Paper sensors identify biomarkers in wastewater

The new test device is said to be low-cost and fast and could change how public health measures are directed in future pandemics. The team’s findings are detailed in Cell Reports Physical Science.

Testing wastewater is one of the primary ways to assess the prevalence of infectious diseases in populations. Researchers take samples from water treatment plants and use the results to identify which areas have the highest infection rates. The method was used in the COVID-19 pandemic to track community infection rates and direct public health measures.

Zhugen Yang, Professor of Biosensing and Environmental Health at Cranfield University, led the development of the sentinel sensors. It builds on research he conducted in 2020 to develop a test to detect SARS-CoV-2 (commonly known as COVID-19), Influenza A and Influenza B in wastewater using a paper-based platform and UV torch or mobile phone camera.

Until now, the most accurate ways of testing wastewater samples have been methods like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests which are conducted in centralised laboratories. In the process, samples are collected, stored and transported in a cold chain to the lab location before being processed, which can take many days and is comparatively expensive.