Applications of Wastewater Surveillance in a Small-Scale Wastewater System

Abstract

Wastewater surveillance (WWS), the systematic collection of wastewater for analysis of chemicals, biomarkers and pathogens shed by humans, is a tool used to provide real-time information on the health and habits of a population. While much of the existing WWS research has focused on large-scale systems, there is a growing need to explore the feasibility of implementing WWS in small communities. This research investigates WWS in a small-scale system, firstly for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, then for the THC metabolite, THC-COOH, which has been shown to be directly toxic to aquatic species. To extract THC-COOH from wastewater, a novel method was developed based on the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation technique. Utilizing this method, THC-COOH concentrations were measured in the small-scale system with several concentrations exceeding previously reported highest THC-COOH concentrations in the literature, highlighting the need to consider contaminant removal in small-scale systems.