1
|
Puljević C, Tscharke B, Wessel EL, Francis C, Verhagen R, O'Brien JW, Bade R, Nadarajan D, Measham F, Stowe MJ, Piatkowski T, Ferris J, Page R, Hiley S, Eassey C, McKinnon G, Sinclair G, Blatchford E, Engel L, Norvill A, Barratt MJ. Characterising differences between self-reported and wastewater-identified drug use at two consecutive years of an Australian music festival. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:170934. [PMID: 38360330 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170934] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the context of drug prohibition, potential adulteration and variable purity pose additional health risks for people who use drugs, with these risks often compounded by the outdoor music festival environment. Ahead of the imminent implementation of drug checking services in Queensland, Australia, this study aims to characterise this problem using triangulated survey and wastewater data to understand self-reported and detected drug use among attendees of a multi-day Queensland-based music festival in 2021 and 2022. METHODS We administered an in-situ survey focusing on drug use at the festival to two convenience samples of 136 and 140 festival attendees in 2021 and 2022 respectively. We compared survey findings to wastewater collected concurrently from the festival's site-specific wastewater treatment plant, which was analysed using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry. RESULTS Most survey respondents (82 % in 2021, 92 % in 2022) reported using or intending to use an illicit drug at the festival. Some respondents reported potentially risky drug use practices such as using drugs found on the ground (2 % in 2021, 4 % in 2022). Substances detected in wastewater but not surveys include MDEA, mephedrone, methylone, 3-MMC, alpha-D2PV, etizolam, eutylone, and N,N-dimethylpentylone. CONCLUSION Many substances detected in wastewater but not self-reported in surveys likely represent substitutions or adulterants. These findings highlight the benefits of drug checking services to prevent harms from adulterants and provide education on safer drug use practices. These findings also provide useful information on socio-demographic characteristics and drug use patterns of potential users of Queensland's future drug checking service.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheneal Puljević
- The Loop Australia, Australia; School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Benjamin Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ellen Leslie Wessel
- The Loop Australia, Australia; School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Rory Verhagen
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jake W O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Richard Bade
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dhayaalini Nadarajan
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Fiona Measham
- The Loop Australia, Australia; Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; The Loop Drug Checking Service, United Kingdom
| | - M J Stowe
- The Loop Australia, Australia; The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Timothy Piatkowski
- The Loop Australia, Australia; School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Jason Ferris
- The Loop Australia, Australia; Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Robert Page
- The Loop Australia, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Alcohol & Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Christopher Eassey
- The Loop Australia, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Monica J Barratt
- The Loop Australia, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Social Equity Research Centre and Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vo PHN, Ky Le G, Huy LN, Zheng L, Chaiwong C, Nguyen NN, Nguyen HTM, Ralph PJ, Kuzhiumparambil U, Soroosh D, Toft S, Madsen C, Kim M, Fenstermacher J, Hai HTN, Duan H, Tscharke B. Occurrence, spatiotemporal trends, fate, and treatment technologies for microplastics and organic contaminants in biosolids: A review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133471. [PMID: 38266587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133471] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, fate, treatment and multi-criteria analysis of microplastics (MPs) and organic contaminants (OCs) in biosolids. A meta-analysis was complementarily analysed through the literature to map out the occurrence and fate of MPs and 10 different groups of OCs. The data demonstrate that MPs (54.7% occurrence rate) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants (44.2% occurrence rate) account for the highest prevalence of contaminants in biosolids. In turn, dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) have the lowest rates (<0.01%). The occurrence of several OCs (e.g., dioxin, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pharmaceutical and personal care products, ultraviolet filters, phosphate flame retardants) in Europe appear at higher rates than in Asia and the Americas. However, MP concentrations in biosolids from Australia are reported to be 10 times higher than in America and Europe, which required more measurement data for in-depth analysis. Amongst the OC groups, brominated flame retardants exhibited exceptional sorption to biosolids with partitioning coefficients (log Kd) higher than 4. To remove these contaminants from biosolids, a wide range of technologies have been developed. Our multicriteria analysis shows that anaerobic digestion is the most mature and practical. Thermal treatment is a viable option; however, it still requires additional improvements in infrastructure, legislation, and public acceptance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phong H N Vo
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Gia Ky Le
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Lai Nguyen Huy
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Lei Zheng
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China; Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Chawalit Chaiwong
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Nam Nhat Nguyen
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Hong T M Nguyen
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| | - Peter J Ralph
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Danaee Soroosh
- Biotechnology Department, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran 3353-5111, Iran
| | - Sonja Toft
- Urban Utilities, Level 10/31 Duncan St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Craig Madsen
- Urban Utilities, Level 10/31 Duncan St, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Mikael Kim
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | | | - Ho Truong Nam Hai
- Faculty of Environment, University of Science, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Haoran Duan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ben Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4103, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rousis N, Bade R, Romero-Sánchez I, Mueller JF, Thomaidis NS, Thomas KV, Gracia-Lor E. Festivals following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions: Prevalence of new psychoactive substances and illicit drugs. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 178:108075. [PMID: 37399770 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
