Scientists refer to these chemicals as PFAS – poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances. Over time, these chemicals can accumulate in our bodies and lead to long-term health issues.
Public health officials are testing wastewater for viruses and diseases to get a better picture of where the community in Yolo, Merced and Stanislaus counties stand.
UC Davis says wastewater analysis can look for polio and they are now looking for monkeypox, while their partners at Stanford are expanding and looking at influenza.
Wastewater testing has proved a reliable early alarm bell for COVID-19 outbreaks. researchers are now adapting the approach to track the explosive spread of monkeypox.
Health officials hope to get ahead of the monkeypox outbreak by monitoring the viral load in sewer systems, similar to how they monitored it during COVID.