Community Sewage Sensors for Monitoring Public Health and wastewater epidemiology
Keywords: electrochemical sensors, electrochemical impedance microscopy, aptamer, intercalators, illicit drugs, sewage biomarkers, wastewater-based epidemiology;
We aim to develop multichannel biosensors for human biomarker detection. We have proposed for the first of time, the concept of community sewage sensors for the detection of sewage biomarkers for monitoring public health via wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), due to its rapid response times, low cost and minimal sample processing.
A range of community sewage sensors (arrays) were designed to detect sewage urinary biomarkers for monitoring of public health within WBE, such as mitochondrial DNA, proteins (e.g. prostatic specific antigen), and drugs (e.g. cocaine) in sewage for monitoring of public health. In particular, a new label-free electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) biosensor was developed, utilizing a custom synthesized ferrocenyl intercalator as a transducer, which allows the detection of human-specific mitochondrial DNA in sewage. This novel community sensors could be used to identify potential population biomarkers for the monitoring of public health using WBE. Moreover, a novel immobilization strategy using DNA-directed immobilization for impedimetric aptamer sensor was developed for rapid detection of cocaine applied to weekly wastewater monitoring, coupled with a simple sample pre-concentration step. The analysis of cocaine in wastewater from weekly sampling in treatment plant shows similar cocaine use trends from that analysed with mass spectrometry, indicating that the developed cocaine sensors have the potential to evaluate illicit drug use trends but with rapid response times, low cost, and even monitoring in the field. The community sewage sensors were employed for the detection of a prostate cancer biomarker (PSA) in sewage based on DNA-directed immobilization aptamer sensors, which could be potentially used to evaluate the cancer prevalence at the local population level. This work demonstrated that community sewage sensors have the clear potential to provide real-time data for the assessment of community-wide health by assessment of biomarkers of health and diseases at a population level.
We aim to develop multichannel biosensors for human biomarker detection. We have proposed for the first of time, the concept of community sewage sensors for the detection of sewage biomarkers for monitoring public health via wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), due to its rapid response times, low cost and minimal sample processing.
A range of community sewage sensors (arrays) were designed to detect sewage urinary biomarkers for monitoring of public health within WBE, such as mitochondrial DNA, proteins (e.g. prostatic specific antigen), and drugs (e.g. cocaine) in sewage for monitoring of public health. In particular, a new label-free electrochemical DNA (E-DNA) biosensor was developed, utilizing a custom synthesized ferrocenyl intercalator as a transducer, which allows the detection of human-specific mitochondrial DNA in sewage. This novel community sensors could be used to identify potential population biomarkers for the monitoring of public health using WBE. Moreover, a novel immobilization strategy using DNA-directed immobilization for impedimetric aptamer sensor was developed for rapid detection of cocaine applied to weekly wastewater monitoring, coupled with a simple sample pre-concentration step. The analysis of cocaine in wastewater from weekly sampling in treatment plant shows similar cocaine use trends from that analysed with mass spectrometry, indicating that the developed cocaine sensors have the potential to evaluate illicit drug use trends but with rapid response times, low cost, and even monitoring in the field. The community sewage sensors were employed for the detection of a prostate cancer biomarker (PSA) in sewage based on DNA-directed immobilization aptamer sensors, which could be potentially used to evaluate the cancer prevalence at the local population level. This work demonstrated that community sewage sensors have the clear potential to provide real-time data for the assessment of community-wide health by assessment of biomarkers of health and diseases at a population level.
Featured References
1. Monitoring Genetic Population Biomarkers for wastewater-based epidemiology.
Yang Z#, Xu G#, Reboud J, Kasprzyk-Horden B, Cooper JM.
Anal Chem 2017, 89 (18), 9941–9945 (IF 6.320). PDF
2. Community Sewage Sensors towards Evaluation of Drug Use Trends: Detection of Cocaine in Wastewater with DNA-
Directed Immobilization Aptamer Sensors.
Yang Z*, Castrignanò E, Estrela P, Frost CG, Kasprzyk-Hordern, B.
Sci Rep, 2016 (6), 21024. (IF 5.6, NPG) PDF
3. Community Sewage Sensors for Monitoring Public Health.
Yang Z*, Kasprzyk-Hordern, B, Frost CG, Estrela P, Thomas KV.
Environ Sci Technol 2015. 49 (10), 5845–5846. (IF 6.198) PDF
4 . A novel DNA biosensor using a ferrocenyl intercalator applied to the potential detection of human population bomarkers in wastewater.
Yang Z*, Anglès d’Auriac M, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Thomas KV, Frost CG, Estrela P.
Environ Sci Technol 2015, 49 (9), 5609–5617. (IF 6.198) PDF
Yang Z#, Xu G#, Reboud J, Kasprzyk-Horden B, Cooper JM.
Anal Chem 2017, 89 (18), 9941–9945 (IF 6.320). PDF
2. Community Sewage Sensors towards Evaluation of Drug Use Trends: Detection of Cocaine in Wastewater with DNA-
Directed Immobilization Aptamer Sensors.
Yang Z*, Castrignanò E, Estrela P, Frost CG, Kasprzyk-Hordern, B.
Sci Rep, 2016 (6), 21024. (IF 5.6, NPG) PDF
3. Community Sewage Sensors for Monitoring Public Health.
Yang Z*, Kasprzyk-Hordern, B, Frost CG, Estrela P, Thomas KV.
Environ Sci Technol 2015. 49 (10), 5845–5846. (IF 6.198) PDF
4 . A novel DNA biosensor using a ferrocenyl intercalator applied to the potential detection of human population bomarkers in wastewater.
Yang Z*, Anglès d’Auriac M, Kasprzyk-Hordern B, Thomas KV, Frost CG, Estrela P.
Environ Sci Technol 2015, 49 (9), 5609–5617. (IF 6.198) PDF