Assessing and modelling spatiotemporal trends of drug consumption in the community by wastewater-based epidemiology

Sewer networks, as integral components of urban infrastructure, play a crucial role in upholding public health and safety standards. The escalating misuse and illicit consumption of drugs contribute to an influx of pharmaceuticals into sewer networks, detectable through wastewater-based epidemiology. However, the intricate interplay of continuous physical, chemical, and biological reactions, diverse pipe properties, and chemical dosing activities renders the internal sewer environment varied and complex.

This PhD project aims to investigate the factors and their impacts on drug degradation within sewer systems. The approach involves conducting lab-scale reactor experiments to elucidate drug stability under chemical dosing conditions. Furthermore, the project seeks to employ and expand a hydraulic model to delineate flow processes, allowing for the prediction of drug distribution at the catchment level, with the goal of optimizing sampling point selection and the application of WBE methods.

Please note this is a PhD student Confirmation Progress Review presentation.