Automated wastewater samplers such as the innovative designs developed and distributed by Teledyne ISCO Water play a primary role in the testing of water and wastewater to determine pathogen content. This fact is discussed in detail in a ScienceDirect paper published in 2024, “Epidemiological model can forecast COVID-19 outbreaks from wastewater-based surveillance in rural communities."
As the paper relates, wastewater has emerged as a crucial source for infectious disease surveillance, offering a valuable means to bridge the equity gap between underserved communities and larger urban municipalities. Wastewater-based epidemiology has rapidly emerged as a powerful tool for broad-scale surveillance of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance within communities. This approach is particularly effective because many pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, poliovirus, RSV, and influenza are shed through body waste (Arts et al., 2023; Jeong et al., 2020; Parasa et al., 2020), and can be detected in wastewater (Corpuz et al., 2020; Shah et al., 2022).
In this instance, wastewater samples were collected three times a week from wastewater treatment facilities in five rural communities serving approximately 1,000 or less inhabitants and a small city in a rural county in Idaho, USA. Rural WWTF samples were time-composite samples collected using an older version of ISCO's full-size portable autosampler, comparable to today's 6712. These units are designed for temporary or mobile sampling applications. They're battery-powered and can be easily transported to different sites, making them ideal for short-term studies or areas with limited access to power.
The 6712 portable sampler is a convenient and affordable device in a water, wastewater or stormwater sampler. ISCO's advanced 6712 controller allows you to select different programming modes for collecting samples to assure the most suitable routine for your application. Programming is fast and simple, with online help just a key stroke away, allowing you to easily consider EPA sampling requirements.
This ScienceDirect paper is a must read for anyone involved in any type of wastewater measurement, regardless the type, size or scope of the project. There's a Teledyne ISCO Water autosampler to satisfy virtually any need. For more information, please consult
www.teledyneisco.com.
