What is the Nationwide Wastewater-based Monitoring Program for Illicit Substances?
In the fall of 2023, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an Institute within the National Institutes on Health (NIH), issued funding to Biobot Analytics for a one-year Nationwide Wastewater-based Monitoring Program to understand the distribution of drugs of use and misuse across the US.
The program seeks to gather data from 70 wastewater treatment facilities from a broad sampling of geographic regions, and make it available for integration into existing public health networks to investigate dynamic shifts in drug use. This data will also help public health and safety officials anticipate new drug outbreaks and prepare faster and more effective responses to protect US citizens' health.
Specifically, the substances of focus for this program include methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, xylazine, the drug overdose reversal treatment naloxone, and their respective metabolites. This program lasts through August 31, 2024.
A one-pager of program details can be found here.
Will I receive results?
Yes, you will receive results from your sampling location(s) beginning in early December 2023, and lasting throughout the duration of the program. Biobot shares results with participating wastewater facilities and their interested state, territorial, local, and tribal health departments via our online Intelligence Platform, in addition to sharing the results directly with NIDA.
Is there a cost associated with participating in the NIDA Wastewater Monitoring Program?
No. This program is fully funded by the NIH / NIDA, and as a participant, you will not incur any charges. Additionally, all sampling materials, including kits with sample tubes and FedEx prepaid overnight shipping labels will be provided to you. Courier service is also available upon request.