1
|
Ding L, Zhang CM. Occurrence, ecotoxicity and ecological risks of psychoactive substances in surface waters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171788. [PMID: 38499097 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Psychoactive substances (PSs) represent a subset of emerging contaminants. Their widespread production and utilization contribute to a growing ecological burden and risk on a global scale. Conventional wastewater treatment methods have proven insufficient in adequately removing psychoactive substances, leading to their occurrence in surface water ecosystems worldwide. As of present, however, a thorough understanding of their geographical prevalence and distribution patterns remains elusive. Further, in the existing literature, there is a scarcity of comprehensive overviews that systematically summarize the toxicity of various psychoactive substances towards aquatic organisms. Through summarizing almost 140 articles, the present study provides an overview of the sources, pollution status, and biotoxicity of psychoactive substances in surface waters, as well as an assessment of their ecological risks. Concentrations of several psychoactive substances in surface waters were found to be as high as hundreds or even thousands of ng·L-1. In parallel, accumulation of psychoactive substances in the tissues or organs of aquatic organisms was found to potentially cause certain adverse effects, including behavioral disorders, organ damage, and DNA changes. Oxidative stress was found to be a significant factor in the toxic effects of psychoactive substances on organisms. The application of the risk quotient approach indicated that psychoactive substances posed a medium to high risk in certain surface water bodies, as well as the need for sustained long-term attention and management strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ding
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China
| | - Chong-Miao Zhang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China; International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Treglia M, Pallocci M, Ricciardi-Tenore G, Baretti F, Bianco G, Castellani P, Pizzuti F, Ottaviano V, Passalacqua P, Leonardi C, Coppeta L, Messineo A, Tittarelli R. Policies and Toxicological Screenings for No Drug Addiction: An Example from the Civil Aviation Workforce. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031501. [PMID: 35162535 PMCID: PMC8835168 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Since 2008, Italian legislators, with the aim of ensuring public safety, have made it mandatory for an occupational doctor (OD) to assess specific categories of workers to exclude those who may have consumed drugs of abuse. Due to the relevance of work activities relating to the civil aviation and airport sector, a policy based on the use of training and information tools, as well as a health surveillance protocol, has been undertaken since 2009. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 61,008 workers at a commercial airline underwent health surveillance between 2009 and 2019. Following ≤24 h notification, their urine was screened for opiates, cocaine, cannabinoids, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) using an immunochemical test. Positive results were confirmed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) or Liquid Chromatography -Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS). In confirmed cases, the workers were declared unfit and sent to a specialized laboratory for a second level analysis. RESULTS Positive results, initially >1%, have halved in the last four years (<0.5%). The percentage of positive results was consistently very low among pilots and, moreover, the rare positive cases detected were due to a cross-reactivity phenomena. The highest and most discontinuous percentages seen occurred in the population undergoing a pre-employment examination. Regarding the types of substance used, a prevalence of cannabis (58.52%) and cocaine (35.2%) use was observed. CONCLUSIONS The data presented indicate that the air transport sector, in all its components (ground workers and air crews), has a very limited number of substance abusers, and this number tends to decrease over time and with work seniority. Another aspect of particular interest, and which is more specific to toxicology, concerns the detection of cross-reactivity in urinary immunochemical screening between the antibodies to drugs of abuse and certain other drugs, such as anti-inflammatories or antibiotics; as well as foods, and other commonly used substances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Treglia
- Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.T.); (V.O.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Margherita Pallocci
- Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.T.); (V.O.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (R.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Giorgio Ricciardi-Tenore
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.R.-T.); (F.B.); (G.B.); (P.C.); (F.P.); (L.C.)
| | - Flavio Baretti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.R.-T.); (F.B.); (G.B.); (P.C.); (F.P.); (L.C.)
| | - Giovanna Bianco
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.R.-T.); (F.B.); (G.B.); (P.C.); (F.P.); (L.C.)
| | - Paola Castellani
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.R.-T.); (F.B.); (G.B.); (P.C.); (F.P.); (L.C.)
| | - Fabrizio Pizzuti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.R.-T.); (F.B.); (G.B.); (P.C.); (F.P.); (L.C.)
| | - Valeria Ottaviano
- Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.T.); (V.O.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Pierluigi Passalacqua
- Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.T.); (V.O.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Claudio Leonardi
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (Ser.D)—Local Health Authority (ASL) RM2, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Luca Coppeta
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (G.R.-T.); (F.B.); (G.B.); (P.C.); (F.P.); (L.C.)
| | - Agostino Messineo
- Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.T.); (V.O.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (R.T.)
| | - Roberta Tittarelli
- Section of Legal Medicine, Social Security and Forensic Toxicology, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.T.); (V.O.); (P.P.); (A.M.); (R.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Feeney W, Moorthy AS, Sisco E. Spectral trends in GC-EI-MS data obtained from the SWGDRUG mass spectral library and literature: A resource for the identification of unknown compounds. Forensic Chem 2020; 31:10.1016/j.forc.2022.100459. [PMID: 36578315 PMCID: PMC9793444 DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2022.100459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Rapid identification of new or emerging psychoactive substances remains a critical challenge in forensic drug chemistry laboratories. Current analytical protocols are well-designed for confirmation of known substances yet struggle when new compounds are encountered. Many laboratories initially attempt to classify new compounds using gas chromatography-electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). Though there is a large body of research focused on the analysis of illicit substances with GC-EI-MS, there is little high-level discussion of mass spectral trends for different classes of drugs. This manuscript compiles literature information and performs simple exploratory analyses on evaluated GC-EI-MS data to investigate mass spectral trends for illicit substance classes. Additionally, this work offers other important aspects: brief discussions of how each class of drugs is used; illustrations of EI mass spectra with proposed structures of commonly observed ions; and summaries of mass spectral trends that can help an analyst classify new illicit compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William Feeney
- Corresponding author at: Surface and Trace Chemical Analysis Group, Material Measurement Laboratory, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. (W. Feeney)
| | | | | |
Collapse
|