Publications

Journal Publications

Submitted Manuscripts

Evaluating the Survival and Removal of Escherichia coli from Surfaces Made with Traditional and Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Field-Relevant Conditions. 

Anderson, C. E.*†, Hernandez, J.*, Hanif, S., Owens, L., Crider, Y., Billington, S. L., Lepech, M., Boehm, A.B., & Benjamin-Chung, J.

* denotes equal contribution; † denotes corresponding author

Cement-based surfaces may serve as a health intervention to reduce the fecal-oral transmission of pathogens in household settings, but there is a critical lack of evidence about the fate of indicator organisms on these surfaces, especially in field-relevant conditions. This study provides some of the first insights into Escherichia coli (E. coli) survival on cement-based surfaces and the effectiveness of daily activities (mopping, sweeping, and walking) for removing E. coli

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2024

Strengthening the Academic Pipeline for Underrepresented Students via Early Exposure to Graduate Education 

Fernández, S., Anderson, C. E., Boehm, A. B., & Congreve, D. N. (2024). Chem, 10 (6), 1609-1619.

Here, we outline the efforts of the Stanford Engineering Research Introductions Organization (SERIO) in preparing underrepresented students as early as their freshman year of college for admission to engineering graduate schools. By sharing our experience of supporting underrepresented students throughout their undergraduate journeys, complemented by program evaluation data, we aim to highlight new pathways for institutions to foster their underrepresented undergraduate student population and facilitate their pursuit of an advanced engineering education. 

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2023

Sunlight inactivation of enveloped viruses in clear water

Anderson, C. E., & Boehm, A. B. (2023). Environmental Science & Technology, 57 (50), 21395-21404.

Enveloped virus fate in the environment is not well understood; there are no quantitative data on sunlight inactivation of enveloped viruses in water. Herein, we measured the sunlight inactivation of two enveloped viruses (Phi6 and murine hepatitis virus, MHV) and a nonenveloped virus (MS2) over time in clear water with simulated sunlight exposure. 

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Controlling contaminants using a far-UVC-based advanced oxidation process for potable reuse

Yin, R., Anderson, C. E., Zhao, J., Boehm, A. B., & Mitch, W. A. (2023). Nature Water, 1-8. 

Increasing the efficiency of the processing units used to purify municipal wastewater to potable quality using alternative treatment methods would enhance the sustainability of potable reuse. In this study, we compared the degradation of contaminants (including chemical and biological contaminants) using 254 nm UV light, which is conventionally used in advanced oxidation processes, against 222 nm light which may be more efficient.

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Enveloped and Non-Enveloped Virus Survival on Microfiber Towels

Anderson, C. E., Wolfe, M. K., & Boehm, A. B. (2023). PeerJ, 11, e15202.

Handwashing is an important intervention that can reduce indirect disease transmission; however, when soap and water are not available for handwashing, individuals may turn to alternative hand hygiene methods, such as towels. The goal of this study is to provide information about the performance of towels with and without an antimicrobial treatment against viruses without human interaction, which will help inform the use of the towels as handwashing alternatives.

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Investigating the Efficacy of Various Handwashing Methods against Enveloped and Non-Enveloped Viruses

Anderson, C. E., Tong, J., Zambrana, W., Boehm, A. B., & Wolfe, M. K. (2023). The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, tpmd220287–tpmd220287.

Handwashing may reduce disease; however, recommended methods (soap and water for 20 seconds) are not always possible, particularly in low-resource settings. The aim of this study is to use volunteers to evaluate handwashing when recommended methods are not feasible, including washing with water only, washing with soapy water, washing for a short duration, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS), and cleaning hands with towels.

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2022

Quantifying the Viral Reduction Achieved Using Ash and Sand as Handwashing Agents

Zambrana, W., Tong, J., Anderson, C. E., Boehm, A. B., & Wolfe, M. K. (2022). The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, tpmd220581–tpmd220581.

In settings where soap is not available, ash or sand is used for handwashing, yet their efficacy as handwashing materials is underresearched. The purpose of this study was to quantify the removal of viruses using ash and sand as handwashing agents, and compare their efficacy to commonly recommended handwashing methods. 