The market for illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS) has grown significantly and people attending festivals have been identified as being at high risk (high extent and frequency of substance use). Traditional public health surveillance data sources have limitations (high costs, long implementation times, and ethical issues) and wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can cost-effectively support surveillance efforts. Influent wastewater samples were analyzed for NPS and illicit drug consumption collected during New Year period (from 29-Dec-2021 to 4-Jan-2022) and a summer Festival (from 29-June-2022 to 12-July-2022) in a large city in Spain. Samples were analyzed for phenethylamines, cathinones, opioids, benzodiazepines, plant-based NPS, dissociatives, and the illicit drugs methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, ketamine, heroin, cocaine, and pseudoephedrine by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. High consumption rates of specific NPS and established illicit drugs were identified at the peak of each event. Furthermore, a dynamic change in NPS use (presence and absence of substances) was detected over a period of six months. Eleven NPS, including synthetic cathinones, benzodiazepines, plant-based NPS and dissociatives, and seven illicit drugs were found across both the New Year and summer Festival. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were seen for 3-MMC (New Year vs summer Festival), eutylone (New Year vs summer Festival), cocaine (summer Festival vs normal week and summer Festival vs New Year), MDMA (New Year vs normal week and summer Festival vs normal week), heroin (summer Festival vs New Year) and pseudoephedrine (summer Festival vs New Year). This WBE study assessed the prevalence of NPS and illicit drugs at festivals following the reduction of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions highlighting the high use of specific substances at the peak of each event. This approach identified in a cost-effective and timely manner without any ethical issues the most used drugs and changes in use patterns and, thus, can complement public health information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Rousis
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia; Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Richard Bade
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia.
| | - Iván Romero-Sánchez
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University of Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - Emma Gracia-Lor
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University of Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Santana-Viera S, Lara-Martín PA, González-Mazo E. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) determination of drugs in wastewater and wastewater based epidemiology in Cadiz Bay (Spain). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 341:118000. [PMID: 37201289 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Multi-residue methods for the determination of the myriad of compounds of emerging concern (CECs) entering in the environment are key elements for further assessment on their distribution and fate. Here, we have developed an analytical protocol for the simultaneous analysis of 195 prescription, over-the-counter, and illicit drugs by using a combination of solid phase extraction (SPE) and determination by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The method was applied to the analysis of influent sewage samples from 3 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) from Cadiz Bay (SW Spain), enabling the quantification of more than 100 pharmaceuticals, 19 of them at average concentrations higher than 1 μg L-1, including caffeine (92 μg L-1), paracetamol (72 μg L-1), and ibuprofen (56 μg L-1), as well as several illicit drugs (e.g., cocaine). Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) was applied for 27 of the detected compounds to establish their consumption in the sampling area, which has been never attempted before. Caffeine, naproxen, and salicylic acid stood out because of their high consumption (638, 51, and 20 g d-1·1000pop-1, respectively). Regarding illicit drugs, cocaine showed the highest frequency of detection and we estimated an average consumption of 3683 mg d-1·1000pop-1 in Cadiz Bay. The combination of new HRMS methods, capable of discriminating thousands of chemicals, and WBE will allow for a more comprehensive characterization of chemical substances and their consumption in urban environments in the near future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Santana-Viera
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, CEI-MAR, University of Cadiz, Spain.
| | - Pablo A Lara-Martín
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, CEI-MAR, University of Cadiz, Spain
| | - Eduardo González-Mazo
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, CEI-MAR, University of Cadiz, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Istvan M, Bresdin V, Mainguy M, Laigo P, Grall-Bronnec M, Eudeline V, Guillet JE, Guillo M, Babonnaud L, Jolliet P, Schreck B, Victorri-Vigneau C. First results of the French OCTOPUS survey among festival attendees: a latent class analysis. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:43. [PMID: 36991395 PMCID: PMC10057684 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00770-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Illicit substance use has constantly evolved over the years, particularly in the party scene. Monitoring these changes is essential to adapt harm reduction strategies. The OCTOPUS survey was implemented to enhance knowledge on drug use at music festivals. The objective of the work presented here was to describe drug use and to characterize profiles of substance use in music festival attendees. METHODS OCTOPUS was a cross-sectional survey carried out during 13 various music festivals (dub, eclectic and electronic music) in the Loire-Atlantique department (France) from July 2017 to July 2018. Participants were festival attendees. Data were collected by trained research staff using a face-to-face structured interview. We analysed the use of illicit drugs in the last 12 months to describe the prevalence of use and to characterize the profile of substance use using a latent class analysis. RESULTS In total, 383 festival attendees were included. Of 314 (82%) participants who reported drug use, the most reported drugs were cannabis, ecstasy/MDMA and cocaine. We identified two profiles of drug use: (i) a "no/low polysubstance use" profile mainly characterized by the use of "classic" stimulants (ecstasy/MDMA, cocaine) and (ii) "moderate/extensive polysubstance use", with high probabilities of "classic" stimulants use and especially other drugs reported: speed, ketamine, new psychoactive substances (NPSs). CONCLUSION We observed frequent polysubstance use in festival attendees. Harm reduction should be targeted at the increased risk of toxicity linked to polysubstance use, and the reduction in harm caused by particular drugs (ketamine, NPS, speed) could be further strengthened.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Istvan
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance (CEIP-A), Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-44000, Nantes, France.
