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., 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
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.
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.
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.
Awards
- 2024 Best Research Poster by a Higher Degree Research Student presented at the 2024 UQ School of Pharmacy-QAEHS HDR Student Day.
