaters. First data collected around the globe were reported in the last few months being part of the so-called Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) approach. Selection of concentration methods and primers, laboratory inter-comparison and various modalities of PCR detection of the virus in complex wastewater matrices were flagged up as main bullets that require urgent improvement. Novel approaches to enhance sensitivity, speed and automate streamlined virus detection will be discussed here as well. This list comprises devices mainly used for clinical purposes like Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), Digital PCR, Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) and related platforms as well as Biosensors. The last part will be devoted to the identification of biomolecules to target Covid-19 outbreak based on inflammatory response biomarkers among others. To this end this opinion paper brings for discussion the issue of PCR detection and its limitations as well as new diagnostic methods in WBE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damià Barceló
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research,(IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Water Research, Parc Científic I Tecnològic de La University of Girona, C/Emili Grahit, 101, Edifici H2O, 17003, Girona, Spain
- College of Environmental and Resources Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
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