| NSF Org: |
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 7, 2020 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 7, 2020 |
| Award Number: | 2038372 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Mamadou Diallo
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | July 15, 2020 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2021 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $200,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $200,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
660 S MILL AVENUE STE 204 TEMPE AZ US 85281-3670 (480)965-5479 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Tempe AZ US 85287-6011 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | EnvE-Environmental Engineering |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted society. These impacts are particularly hard on Native American communities due to healthcare disparities, multi-generational housing, and limitations in sanitation infrastructure. As a result, mandatory curfews, border closures, and shutdowns have been implemented to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in Tribal communities. However, it is difficult to assess the success of such measures without routine testing. The goal of this project is to determine whether wastewater-based epidemiology can be used to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in Tribal communities to rapidly assess COVID-19 outbreaks. Results from this assessment will help Tribal health care professionals assess the impact of quarantine and lock-down strategies. Training and outreach materials will be developed to help Tribal leaders protect the health and welfare of their communities both during the current pandemic, and in future outbreaks.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Native American communities particularly hard due to the prevalence of communal living, lack of potable water infrastructure, limited access to internet and cable services which restricts the flow of public health information, and health disparities that affect infection rates and outbreaks. Tribal leadership across the country has implemented strict mandatory curfew and lock-down ordinances, border closures, and government shutdowns to slow the spread of the pandemic. However, routine testing of COVID-19 is not feasible in these resource-limited communities, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of control measures. The goal of this project is to investigate the feasibility of using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to monitor SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in Tribal communities. This goal will be achieved through an evaluation of wastewater permit data to target Tribal communities where SARS-CoV-2 will be measured in wastewater treatment systems. Results will be used to develop culturally appropriate WBE research training and educational materials for wastewater utility operators, health professionals, and Tribal leaders. Successful implementation of WBE would enable Tribal communities to rapidly evaluate community health and assess the success of intervention measures.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Expanding the use of wastewater to assess community health in the emerging field of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides a less invasive and less costly mechanism for health assessments in underserved communities. One particularly demographic that may benefit from this work are Tribal communities, whose health infrastructure driven by socioeconomic inequities and rural geography have contributed to comparatively poorer health outcomes. Here, we evaluated the connectivity of Federally Recognized Indian Tribes in the U.S., to assess the feasibility in using WBE as a complementary health metric at each reservation location.
Remote Tribal communities typically operate low-maintenance wastewater treatment facilities such as lagoons, terminal lagoons, with and without disinfection. An analysis of National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefiles, and U.S. Census data generated a list of wastewater facilities that can be pursued for WBE or other exposure-related studies. Among the 574 Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, 88 have wastewater NPDES permits for wastewater facilities that serve a population that is mostly Native American (> 50%, U.S. Census). These Tribes have the infrastructure for wastewater surveillance of public health biomarkers during the coronavirus pandemic.
A WBE case study was also executed in partnership with a collaborating Tribal community. Here, wastewater samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during a critical period of the pandemic (2020-2021). 250 individual wastewater samples were collected from 12 locations across a reservation. Initially, samples consisted of grab samples collected across the terminal lagoons and analyzed by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) targeting the E gene. Results showed non-detects, which were in agreement with clinical data for the period. With relatively low concentrations of the virus within the community, we modified our methodology to include an additional assay consisting of 3 targets (N1, ORF1ab, and S) rather than only one. Additionally, automated samplers were employed within the wastewater collection system (in-pipe), which improved the ability to measure the virus by i) recovering “fresh” wastewater samples that were subject to less degradation and subsequent dilution in the terminal lagoon, and ii) increasing the number of samples collected throughout the day from 1 to 24. Additionally, samplers were set to collect hourly unique samples rather than the traditional 24-hr composite, which we found removed the dilution effects that would normally occur when many low or no virus sample aliquots were composited over 24 hrs, which would obscure virus levels in a community.
Implementation of WBE in Tribal communities requires the coordination of the Wastewater Utility, Environmental Program, and Health Department, but not without approval from the Tribal Research, Institutional Research Review Boards, or Tribal Leadership through a resolution. Considering the time to obtain agreements from various Tribal entities, appropriate planning will ensure vulnerable communities have access to tools for public health monitoring of SARS-CoV-2.
Through this initial work, we have identified a list of communities with the infrastructure to participate in wastewater monitoring activities and have constructed a framework for implementing this methodology in these communities for public health purposes.
Last Modified: 11/29/2021
Modified by: Otakuye Conroy-Ben
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