Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42378418›Full record

ArticleJournal of water and health2026

Assessing long-term specific pollutant loads in municipal wastewater plants influent using monitoring data: A case study from Latvia.

Juris Laicans, Brigita Dejus, Sandis Dejus, Talis Juhna

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of water and health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Juris LaicansWater Systems and Biotechnology Institute, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas iela 6A-263, Riga, Latvia E-mail: juris.laicans@rtu.lv.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1635-2214
Brigita DejusWater Systems and Biotechnology Institute, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas iela 6A-263, Riga, Latvia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9304-881X
Sandis DejusWater Systems and Biotechnology Institute, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas iela 6A-263, Riga, Latvia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9110-3325
Talis JuhnaWater Systems and Biotechnology Institute, Riga Technical University, Kipsalas iela 6A-263, Riga, Latvia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5985-704X

Funding

The work was supported by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility within Project No 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/003 "Implementation of consolidation and management changes at Riga Technical University, Liepaja University, Rezekne Academy of Technology, Latvian Maritime Academy and Liepaja Maritime College for the progress towards excellence in higher education, science and innovation" academic career doctoral grant ID 1032
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Wastewater-based epidemiology uses data from wastewater treatment plants to monitor the health of a population, but requires accurate normalization to provide per-capita, or individual-based, health indicators. This study assessed the long-term stability and suitability of key wastewater parameters for population normalization using data from 45 treatment plants across Latvia over a ten-year period, representing two-thirds of the national population. Specific pollutant loads were calculated for biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate. Overall, pollutant loads remained stable during the study period, though an increase was observed in recent years, with ammonium rising by 27%, total nitrogen by 15%, and phosphorus by 11%. Industrial plants consistently showed higher pollutant loads than municipal facilities. Nitrogen exhibited the lowest variability among the evaluated hydrochemical parameters, suggesting its suitability as a robust normalization indicator within the studied dataset, while chemical oxygen demand can serve as a supporting indicator. In contrast, biochemical oxygen demand and phosphorus were less suitable due to operational sensitivity and high variability. The study recommends using rolling, plant-specific median values over two to three years to enhance the precision and comparability of population-normalized wastewater-based health assessments.

Indexed as

Environmental MonitoringWaste Disposal, FluidWastewaterWater Pollutants, ChemicalBiological Oxygen Demand AnalysisLatviaNitrogenPhosphorusNitrogenPhosphorusWastewaterWater Pollutants, Chemicalmonitoringpollutant loadspopulation biomarkersWBE

Identifiers

PMID42378418

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.