11 December 2025

LSU Researcher Invents New Ball Game Device to Transform Public Health Testing

Innovative Tool for Rural Public Health

In a move that could transform public health monitoring in small towns and rural areas, a Louisiana State University engineering professor has developed a simple yet powerful device that makes wastewater testing far more accessible and affordable. Aaron Bivins, an assistant professor in LSU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, teamed up with his students to design a low-cost wastewater sampler that costs about $4 to make using a 3-D printer and basic materials.

How It Works

The device resembles a perforated plastic ball and houses a packet of activated charcoal. Researchers attach it to a string and lower it into sewage or wastewater, where it passively collects microbes and viral particles over time. Once retrieved, the collected material can be analysed to reveal what pathogens are present in the community’s wastewater stream. This technique allows detection of germs - including viruses and bacteria - similar to far more expensive automatic samplers that can cost $10,000 to $25,000, giving smaller communities an affordable alternative.

Addressing Gaps in Surveillance

Traditional wastewater surveillance systems focus mainly on large urban centres because they have the resources to install and power costly automatic samplers. Rural and under-resourced areas are often excluded, meaning outbreaks or infectious disease trends can go unnoticed. Bivins’s low-cost sampler can help fill this gap, enabling local officials and researchers alike to monitor disease spread more closely and in places that lacked such capability before.

Published Findings and Future Impact

Bivins and his team tested the device over a period of three months at a small wastewater treatment plant in Louisiana. Their results - which have been published in the academic journal Water Research - showed that the sampler can successfully capture microbial genetic material, offering valuable data for public health research and surveillance. The development has potential not just for traditional wastewater monitoring but also as a model for low-cost public health tools where resources are limited.