Wastewater-based epidemiology is an internationally recognised cost-effective tool to monitor population exposure to chemicals and infectious diseases, including COVID-19. However, in-sewer degradation of critical biomarkers can limit their wastewater-based epidemiology suitability. This project aims to systematically evaluate the stability of a new suite of potential biomarkers and conduct the first Australia-wide assessment on the impact of biomarker stability on wastewater-based epidemiology estimates using wastewater samples from approximately 65% of the Australian population. The project expects to generate knowledge to expand the application of wastewater-based epidemiology to reliably quantify exposure and status of well-being, even in remote areas.
Conference Abstracts
Zhao, Z., Verhagen, R., O’Brien, J.W., Tscharke, B.J., Li, J., Wang, Z., Zheng, Q., Keller, E.L., Mueller, J. & Thai, P.K. Estimating ketamine consumption and evaluating ketamine/norketamine ratio across Australia during Census week 2021 using wastewater-based epidemiology, SETAC Australasia, New Zealand, 25-28 August 2025.
Zhao, Z. Estimating ketamine consumption across Australia during Census week 2021 using wastewater-based epidemiology, The University of Queensland, School of Pharmacy/QAEHS HDR Student Day, 2 July 2025.
Zhao, Z., Yuan, J., Zheng, Q., Tscharke, B.J., Boogaerts, T., Wang, Z., Chen, S., O'Brien, J.W., van Nuijs, A.L.N., Covaci, A., Mueller, J. & Thai, P.K. Utilizing national wastewater and sales data to derive and validate the correction factors of five common antidepressants for wastewater-based epidemiolgy, The University of Queensland, School of Pharmacy/QAEHS HDR Student Day, 3 July 2024.
Zhao, Z., Zheng, Q., Eaglesham, G., Tscharke, B., Chen, S., Wang, Z., O’Brien, J.W. & Thai, P. Quantification of antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and their metabolites in wastewater by direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, Queensland Mass Spectrometry Symposium, Brisbane, Australia, 9 February 2024.
Research Outputs
Ren, J., Cen, X., Li, J., Prasad, P., Li, J., Zheng, M., Covaci, A., Mueller, J.F. and Thai, P.K., 2026. Impact of nano zero valent iron dosing on biotransformation and adsorption of 20 biomarkers in sewers. Water Research, p.125943.
Weng, M.T., Zheng, Q., Ratsch, A., Zhao, Z., Miles, J.A., Thai, P.K. and Steadman, K.J., 2026. Optimisation and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for cannabis and its metabolites in urine. Journal of Chromatography B, p.125051.
Zheng, Q., Lin, X., He, Y., Wang, Z., Du, P., Li, X., Ren, Y., Wang, D., Wen, L., Zhao, Z. and Gao, J., 2025. Progress on Wastewater-based Epidemiology in China: Implementation Challenges and Opportunities in Public Health. Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, 38(11), pp.1-5.
Zheng, Q., Duan, L., He, Y., Wang, Z., Lin, X., Du, P., Li, X., Ren, Y., Wang, D., Wen, L. and Zhao, Z., 2025. Wastewater-based epidemiology in China: a decade of advancements and challenges. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 19, p.100792.
Li, J., Ren, J., Li, J., Thai, P.K., Cen, X., Zhao, Z., Zhai, N., Thomas, K.V. and O’Brien, J.W., 2025. Stability of Antibiotics and Their Metabolites in Sewers: Implications for Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Antibiotic Sustainability. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(33), pp.17796-17810.
Zhao, Z., Zheng, Q., Eaglesham, G., Wang, Z., Li, J., Patterson, B., O'brien, J.W. and Thai, P.K., 2025. High-throughput and cost-effective quantification of psychoactive pharmaceuticals in wastewater with comprehensive in-sample stability evaluation for wastewater surveillance purpose. Microchemical Journal, p.116620.
Zhao, Z., Yuan, J., Zheng, Q., Tscharke, B.J., Boogaerts, T., Wang, Z., Chen, S., O'Brien, J.W., van Nuijs, A.L., Covaci, A. and Mueller, J., 2025. Utilizing national wastewater and sales data to derive and validate the correction factors of five common antidepressants for wastewater-based epidemiology. Water Research, p.123263.
Li, J., Cen, X., Zheng, Q., Zhao, Z., Ren, J., Khan, S., Duan, H., Thai, P. and Zheng, M., 2025. Impact of long-term and short-term magnesium hydroxide dosing on transformation of chemical biomarkers in the sewer systems. Water Research, p.123426.
Li, J., Choi, P.M., Gao, J., Ren, J., O'Brien, J.W., Thomas, K.V., Mueller, J.F., Thai, P.K., Jiang, G., 2024. In-sewer stability of 31 human health biomarkers and suitability for wastewater-based epidemiology. Water Research 249, 120978.
Zhao, Z., Zheng, Q., Tscharke, B.J., Ahmed, F., O'Brien, J.W., Gao, J., Covaci, A., and Thai, P.K. 2024. Refining the correction factor for a better monitoring of antidepressant use by wastewater-based epidemiology: A case study of amitriptyline. Science of The Total Environment, 172057.
Wang, Z., Zheng, Q., Tscharke, B.J., Li, J., O'Brien, J.W., Patterson, B., Zhao, Z., Thomas, K.V., Mueller, J.F. and Thai, P.K., 2024. High throughput and sensitive quantitation of tobacco-specific alkaloids and nitrosamines in wastewater. Talanta, 277, p.126401.
Li, J., Ahmed, W., Metcalfe, S., Smith, W.J., Choi, P.M., Jackson, G., Cen, X., Zheng, M., Simpson, S.L., Thomas, K.V. and Mueller, J.F., 2023. Impact of sewer biofilms on fate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and wastewater surveillance. Nature Water, 1(3), pp.272-280.
Gao, J., O'Brien, J.W., Li, J., Choi, P., Li, Y. and Thai, P.K., 2023. Assessment of in-sample and in-sewer stability of biomarkers in wastewater-based epidemiology: an important step. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for the Assessment of Human Exposure to Environmental Pollutants, pp.83-122.
Awards
- 2024 Best Research Poster by a Higher Degree Research Student presented at the 2024 UQ School of Pharmacy-QAEHS HDR Student Day.
- 2025 Commendation (tie) for QAEHS Best HDR Student Publication Award.
