A case study of ethical bridges: wastewater-based epidemiology in the Rubbertown Air Toxics and Health Assessment (RATHA) project

Abstract

Background: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a valuable tool for assessing community-wide exposure to environmental pollutants. The Rubbertown Air Toxics and Health Assessment (RATHA) project presents a novel approach to integrating community engagement, ethical safeguards, and policy-driven outcomes within a large-scale WBE initiative in Louisville, Kentucky. Particular strengths of this framework include: i) community-engaged development and reporting process, and ii) applicability based on well-established principles of medical and research ethics. This case study is a model to produce actionable public health insights through community-engaged scientific research. Case: The RATHA project is a collaboration between local governmental air pollution and public health agencies, community organizations, and academic researchers. It aims to quantify exposure to air toxics through ambient air monitoring and WBE near the Rubbertown area, a predominantly Black fenceline community that faces long-standing environmental health disparities due to industrial emissions. Given the lack of established formal ethical policies for WBE, the research team developed a bioethics-based framework to guide responsible data collection, privacy protection, and equitable benefit-sharing. This framework was then publicly vetted by community organizations. Conclusions: This case study underscores both the need for and the feasibility of ethical planning in environmental health research, particularly when using WBE in vulnerable communities. The RATHA project's ethical framework provides a model for realizing scientific innovation through community protection and trust with the intention of influencing policies to protect area residents. This approach helps ensure that outcomes contribute to environmental justice and public health improvements in the areas that need it most.