- Nantes Université, Univ Tours, CHU Nantes, CHU Tours, INSERM, MethodS in Patients-centered outcomes and HEalth Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes, France.
| | - Vincent Bresdin
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance (CEIP-A), Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Marie Mainguy
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance (CEIP-A), Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Pauline Laigo
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance (CEIP-A), Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Marie Grall-Bronnec
- Nantes Université, Univ Tours, CHU Nantes, CHU Tours, INSERM, MethodS in Patients-centered outcomes and HEalth Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes, France
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, UIC Psychiatrie et Santé Mentale, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Vincent Eudeline
- OPPELIA, Association de Prévention et de Soin en Addictologie, Nantes et St Nazaire, France
| | - Jean-Emmanuel Guillet
- OPPELIA, Association de Prévention et de Soin en Addictologie, Nantes et St Nazaire, France
| | - Manon Guillo
- Techno + Nantes, Association de Santé Communautaire en Milieu Techno, Nantes, France
| | - Laurent Babonnaud
- AIDES Nantes, association de soutien et accompagnement des personnes, Actions de prévention et de réduction des risques du VIH/SIDA et des hépatites, Nantes, France
| | - Pascale Jolliet
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance (CEIP-A), Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-44000, Nantes, France
- Nantes Université, Univ Tours, CHU Nantes, CHU Tours, INSERM, MethodS in Patients-centered outcomes and HEalth Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Benoit Schreck
- Nantes Université, Univ Tours, CHU Nantes, CHU Tours, INSERM, MethodS in Patients-centered outcomes and HEalth Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes, France
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, UIC Psychiatrie et Santé Mentale, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Caroline Victorri-Vigneau
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Centre d'Evaluation et d'Information sur la Pharmacodépendance-Addictovigilance (CEIP-A), Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-44000, Nantes, France
- Nantes Université, Univ Tours, CHU Nantes, CHU Tours, INSERM, MethodS in Patients-centered outcomes and HEalth Research, SPHERE, F-44000, Nantes, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bimová P, Tulipánová A, Bodík I, Fehér M, Pavelka M, Castiglioni S, Zuccato E, Salgueiro-González N, Petrovičová N, Híveš J, Špalková V, Mackuľak T. Monitoring Alcohol Consumption in Slovak Cities during the COVID-19 Lockdown by Wastewater-Based Epidemiology. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2176. [PMID: 36767542 PMCID: PMC9915052 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The consumption of alcohol in a population is usually monitored through individual questionnaires, forensics, and toxicological data. However, consumption estimates have some biases, mainly due to the accumulation of alcohol stocks. This study's objective was to assess alcohol consumption in Slovakia during the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Samples of municipal wastewater were collected from three Slovak cities during the lockdown and during a successive period with lifted restrictions in 2020. The study included about 14% of the Slovak population. The urinary alcohol biomarker, ethyl sulfate (EtS), was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). EtS concentrations were used to estimate the per capita alcohol consumption in each city. The average alcohol consumption in the selected cities in 2020 ranged between 2.1 and 327 L/day/1000 inhabitants and increased during days with weaker restrictions. WBE can provide timely information on alcohol consumption at the community level, complementing epidemiology-based monitoring techniques (e.g., population surveys and sales statistics).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Bimová
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alexandra Tulipánová
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Igor Bodík
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Fehér
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Pavelka
- Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, Limbová 2, 837 52 Bratislava, Slovakia
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sara Castiglioni
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 201 56 Milan, Italy
| | - Ettore Zuccato
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 201 56 Milan, Italy
| | - Noelia Salgueiro-González
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 201 56 Milan, Italy
| | - Nina Petrovičová
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ján Híveš
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Viera Špalková
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcka 129, 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Mackuľak
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Guzel EY. Monitoring of changes in illicit drugs, alcohol, and nicotine consumption during Ramadan via wastewater analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:89245-89254. [PMID: 35851933 PMCID: PMC9294780 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22016-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Illicit drug use is a global problem imposing social, economic, and health burdens on society. Wastewater-based epidemiology is an approach based on calculating the consumption of substances in the target population by analyzing the concentrations of human metabolic excretion products of licit and illicit substances in wastewater. This study estimated the changes in illicit drugs (cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), heroin, and marijuana (THC)), alcohol, and nicotine consumption in Adana Province during Ramadan compared to normal periods using wastewater-based epidemiology. An overall decrease was observed during the Ramadan Period, most strongly for ecstasy (29%) followed by heroin (19%). For cocaine, the variation was the slightest (8.6%). The differences were statistically significant for ecstasy, heroin, nicotine, and alcohol but not for cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. This study is the first to show changes in the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and nicotine under the influence of religious beliefs. In addition, there is limited data about illicit drugs, alcohol and nicotine abusers/users in Ramadan. This study provides information on the literature on this subject.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evsen Yavuz Guzel
