Placing sensors in sewer networks: A system to pinpoint new cases of coronavirus
Name
journal.pone.0248893.pdf
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2.02 MB
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Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
8830ebccbfb859f1c23735da1995c520
Author(s)
Nourinejad, Mehdi
Berman, Oded
Larson, Richard Charles
Date Issued
April 2021
Journal
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Citation
Nourinejad, Mehdi et al. "Placing sensors in sewer networks: A system to pinpoint new cases of coronavirus." PLoS ONE 16, 4 (April 2021): e0248893. © 2021 Nourinejad et al
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We consider a proposed system that would place sensors in a number of wastewater manholes in a community in order to detect genetic remnants of SARS-Cov-2 found in the excreted stool of infected persons. These sensors would continually monitor the manhole’s wastewater, and whenever virus remnants are detected, transmit an alert signal. In a recent paper, we described two new algorithms, each sequentially opening and testing successive manholes for genetic remnants, each algorithm homing in on a neighborhood where the infected person or persons are located. This paper extends that work in six important ways: (1) we introduce the concept of in-manhole sensors, as these sensors will reduce the number of manholes requiring on-site testing; (2) we present a realistic tree network depicting the topology of the sewer pipeline network; (3) for simulations, we present a method to create random tree networks exhibiting key attributes of a given community; (4) using the simulations, we empirically demonstrate that the mean and median number of manholes to be opened in a search follows a well-known logarithmic function; (5) we develop procedures for determining the number of sensors to deploy; (6) we formulate the sensor location problem as an integer nonlinear optimization and develop heuristics to solve it. Our sensor-manhole system, to be implemented, would require at least three additional steps in R&D: (a) an accurate, inexpensive and fast SARS-Cov-2 genetic-remnants test that can be done at the manhole; (b) design, test and manufacture of the sensors; (c) in-the-field testing and fine tuning of an implemented system.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248893