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2021

Transfer rate of enveloped and nonenveloped viruses between fingerpads and surfaces

Anderson, C. E., & Boehm, A. B. (2021). Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 87(22), e01215-21. 

Highlighted in the Journal’s Spotlight Section

The persistence of viruses on surfaces contributes to viral transmission and disease outbreaks. This study describes the factors that influence viral transfer rates between fingerpads and surfaces, our understanding of which is critical to evaluating the risk surfaces pose for the spread of viral diseases. 

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Viral pathogens in urban stormwater runoff: Occurrence and removal via vegetated biochar-amended biofilters

Graham, K. E., Anderson, C. E., & Boehm, A. B. (2021). Water Research, 207, 117829.

Microbial pollution from urban runoff can be mitigated by biofilters, however, our understanding of how biofilter design choices, including the addition of vegetation and geomedia, may impact the removal of pathogens is lacking. In this study, we characterized viruses in San Francisco Bay area urban runoff and assessed the removal of lab-cultured viruses from biochar-amended biofilter mesocosms during challenge testing. 

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Effects of an urban sanitation intervention on childhood enteric infection and diarrhea in Maputo, Mozambique: A controlled before-and-after trial

Knee, J., Sumner, T., Adriano, Z., Anderson, C., Bush, F., Capone, D., Casmo, V., Holcomb, D., Kolsky, P., MacDougall, A., & others. (2021). Elife, 10, e62278.

While shared, onsite sanitation may provide a feasible system for expanding safe sanitation in urban areas in low- and middle-income countries, there has been little evidence of their health impacts in these settings. The Maputo Sanitation (MapSan) trial was the first controlled before-and-after trial to evaluate the impact of an onsite urban sanitation intervention on the prevalence of enteric infection, soil transmitted helminth re-infection, and diarrhea among children in Maputo, Mozambique. 

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Conference Proceedings & Abstracts

Refereed

Sunlight Inactivation of Viruses in Colored Water

Anderson, C. E., Zhang, M., Zheng, G., Gurfield, K., Gong, W., Mitch, W. A., McNeil, K., & Boehm, A. B. (2024, June 23-28). [In-Person Poster Presentation]. Gordan Research Conference Environmental Sciences: Water, Holderness School, NH, United States. 

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Investigating the efficacy of various handwashing methods against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses

Anderson, C. E., Tong, J., Zambrana, W., Boehm, A. B., & Wolfe, M. K. (2022, October 30-November 3). [Virtual Recorded Conference Presentation]. American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, United States. 

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Quantifying the viral reduction achieved using ash and sand as handwashing agents

Zambrana, W., Tong, J., Anderson, C. E., Chan, E. M. G., Boehm, A. B., & Wolfe, M. K. (2022, October 24-28). [In-Person Conference Presentation]. University of North Carolina Water & Health Conference, Chapel Hill, NC, United States. 

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Investigating the efficacy of commonly used handwashing methods against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses

Anderson, C. E., Tong, J., Zambrana, W., Boehm, A. B., & Wolfe, M. K. (2022, October 24-28). [In-Person Poster Presentation]. University of North Carolina Water & Health Conference, Chapel Hill, NC, United States. 

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Investigating the efficacy of various handwashing methods against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses

Anderson, C. E., Tong, J., Zambrana, W., Boehm, A. B., & Wolfe, M. K. (2022, May 18–19). [Virtual Recorded Conference Presentation with Live Q&A]. 11th Emergency Environmental Health Forum (EEHF), Budapest, Hungary.

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Non-Refereed

Evaluation of direct potable reuse alternatives

Anderson, C. E., Boyce, S., Lindner, B., & Thomas, E. (2019, September). [In-Person poster Presentation of Senior Design Capstone Project]. Water Environment Federation (WEF) Student Design Competition, Chicago, Illinois, United States. 

Received 2nd Place in the 18th Annual Water Environment Federation (WEF) Student Design Competition

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