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Löve ASC, Ásgrímsson V, Ólafsdóttir K. Illicit drug use in Reykjavik by wastewater-based epidemiology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149795. [PMID: 34482138 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Estimation of illicit drug use on a community level by wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is both an objective and reliable way to establish near real-time results. Wastewater samples were collected at eleven timepoints in Reykjavik from 2017 to 2020. The use of commonly abused illicit drugs in Iceland (amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine, and cannabis) was estimated. Solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was used for analysis. Estimated amphetamine and methamphetamine use showed signs of an increase from 2017 to 2020 with amphetamine being the dominant stimulant on the market. MDMA use remained stable from 2017 to 2020. Results showed a large increase in cocaine use from 2017 to 2019 but interestingly, a marked decrease in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cannabis use was stable from 2017 to 2019 but showed signs of an increase during the pandemic in 2020. Results by WBE corresponded with data based on two other indicators of drug use, seizure data and driving under the influence cases. Both temporal and spatial trends in illicit drug use were successfully estimated by using WBE, complimenting other indicators which provided a comprehensive picture of drug abuse in Reykjavik.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arndís Sue Ching Löve
- University of Iceland, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hofsvallagata 53, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Valþór Ásgrímsson
- University of Iceland, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hofsvallagata 53, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Kristín Ólafsdóttir
- University of Iceland, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hofsvallagata 53, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bodík M, Mackuľak T, Feher M, Staňová AV, Grabicová K, Varjúová D, Bodík I. Searching for the correlations between the use of different groups of pharmaceuticals from wastewaters. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 228:112973. [PMID: 34794023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater contains a wealth of information about the inhabitants of cities. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has become an effective tool for monitoring public health by analyzing various biomarkers (e.g., chemicals and microorganisms) in wastewater. This way, the estimation of pharmaceuticals' consumption behavior and/or illicit drugs can be calculated. However, monitoring consumption alone is not the only option. If we consider wastewater as a statistical representation of the population's health, medical information can be derived. In this work, we used data from 15 different wastewater treatment plants in Slovak Republic to explore correlations between the use of typical pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs. The analysis was based on the wastewater monitoring data from four years (2016-2019), and 68 different compounds were taken into account. One of the strongest correlations found was between Antihyperlipidemics and Antihypertensives, with Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.82. This type of analysis within the WBE represents a new potential as an additional source of information for the pharmaceutical, medical and government sectors in assessing health risk factors in the population. Such an evaluation method has even a great potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning for calculating health risk factors together with other sources of data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michal Bodík
- Nanotechnology group, ETH Zürich, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
| | - Tomáš Mackuľak
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Miroslav Feher
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Andrea Vojs Staňová
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Kateřina Grabicová
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Dóra Varjúová
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Igor Bodík
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Boogaerts T, Ahmed F, Choi PM, Tscharke B, O'Brien J, De Loof H, Gao J, Thai P, Thomas K, Mueller JF, Hall W, Covaci A, van Nuijs ALN. Current and future perspectives for wastewater-based epidemiology as a monitoring tool for pharmaceutical use. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 789:148047. [PMID: 34323839 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The medical and societal consequences of the misuse of pharmaceuticals clearly justify the need for comprehensive drug utilization research (DUR). Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) employs the analysis of human metabolic excretion products in wastewater to monitor consumption patterns of xenobiotics at the population level. Recently, WBE has demonstrated its potential to evaluate lifestyle factors such as illicit drug, alcohol and tobacco consumption at the population level, in near real-time and with high spatial and temporal resolution. Up until now there have been fewer WBE studies investigating health biomarkers such as pharmaceuticals. WBE publications monitoring the consumption of pharmaceuticals were systematically reviewed from three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar). 64 publications that reported population-normalised mass loads or defined daily doses of pharmaceuticals were selected. We document that WBE could be employed as a complementary information source for DUR. Interest in using WBE approaches for monitoring pharmaceutical use is growing but more foundation research (e.g. compound-specific uncertainties) is required to link WBE data to routine pharmacoepidemiologic information sources and workflows. WBE offers the possibility of i) estimating consumption of pharmaceuticals through the analysis of human metabolic excretion products in wastewater; ii) monitoring spatial and temporal consumption patterns of pharmaceuticals continuously and in near real-time; and iii) triangulating data with other DUR information sources to assess the impacts of strategies or interventions to reduce inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Boogaerts
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Belgium, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Fahad Ahmed
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Phil M Choi
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Water Unit, Health Protection Branch, Prevention Division, Queensland Health, GPO Box 48, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Benjamin Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Jake O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Hans De Loof
- Laboratory of Physiopharmacology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jianfa Gao
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Phong Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Wayne Hall
