# Wastewater surveillance for addressing environmental health disparities

> **NIH NIH U54** · MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $323,739

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY – Project 1
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a causative agent of coronavirus disease
(COVID-19), is still a public health concern. The main transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 is person to person
through respiratory droplets/aerosols. Recent studies, however, indicate that SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA can be
detected in the feces of infected individuals, even after respiratory symptoms have subsided. Wastewater based
Epidemiology (WBE) is a powerful and promising tool for community surveillance, but little information is
available on how to utilize this inexpensive early warning system for public health action and addressing
environmental health disparities. In addition, two vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are approved and are being
distributed now in the US. In light of this, the overall goal of this proposal is to determine the effectiveness of
vaccination among minority populations and develop and validate predictive models for forecasting COVID-19
using WBE. We will use our expertise in laboratory experiments, mathematical and artificial intelligence (AI)
modeling, molecular detection, and field surveys to address these specific aims.
Aim 1. To determine if SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens concentration in wastewater correlates with
COVID-19 community transmission in high-risk areas.
Aim 2. To develop and validate predictive models for SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence based on detection in
wastewater.
Aim 2. To foster community engagement in COVID-19 research and dissemination of research findings through
WBE.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11002069
- **Project number:** 2U54MD013376-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Samendra P Sherchan
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $323,739
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-07-31 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11002069

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11002069, Wastewater surveillance for addressing environmental health disparities (2U54MD013376-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11002069. Licensed CC0.

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