Assessing and Modelling Spatiotemporal Trends of Drug Consumptions in the Community by Wastewater-based Epidemiology

Sewer networks, as one of the most important urban infrastructure systems, play a crucial role in ensuring public health and safety. From discharging points to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), chemicals may undergo a series of activities that lead to degradation and transformation. The fate and distribution of pharmaceuticals in sewer networks are complicated, as they contain many interactive processes. Understanding the stability of chemicals during sewer networks and obtaining more realistic degradation rates are the premises for better application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE).

This study relies on lab-scale simulation and hydraulic models to explore how the profile of biomarker concentration is influenced by discharging points and frequencies. Accounting for sewer-related factors led to a more comprehensive understanding of biomarker stability in sewer networks.

Conference Abstracts

Ren, J., Cen, X., Li, J., Li, J. & Thai, P. In-sewer stability of 20 pharmaceuticals under nano zero valent iron dosing, SETAC Asia-Pacific 14^th Biennial Meeting, China, 21-25 September 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.

Ren, J., Zheng, Q., Li, J., Verhagen, R., Thai, P.K., Li, J., Mueller, J.F. and Tscharke, B.J., 2025. In-Sample Chemical Tracers for Quality Control in Environmental Samples: A Systematic Evaluation of Deuterated Pharmaceuticals for Sampling Campaigns. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(39), pp.21278-21288.