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall St, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse, University of Queensland, 17 Upland Road, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Belgium, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alexander L N van Nuijs
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Belgium, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Butor Škulcová A, Tamášová K, Vojs Staňová A, Bírošová L, Krahulcová M, Gál M, Konečná B, Janíková M, Celec P, Grabicová K, Grabic R, Filip J, Belišová N, Ryba J, Kerekeš K, Špalková V, Híveš J, Mackuľak T. Effervescent ferrate(VI)-based tablets as an effective means for removal SARS-CoV-2 RNA, pharmaceuticals and resistant bacteria from wastewater. JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING 2021; 43:102223. [PMID: 35592837 PMCID: PMC8290487 DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2021.102223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Waterborne pathogens including viruses, bacteria and micropollutants secreted from population can spread through the sewerage system. In this study, the efficiency of unique effervescent ferrate-based tablets was evaluated for total RNA and DNA removal, disinfection and degradation of micropollutants in hospital wastewater. For the purpose of testing, proposed tablets (based on citric acid or sodium dihydrogen phosphate) were used for various types of hospital wastewater with specific biological and chemical contamination. Total RNA destruction efficiency using tablets was 70-100% depending on the type of acidic component. DNA destruction efficiency was lower on the level 51-94% depending on the type of acidic component. In addition, our study confirms that effervescent ferrate-based tablets are able to efficiently remove of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater. Degradation of often detected micropollutants (antiepileptic, antidepressant, antihistamine, hypertensive and their metabolites) was dependent on the type of detected pharmaceuticals and on the acidic component used. Sodium dihydrogen phosphate based tablet appeared to be more effective than citric acid based tablet and removed some pharmaceuticals with efficiency higher than 97%. Last but not least, the disinfection ability was also verified. Tableted ferrates were confirmed to be an effective disinfectant and no resistant microorganisms were observed after treatment. Total and antibiotic resistant bacteria (coliforms and enterococci) were determined by cultivation on diagnostic selective agar growth media.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Butor Škulcová
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Katarína Tamášová
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Andrea Vojs Staňová
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, SK-842 15 Bratislava 4, Slovak Republic
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, CZ-389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Bírošová
- Department Nutrition and Food Quality Assessment, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Monika Krahulcová
- Department Nutrition and Food Quality Assessment, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Miroslav Gál
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Technology and Materials, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Barbora Konečná
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, SK-811 08 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Monika Janíková
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, SK-811 08 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Peter Celec
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, SK-811 08 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Kateřina Grabicová
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, CZ-389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Grabic
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, CZ-389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Filip
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Noemi Belišová
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Jozef Ryba
- Department of Polymer Processing, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Krškanská 21, SK-949 01 Nitra, Slovak Republic
| | - Kamil Kerekeš
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Technology and Materials, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Viera Špalková
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Technology and Materials, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcka 129, 165 00, Praha 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Ján Híveš
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Technology and Materials, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Tomáš Mackuľak
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Erickson TB, Endo N, Duvallet C, Ghaeli N, Hess K, Alm EJ, Matus M, Chai PR. "Waste Not, Want Not" - Leveraging Sewer Systems and Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for Drug Use Trends and Pharmaceutical Monitoring. J Med Toxicol 2021; 17:397-410. [PMID: 34402038 PMCID: PMC8366482 DOI: 10.1007/s13181-021-00853-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
During the current global COVID-19 pandemic and opioid epidemic, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a powerful tool for monitoring public health trends by analysis of biomarkers including drugs, chemicals, and pathogens. Wastewater surveillance downstream at wastewater treatment plants provides large-scale population and regional-scale aggregation while upstream surveillance monitors locations at the neighborhood level with more precise geographic analysis. WBE can provide insights into dynamic drug consumption trends as well as environmental and toxicological contaminants. Applications of WBE include monitoring policy changes with cannabinoid legalization, tracking emerging illicit drugs, and early warning systems for potent fentanyl analogues along with the resurging wave of stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine, cocaine). Beyond drug consumption, WBE can also be used to monitor pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, including antidepressants and antipsychotics. In this manuscript, we describe the basic tenets and techniques of WBE, review its current application among drugs of abuse, and propose methods to scale and develop both monitoring and early warning systems with respect to measurement of illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals. We propose new frontiers in toxicological research with wastewater surveillance including assessment of medication assisted treatment of opioid use disorder (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone) in the context of other social burdens like COVID-19 disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy B Erickson
- Department of Emergency Medicine / Division of Toxicology, Brigham & Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School, 10 Vining St, Boston, MA, 02155, USA.
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Boston, USA.
