An infographic titled “Sewage as an Indicator of Public Health” from the The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. The infographic shows a diagram of how sewage can be used to track a variety of public health indicators, including:
Health lifestyle: Levels of biomarkers for obesity, diabetes, stress, and other chronic diseases can be detected in sewage.
Personal hygiene and care products: Levels of microplastics, parabens, UV filters, and other chemicals from personal hygiene products can be detected in sewage.
Medication use: Levels of prescription and over-the-counter medications can be detected in sewage.
Drug use: Levels of illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, can be detected in sewage.
Smoking and drinking: Levels of nicotine and alcohol can be detected in sewage.
Pathogens: Levels of viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can cause disease can be detected in sewage.
The infographic also includes the following text:
Sewage can be a valuable tool for public health officials to track the health of a community and identify potential problems.
Sewage surveillance can be used to detect outbreaks of disease early, even before people start showing symptoms.
Sewage surveillance can also be used to track the spread of antibiotic resistance and other emerging health threats.