Investigating Environmental Epidemiology Applications and Characterization of its Molecular Markers
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) and other environmental epidemiology methods are valuable public health tools aimed to yield relevant epidemiological information for a community. This information includes lifestyle and dietary behaviors, general population health, and exposure to contaminants. There has been a significant increase in WBE’s popularity due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. From January 2021 to May 2023, I analyzed SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) RNA in wastewater from dormitories on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.