- Harvard Humanitarian Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Eric J Alm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Peter R Chai
- Department of Emergency Medicine / Division of Toxicology, Brigham & Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School, 10 Vining St, Boston, MA, 02155, USA
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Boston, USA
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Brett J, Siefried KJ, Healey A, Harrod ME, Franklin E, Barratt MJ, Masters J, Nguyen L, Adiraju S, Gerber C. Wastewater analysis for psychoactive substances at music festivals across New South Wales, Australia in 2019-2020. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2021; 60:440-445. [PMID: 34542387 DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2021.1979233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Implementation of wastewater surveillance at music festivals has been limited to date. We aimed to use wastewater analysis and a self-report survey to determine the range of psychoactive substances being used during a music festival season in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS We sampled six single-day music festivals requiring a music festival license in New South Wales from March 2019 to March 2020; between 15% and 100% of portaloos (temporary, un-fixed toilet facilities) were sampled at each festival. Samples were screened for 98 psychoactive substances and/or their metabolites with results qualitatively expressed as detection frequencies for each substance at each festival and across all festivals. We compared these data with the results of surveys of self-reported drug use at four of the six festivals. RESULTS Festival attendance ranged from 6200 to 14,975 people. Amphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, methylone, MDMA, MDA, alprazolam, diazepam, etizolam, oxazepam and temazepam were found in almost all samples from all festivals. Ethylone, mephedrone and methcathinone were also found in over 50% of festivals. A norfentanyl (a fentanyl metabolite) and n-ethylpentylone were found at 2/6 and 1/6 festivals. No festival survey participant reported intentionally taking cathinones. DISCUSSION The detection frequency for cathinones was higher than expected relative to recent other data sources and this may represent adulteration or substitution. Similarly, the appearance of etizolam may be related to the use of counterfeit alprazolam. The detection of highly toxic substances such as N-ethylpentylone and norfentanyl may warrant public health alerts. CONCLUSION If provided close to real time, wastewater analysis at festivals could be complemented with information sources such as drug checking, on-site surveys, medical presentations and intelligence from peer networks to feed into early warning systems, public health alerts and peer-based harm reduction education during the festival season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Brett
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.,Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Krista J Siefried
- Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.,National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs, c/o the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amy Healey
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mary Ellen Harrod
- DanceWize NSW, New South Wales Users and AIDS Association, Surry Hills, Australia
| | - Erica Franklin
- DanceWize NSW, New South Wales Users and AIDS Association, Surry Hills, Australia
| | - Monica J Barratt
- Social and Global Studies Centre and Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jem Masters
- Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lynn Nguyen
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Santosh Adiraju
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Cobus Gerber
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Maasz G, Molnar E, Mayer M, Kuzma M, Takács P, Zrinyi Z, Pirger Z, Kiss T. Illicit Drugs as a Potential Risk to the Aquatic Environment of a Large Freshwater Lake after a Major Music Festival. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:1491-1498. [PMID: 33502775 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The present study strengthens the view that residues of drugs of abuse may become widespread surface water contaminants following a local music festival. Overall, 10 illicit drugs were detected from the aquatic environment after the festival; cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine were present in the highest concentrations. The presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites over 3 monitored festival yr suggested that consumption of these drugs was temporally linked with events. Weather conditions seriously influenced detection of contaminants deriving from events at the lakeshore. Most of the illicit drugs retained their pharmacological activities, with a potentially adverse impact on wildlife. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1491-1498. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Maasz
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
- Soós Ernő Research and Development Center, University of Pannonia, Nagykanizsa, Hungary
| | - Eva Molnar
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Matyas Mayer
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Monika Kuzma
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Péter Takács
- Department of Hydrozoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Zita Zrinyi
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
- Soós Ernő Research and Development Center, University of Pannonia, Nagykanizsa, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Tibor Kiss
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Lemas DJ, Loop MS, Duong M, Schleffer A, Collins C, Bowden JA, Du X, Patel K, Ciesielski AL, Ridge Z, Wagner J, Subedi B, Delcher C. Estimating drug consumption during a college sporting event from wastewater using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 764:143963. [PMID: 33385644 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of licit and/or illicit compounds during sporting events has traditionally been monitored using population surveys, medical records, and law enforcement seizure data. This pilot study evaluated the temporal and geospatial patterns in drug consumption during a university football game from wastewater using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Untreated wastewater samples were collected from three locations within or near the same football stadium every 30 min during a university football game. This analysis leveraged two LCMS/ MS instruments (Waters Acquity TQD and a Shimadzu 8040) to analyze samples for 58 licit or illicit compounds and some of their metabolites. Bayesian multilevel models were implemented to estimate mass load and population-level drug consumption, while accounting for multiple instrument runs and concentrations censored at the lower limit of quantitation. Overall, 29 compounds were detected in at least one wastewater sample collected during the game. The 10 most common compounds included opioids, anorectics, stimulants, and decongestants. For compounds detected in more than 50% of samples, temporal trends in median mass load were correlated with the timing of the game; peak loads for cocaine and tramadol occurred during the first quarter of the game and for phentermine during the third quarter. Stadium-wide estimates of the number of doses of drugs consumed were rank ordered as follows: oxycodone (n = 3246) > hydrocodone (n = 2260) > phentermine (n = 513) > cocaine (n = 415) > amphetamine (n = 372) > tramadol (n = 360) > pseudoephedrine (n = 324). This analysis represents the most comprehensive assessment of drug consumption during a university football game and indicates that wastewater-based epidemiology has potential to inform public health interventions focused on reducing recreational drug consumption during large-scale sporting events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominick J Lemas
- Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - Mathew Shane Loop
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Michelle Duong
- Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Andrew Schleffer
- Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Clark Collins
- Facilities Services, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - John Alfred Bowden
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Xinsong Du
- Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Keval Patel
- Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Austin L Ciesielski
- School of Forensic Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Zach Ridge
- School of Forensic Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Jarrad Wagner
- School of Forensic Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Bikram Subedi
- Department of Chemistry, Murray State University, Murray, KY, United States
| | - Chris Delcher
- Department of Pharmacy Practice & Science, Institute for Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hahn RZ, Augusto do Nascimento C, Linden R. Evaluation of Illicit Drug Consumption by Wastewater Analysis Using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler as a Monitoring Tool. Front Chem 2021; 9:596875. [PMID: 33859973 PMCID: PMC8042236 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.596875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Illicit drug abuse is a worldwide social and health problem, and monitoring illicit drug use is of paramount importance in the context of public policies. It is already known that relevant epidemiologic information can be obtained from the analysis of urban residual waters. This approach, named wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), is based on the measurement of specific markers, resulting from human biotransformation of the target drugs, as indicators of the consumption of the compounds by the population served by the wastewater treatment installation under investigation. Drug consumption estimation based on WBE requires sewage sampling strategies that express the concentrations along the whole time period of time. To this end, the most common approach is the use of automatic composite samplers. However, this active sampling procedure is costly, especially for long-term studies and in limited-resources settings. An alternative, cost-effective, sampling strategy is the use of passive samplers, like the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS). POCIS sampling has already been applied to the estimation of exposure to pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and some drugs of abuse, and some studies evaluated the comparative performances of POCIS and automatic composite samplers. In this context, this manuscript aims to review the most important biomarkers of drugs of abuse consumption in wastewater, the fundamentals of POCIS sampling in WBE, the previous application of POCIS for WBE of drugs of abuse, and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of POCIS sampling, in comparison with other strategies used in WBE. POCIS sampling is an effective strategy to obtain a representative overview of biomarker concentrations in sewage over time, with a small number of analyzed samples, increased detection limits, with lower costs than active sampling. Just a few studies applied POCIS sampling for WBE of drugs of abuse, but the available data support the use of POCIS as a valuable tool for the long-term monitoring of the consumption of certain drugs within a defined population, particularly in limited-resources settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Zilles Hahn
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael Linden
- Laboratory of Analytical Toxicology, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil.,National Institute of Forensic Science and Technology (INCT Forense), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ahmed F, Tscharke B, O'Brien JW, Cabot PJ, Hall WD, Mueller JF, Thomas KV. Can wastewater analysis be used as a tool to assess the burden of pain treatment within a population? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 188:109769. [PMID: 32535354 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a global health priority that is challenging to asses. Here we propose a new approach to estimating the burden of pain treatment in a population using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). WBE is able to quantify multiple pharmaceutical compounds in order to estimate consumption by a population. Wastewater samples collected from areas representing whole communities can be analysed to estimate the consumption of drugs used to treat pain, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids. The collection and analysis of wastewater can be conducted systematically to estimate the total consumption of NSAIDs and/or opioids in the population of a catchment area and to compare changes over time within the catchment or between different catchment populations. Consumption estimates can be combined by standardising the mass consumed to Defined Daily Doses (DDD) or morphine equivalents in order to assess, the population burden of pain treatment from mild to moderate (for NSAIDs) and for strong and severe pain (for opioids). We propose this method could be used to evaluate the total pain treatment burden between locations and over time. While this concept shows promise, future studies should evaluate the applicability as a tool to measure the burden of pain receiving treatment in a community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fahad Ahmed
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Benjamin Tscharke
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Jake W O'Brien
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Peter J Cabot
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Wayne D Hall
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Kevin V Thomas
