Environmental surveillance (ES) for disease-causing agents, often viewed as a public health tool, is also fundamentally a key area of environmental bioremediation, and a crucial one for Nigeria. At MicroBiotics, we see the proactive detection of pathogens in wastewater, air, and soil not just as a warning system, but as the first step in an essential environmental remediation and cleanup process.
The problem of a contaminated ecosystem is often underrated. Traditional bioremediation focuses on degrading chemical pollutants such as hydrocarbons or heavy metals.However, the environment is increasingly contaminated with biological pollutants such as viruses (like SARS-CoV-2 and polio), bacteria (like Salmonella and E. coli), and even AMR genes. These biological agents persist in wastewater treatment plant effluents, agricultural runoff, and surface water bodies, posing a direct threat to public health and ecological stability.
The solution we are proposing at MicroBiotics is to view environmental surveillance as a pre-remediation technique. ES is a sophisticated, real-time diagnostic for this biological contamination. By continuously sampling and analysing environmental matrices, we pinpoint the precise type, location, and concentration of infectious threats. This data-driven approach is invaluable for bioremediation in several ways:
- Targeted Intervention: Knowing what pathogen or gene is present allows for the selection of highly specific bioremediation strategies. For example, the detection of specific viruses or bacteria in a water body can trigger the activation of the treatment to provide and the risk assessment to carry out for the population.
- Source Tracking & Containment: ES excels at tracing the source of the contamination—be it a particular community, hospital, or industrial site. This enables swift, localised containment measures, which are essential bioremediation activities aimed at stopping the pollutant before it spreads.
- Efficacy Monitoring: Surveillance can be used post-intervention to confirm the success of the cleanup effort. A sustained decrease in the target pathogen’s load in subsequent environmental samples provides verifiable proof of successful biological decontamination.
This call to action is beyond just the lab. For Nigeria, integrating ES into our national environmental management framework is non-negotiable. It allows us to manage emerging public health crises and the silent threat of AMR as a matter of environmental hazard control. MicroBiotics NG calls for increased investment in our national ES infrastructure, recognising that a clean environment—free from both chemical and biological pollutants—is the ultimate goal of effective bioremediation. Environmental surveillance is not just mapping the biological threat; it is charting the course for its elimination.
Oluwatayo Fasuan
Lead Technical Officer, MicroBiotic NG