Wastewater data can detect shifts in fentanyl use months ahead of traditional reporting systems.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Biobot Analytics, the nation's leader in wastewater intelligence, today announced the publication of findings from its NIH/NIDA-funded nationwide wastewater monitoring pilot in Nature Water. The study represents the first peer-reviewed evidence that harmonized near-real-time wastewater intelligence of legal and illegal chemical substances is feasible at national scale in the United States and that it can provide public health officials with actionable data months ahead of traditional overdose reporting systems.

"Wastewater-based epidemiology can provide a timely, population-level method to help us determine the prevalence of synthetic opioids in communities," said Peter Chai, MD, scientific advisor to Biobot Analytics and an emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "This creates new opportunities to study substance use trends and to integrate these data with existing surveillance systems to better understand and address the overdose epidemic."

Over the course of a year-long initiative spanning September 2023 through August 2024, Biobot collected and analyzed wastewater samples weekly from 76 locations across 41 US states, serving approximately 20 million people. Samples were analyzed for fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, xylazine, and naloxone. Over 400 public health and wastewater officials from participating sites gained access to a real-time data dashboard.

The study documents several key public health findings. Fentanyl, xylazine, and naloxone concentrations were consistently highest in the Northeast, while methamphetamine levels peaked in the West. A notable decline in fentanyl-related signals was observed in real time through wastewater data in February 2024, a trend that was not confirmed through traditional fatal overdose surveillance until May 2025.

"When we founded Biobot, we believed wastewater could become the nation's most timely, unbiased window into substance use." said Mariana Matus, CEO and Cofounder of Biobot.  "In this study, wastewater data led national reports of fatal overdose data by fifteen months. This is not an incremental improvement. This is a fundamentally different tool. And one that protects the privacy of individuals."

Participating communities leveraged these insights to take public health action: Laredo, Texas launched a "Knock and Talk" community outreach campaign in response to wastewater signals of fentanyl-laced cocaine, distributing naloxone to more than 2,000 households. "Access to near real-time wastewater data gives local public health leaders a clearer understanding of our community's health and helps guide the actions we take to prevent illness, protect residents, and promote well-being. This work strengthens our ability to make informed, timely decisions and reinforces the importance of innovation, partnership, and data-driven public health practice." said Dr. Richard Chamberlain, Director of Public Health, City of Laredo Public Health Department. "We are grateful to Biobot for making this type of population health analysis available to communities like Laredo."

The centralized design with standardized collection and laboratory analysis, and harmonized data reporting addresses a critical gap in the US public health infrastructure, where no central repository or standardized methodology for wastewater substance use data currently exists. Data from the program are publicly available through the National Addiction and Health Data Archive Program for research use.

Research described in this press release was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under a SBIR Phase III contract. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Access the publication here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-026-00660-7

Access the data here: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39733

About Biobot Analytics

Biobot Analytics is the pioneer and global leader in wastewater epidemiology, transforming sewage infrastructure into a real-time public health observatory. Having worked at hundreds of locations across all US states and territories and several countries, Biobot produces actionable information from wastewater to improve the health and safety of communities around the world. More information is available at www.biobot.io.

About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information, visit https://nida.nih.gov/.

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SOURCE Biobot Analytics