How can open data sewage be upcycled to improve public health?
Across Europe, innovative open data sewage initiatives are emerging to
improve public health. Sewage carries a wealth of information about
human health, including data on disease outbreaks, drug use, and
environmental pollution. By analysing this data, public health
officials can detect and respond to health threats more quickly and
effectively. 

As an example, the Netherlands monitors sewage to trace the
coronavirus. The project started in February 2020 by the National
Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) and has grown to
cover over 320 sewage treatment plants, providing early warnings of
outbreaks and monitoring the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns.
The results of the analysis are accessible in an open data set
[https://data.rivm.nl/meta/srv/dut/catalog.search;jsessionid=5C4F23F31DC8B4F5CF0DFE1849EA5BB3#/metadata/a2960b68-9d3f-4dc3-9485-600570cd52b9].

In addition to diseases, drug usage can also be tracked. The European
Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has combined
open data
[https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/html/pods/waste-water-analysis_en#sourceData]
from scientific studies datingback to 2011 into an interactive map
[https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/html/pods/waste-water-analysis_en#data-explorer]
showing drug usage across European cities. These results can be
combined with other open data sets to verify validity or gain new
insights. A possible example is the open dataset on illicit drug use
in Slovenia
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/nijz20602002?locale=en] over
several years, across several studies.  

Open data can be generated not only in scientific studies, but also
through other means. For example, the open dataset on drug usage in
Ireland and Northern Ireland
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/drug_use_in_ireland_and_northern_ireland-drug_prevalence_survey-polydrug_use_results?locale=en]
consists of survey results published by the Department of Health,
Social Services and Public Safety. Possible insights to be gained from
this include the difference between reported and measured drug
usage. 

These initiatives are part of a wider trend towards the use of open
data to improve public health. The European Union has been a leading
supporter of open data initiatives, with a wealth of data available on
data.europa.eu [https://data.europa.eu/en]. 

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Publication Date/Time
2023-07-21T08:00:00+00:00
Examples of how open data on sewage testing can provide insights into
public health