Wastewater surveillance requires ethical use | Science

Wastewater monitoring (WBS) allows early detection of infectious diseases (1, 2) and monitoring community health trends (3), making it an essential public health tool. This year, American decision -makers have sought to politicize WB by following compounds related to reproductive behavior and sexual health, threatening the privacy of Americans under the banner of “environmental surveillance”. The WBS must be used exclusively to improve and protect public health, and communities and scientists must put pressure on local representatives to prevent its abusive use as a tool for political or social coercion.