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Researchers in Fiji's informal settlements are using their own footsteps to detect the hidden pathogens in soil that traditional techniques often miss.

Soil contamination is a major health risk in informal settlements, where untreated wastewater and fecal matter can seep into the surrounding environment, increasing the risk of exposure to fecal pathogens among under-served populations.

To tackle this issue, researchers introduced a new approach—boot sock sampling—detailed in their newly published in Science Advances.

The boot socks collect dirt from outdoor areas, creating a sample that paints a more comprehensive picture of pathogen levels in soil environments. It's a clever twist on traditional gold standard methods, such as grab sampling, which gives a limited snapshot of soil quality.

Lead author Dr. Lamiya Bata, a former Ph.D. candidate at the Monash-led RISE program, and based at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said boot sock sampling was a composite method, with each step collecting a "mini set of samples," and covers a larger surface area to reveal pathogens in soil.

"Think of it as giving your shoes a secret mission while you go about your day. The socks collect dirt from high-traffic outdoor areas, like playgrounds and walkways," Lamiya said.

"The boot sock method provides a far more sensitive detection of E. coli, showing less variation between samples. This makes it a more efficient tool for assessing health risks and allows for more accurate, broad-scale assessments in real-world settings."

The research also found that fewer samples were needed to cover larger areas, improving both time and cost efficiency compared to traditional methods.

This breakthrough opens up the possibility of applying the boot sock technique to study other pathogens and environments beyond informal settlements, offering valuable insights for public health risk assessments.

"We're excited by the potential of this technique to be adapted for use in diverse settings, including indoor environments, and to guide interventions, especially in high-risk areas where people may have limited sanitation infrastructure," Lamiya said.