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It is not often that scientists take a keen interest in the sewage produced by students. But a study of wastewater from a university campus in Australia is revealing insights into how exam stress affects the body that traditional surveys may miss.

Yes, exams stress out most students, but finding out exactly how that stress affects their health and behavior isn't quite so straightforward.

Researchers from the University of Queensland, led by Qiuda Zheng, approached it by taking daily wastewater samples before and during exams in late 2022 from a campus serving roughly 30,000 people.

To get to the bottom of the matter, they analyzed the samples for markers of oxidative stress, which occurs when harmful molecules overwhelm the body's natural defenses and potentially damage cells. It can be triggered by psychological stress and factors such as smoking and illness.

They also looked for signs of how students might be responding to stress, including traces of antidepressants, ADHD medications, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and artificial sweeteners.

But the research team didn't only look at student sewage. They also analyzed wastewater from a nearby community of around 120,000 people to see whether any changes were specific to the university population.

According to their paper, published in the journal Nature Water , levels of one marker of oxidative stress, 8-OHG, rose significantly during the exam period, much more so than in the control population.

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