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Structured Ethical Review for Wastewater-Based Testing in Support of Public Health.
Devin A Bowes1,2, Amanda Darling3, Erin M Driver1
1Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States.
Wastewater-based testing (WBT) for SARS-CoV-2 lacks a standardized ethical review process. A new framework of 11 questions was developed to guide ethical considerations in WBT programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Bioethics
Background:
- Wastewater-based testing (WBT) for SARS-CoV-2 provides comprehensive disease prevalence data.
- WBT is used for research and public health but lacks a standardized ethical review process.
- This can lead to adverse outcomes for professionals and communities involved in WBT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a structured ethical review framework for WBT programs.
- To address the deficiency in standardized ethical review for WBT practitioners.
Main Methods:
- An interdisciplinary workshop developed a consensus-based framework of 11 ethical review questions.
- The framework was retrospectively applied to 53 SARS-CoV-2 WBT monitoring programs from March 2020 to February 2022.
Main Results:
- The retrospective application revealed that 43% of the assessed programs lacked sufficient reported information for ethical evaluation.
- The framework highlights the need for structured communication of ethical considerations in WBT.
Conclusions:
- A systematic ethical review framework is essential for WBT programs.
- Consistent application of ethical review will improve WBT practices and address community concerns.
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