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Brandeburová P, Bodík I, Horáková I, Žabka D, Castiglioni S, Salgueiro-González N, Zuccato E, Špalková V, Mackuľak T. Wastewater-based epidemiology to assess the occurrence of new psychoactive substances and alcohol consumption in Slovakia. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 200:110762. [PMID: 32450441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of alcohol and new psychoactive substances (NPS) in a population or during special events (music festivals) is usually monitored through individual questionnaires, forensic and toxicological data, and drug seizures. However, consumption estimates have some biases due mostly to the unknown composition of drug pills for NPS and stockpiling for alcohol. The aim of this study was to evaluate for the first time the real use of alcohol and the occurrence of NPS in Slovakia by wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Urban wastewater samples were collected from nine Slovak cities over two years (2017-2018) and during three music festivals. The study included about 20% of the Slovak population and 50 000 festival attendees. The urinary alcohol biomarker ethyl sulfate (EtS) and thirty NPS were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC - MS/MS). EtS concentrations were used for estimating the per capita alcohol consumption in each city. The average alcohol consumption in the selected cities and festivals in 2017-2018 ranged between 7 and 126 L/day/1000 inhabitants and increased during the weekends and music festivals. Five NPS belonging to the classes of synthetic cathinones (mephedrone, methcathinone, buphedrone and pentedrone) and phenethylamines (25-iP-NBoMe) were found in the low ng/L range. Methcathinone was the most frequently detected NPS, while the highest normalized mass load corresponded to mephedrone (3.1 mg/day/1000 inhabitants). Wastewater-based epidemiology can provide timely information on alcohol consumption and NPS occurrence at the community level that is complementary to epidemiology-based monitoring techniques (e.g. population surveys, police seizures, sales statistics).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Brandeburová
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Igor Bodík
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ivana Horáková
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žabka
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Sara Castiglioni
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Noelia Salgueiro-González
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Ettore Zuccato
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Viera Špalková
- Department of Inorganic Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcka 129, 165 00 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Mackuľak
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Harjung A, Attermeyer K, Aigner V, Krlovic N, Steniczka G, Švecová H, Schagerl M, Schelker J. High Anthropogenic Organic Matter Inputs during a Festival Increase River Heterotrophy and Refractory Carbon Load. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:10039-10048. [PMID: 32806906 PMCID: PMC7458420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Streams and rivers metabolize dissolved organic matter (DOM). Although most DOM compounds originate from natural sources, recreational use of rivers increasingly introduces chemically distinct anthropogenic DOM. So far, the ecological impact of this DOM source is not well understood. Here, we show that a large music festival held adjacent to the Traisen River in Austria increased the river's dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration from 1.6 to 2.1 mg L-1 and stream ecosystem respiration from -3.2 to -4.5 mg L-1. The DOC increase was not detected by sensors continuously logging absorbance spectra, thereby challenging their applicability for monitoring. However, the fluorescence intensity doubled during the festival. Using parallel factor analysis, we were able to assign the increase in fluorescence intensity to the chemically stable UV-B filter phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid, indicating organic compounds in sunscreen and other personal care products as sources of elevated DOC. This observation was confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The elevated respiration is probably fueled by anthropogenic DOM contained in beer and/or urine. We conclude that intense recreational use of running waters transiently increases the anthropogenic DOM load into stream ecosystems and alters the fluvial metabolism. We further propose that chemically distinct, manmade DOM extends the natural range of DOM decomposition rates in fluvial ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Harjung
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Wassercluster
Lunz-Biologische Station GmbH, 3293 Lunz am See, Austria
| | - Katrin Attermeyer
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Wassercluster
Lunz-Biologische Station GmbH, 3293 Lunz am See, Austria
| | - Victor Aigner
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikola Krlovic
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Helena Švecová
- Faculty
of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Centre
of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech
Republic
| | - Michael Schagerl
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jakob Schelker
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Wassercluster
Lunz-Biologische Station GmbH, 3293 Lunz am See, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Reprint of: The effect of the Music Day event on community drug use. Forensic Sci Int 2020; 314:110355. [PMID: 32721823 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Illicit drugs consumption can be back-calculated based on the analysis of drug residues in wastewater using the wastewater-based epidemiology method. The Music Day, held on June 21 in France since 1982, has grown to global proportions and is now celebrated as World Music Day. This large outdoor event takes place in many cities with people allowed to play music in the streets. As psychotropic drugs are often associated with music events, the goal of this study is to investigate the use of illicit drugs on this day in Bordeaux, the fifth largest urban area in France. Daily sampling campaigns of composite wastewater were carried out for seven days in two wastewater treatment plants in Bordeaux in 2017 (Music Day) and 2018. World Music Day in Bordeaux has no observable effect on illicit drug consumption even if this event has massive public participation: this is the first report of the absence of an illicit drug consumption increase in a festival of such magnitude, corroborating the effect of others' views and opinions, because this event takes place publicly in the street and not among peers. Different hypothesizes are put forward to explain this fact: inappropriate type of event for drug consumption, effect of other festivals, and influence of the event's timing on a weekday.
Collapse
|
21
|
Devault DA, Peyré A, Jaupitre O, Daveluy A, Karolak S. The effect of the Music Day event on community drug use. Forensic Sci Int 2020; 309:110226. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
22
|
Centazzo N, Frederick BM, Jacox A, