# ASU Faculty Enhancement: Wastewater-based epidemiology: relevant health metrics in Tribal communities.

> **NIH NIH S06** · INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF ARIZONA, INC. · 2021 · $154,762

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a powerful tool that can measure population health in
communities with centralized sewer treatment systems and is particularly relevant for Tribes who wish
to assess health disparities such as COVID and substance abuse. In WBE, chemical metabolites,
bacteria and viruses, and other health indicators are measured in excreted human waste products in
wastewater. The wastewater flow rate and population load into the sewershed allow for calculation of
community-level human health indicators present in water. WBE has not been documented in Tribal
communities prior to the PI’s efforts, and there are knowledge gaps related to the execution,
acceptability, and applicability of this tool to assess Tribal population health. Our specific aims are to
(1) develop a framework for conducting responsible WBE research and surveillance in Tribal
communities, which will address data sovereignty, Tribal sewer infrastructure and personnel, and
handling of environmental biospecimens; (2) assess the perceptions of using WBE by Tribal leaders,
health administrators, and community members through surveys; and (3) determine and quantify
relevant health metrics that can be measured by WBE, including infectious disease, pollutant
exposure, the gut microbiome, and substance abuse. This faculty enhancement award under ITCA’s
NARCH XI will provide directed mentorship and training to the PI from ITCA staff. This collaborative
project will develop research capacity for ITCA, partner Tribes in Arizona and the faculty member
through collection of preliminary data, leading to development of larger projects with ITCA and the
partner intertribal consortia for future WBE studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10223677
- **Project number:** 1S06GM142123-01
- **Recipient organization:** INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF ARIZONA, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Otakuye Conroy-Ben
- **Activity code:** S06 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $154,762
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-23 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10223677

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10223677, ASU Faculty Enhancement: Wastewater-based epidemiology: relevant health metrics in Tribal communities. (1S06GM142123-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10223677. Licensed CC0.

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