Delving Into Sewage to Diagnose Public Health Problems

Most people probably view wastewater treatment plants as an integral part of modern infrastructure. Rolf Halden and his colleagues see them as windows to our behavior and well-being. “If somebody would tell me today he or she is working at a wastewater treatment plant, I would respond that is partially true, but that they are also working at a human health observatory,” he says.Halden, professor and director of the Biodesign Center for Environmental Security at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, heads research that uses sewage and sludge samples from wastewater treatment plants in the United States and throughout the world