ASU Faculty Enhancement: Wastewater-based epidemiology: relevant health metrics in Tribal communities.

项目总结 基于废水的流行病学(WBE)是一种测量人群健康的有力工具 具有集中下水道处理系统的社区，尤其与希望 评估健康差距，如COVID和药物滥用。在WBE中，化学代谢物 人类排泄物中的细菌和病毒以及其他健康指标在 废水。污水流量和进入排污室的人口负荷允许计算 社区一级的人类健康指标存在于水中。WBE在部落中还没有记载 在PI的努力之前的社区，以及与执行有关的知识差距， 该工具在评估部落人口健康方面的可接受性和适用性。我们的具体目标是 (1)制定在部落开展负责任的WBE研究和监测的框架 社区，这将涉及数据主权、部落下水道基础设施和人员，以及 处理环境生物检疫；(2)评估部落首领对使用WBE的看法， 卫生行政人员和社区成员通过调查；以及(3)确定和量化 WBE可以测量的相关健康指标，包括传染病、污染物 暴露、肠道微生物群和药物滥用。这是ITCA颁发的教师增强奖 NARCH XI将由ITCA工作人员为PI提供指导指导和培训。这种协作性 该项目将为ITCA、亚利桑那州的伙伴部落和教职员工发展研究能力 通过收集初步数据，导致与ITCA和 部落间联盟为未来的WBE研究提供伙伴。

PROJECT SUMMARY Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a powerful tool that can measure population health in communities with centralized sewer treatment systems and is particularly relevant for Tribes who wish to assess health disparities such as COVID and substance abuse. In WBE, chemical metabolites, bacteria and viruses, and other health indicators are measured in excreted human waste products in wastewater. The wastewater flow rate and population load into the sewershed allow for calculation of community-level human health indicators present in water. WBE has not been documented in Tribal communities prior to the PI’s efforts, and there are knowledge gaps related to the execution, acceptability, and applicability of this tool to assess Tribal population health. Our specific aims are to (1) develop a framework for conducting responsible WBE research and surveillance in Tribal communities, which will address data sovereignty, Tribal sewer infrastructure and personnel, and handling of environmental biospecimens; (2) assess the perceptions of using WBE by Tribal leaders, health administrators, and community members through surveys; and (3) determine and quantify relevant health metrics that can be measured by WBE, including infectious disease, pollutant exposure, the gut microbiome, and substance abuse. This faculty enhancement award under ITCA’s NARCH XI will provide directed mentorship and training to the PI from ITCA staff. This collaborative project will develop research capacity for ITCA, partner Tribes in Arizona and the faculty member through collection of preliminary data, leading to development of larger projects with ITCA and the partner intertribal consortia for future WBE studies.