Nationwide public perceptions regarding the acceptance of using wastewater for community health monitoring in the United States.

Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science

COVID-19*/epidemiology ; Wastewater*; Humans ; Public Health ; Public Opinion ; RNA ; United States ; Water

To assess the levels of infection across communities during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, researchers have measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in feces dissolved in sewer water. This activity is colloquially known as sewer monitoring and is referred to as wastewater-based epidemiology in academic settings. Although global ethical principles have been described, sewer monitoring is unregulated for health privacy protection when used for public health surveillance in the United States. This study used Qualtrics XM, a national research panel provider, to recruit participants to answer an online survey. Respondents (N = 3,083) answered questions about their knowledge, perceptions of what is to be monitored, where monitoring should occur, and privacy concerns related to sewer monitoring as a public health surveillance tool. Furthermore, a privacy attitude questionnaire was used to assess the general privacy boundaries of respondents. Participants were more likely to support monitoring for diseases (92%), environmental toxins (92%), and terrorist threats (88%; e.g., anthrax). Two-third of the respondents endorsed no prohibition on location sampling scale (e.g., monitoring single residence to entire community was acceptable); the most common location category respondents wanted to prohibit sampling was at personal residences. Sewer monitoring is an emerging technology, and our study sheds light on perceptions that could benefit from educational programs in areas where public acceptance is comparatively lower. Respondents clearly communicated guard rails for sewer monitoring, and public opinion should inform future policy, application, and regulation measures.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Sci Total Environ. 2016 Sep 15;565:977-983. (PMID: 27188267)
Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2021 Apr 9;12(4):e00343. (PMID: 33835096)
J Law Biosci. 2020 Jun 24;7(1):lsaa039. (PMID: 32793373)
Tob Control. 2015 Jan;24(1):38-42. (PMID: 25015371)
Northwest Univ Law Rev. 2006 Winter;100(2):857-84. (PMID: 17340772)
Addiction. 2012 Oct;107(10):1767-73. (PMID: 22417286)
Environ Sci Technol. 2021 Jul 6;55(13):8484-8491. (PMID: 34101444)
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Oct 22;116(43):21864-21873. (PMID: 31591193)
Sci Total Environ. 2016 Oct 15;568:856-863. (PMID: 27338844)
mSystems. 2020 Jul 21;5(4):. (PMID: 32694130)
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 Feb;74(3):555-63. (PMID: 18065629)
Environ Sci Technol. 2021 Sep 7;55(17):11473-11475. (PMID: 34431294)
J Hazard Mater. 2020 Feb 15;384:121306. (PMID: 31622847)
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Sep 10;838(Pt 2):155961. (PMID: 35588803)
Water Res. 2020 Feb 1;169:115246. (PMID: 31710918)
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Sep 1;837:155664. (PMID: 35526635)
Geohealth. 2021 Jul 01;5(7):e2021GH000420. (PMID: 34222738)

0 (Waste Water)
059QF0KO0R (Water)
63231-63-0 (RNA)

Date Created: 20221011 Date Completed: 20221013 Latest Revision: 20221207

20221213

PMC9553059

10.1371/journal.pone.0275075

36219594