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

项目摘要 基于水的流行病学（WBE）是一个强大的工具，可以衡量人口健康， 社区拥有集中的污水处理系统，特别适用于希望 评估健康差异，如新冠肺炎和药物滥用。在WBE中，化学代谢物， 细菌和病毒，以及其他健康指标是在排泄的人类废物中测量的， 废水污水流率和进入污水处理区的人口负荷允许计算 水中存在的社区一级人类健康指标。WBE尚未记录在Tribal中 社区在PI的努力之前，存在与执行相关的知识差距， 可接受性和适用性，这一工具，以评估部落人口的健康。我们的具体目标是 (1)制定一个框架，在部落中进行负责任的WBE研究和监督 社区，这将解决数据主权，部落下水道基础设施和人员， 环境生物标本的处理;（2）评估部落首领使用WBE的看法， 卫生管理人员和社区成员通过调查;（3）确定和量化 可通过WBE测量的相关健康指标，包括传染病、污染物 暴露、肠道微生物组和药物滥用。根据ITCA的这一教师增强奖 NICSI Xi将从ITCA工作人员中为PI提供指导和培训。这一协作 该项目将为ITCA，亚利桑那州的合作伙伴部落和教职员工开发研究能力 通过收集初步数据，与ITCA和 与部落间财团合作进行未来的WBE研究。

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.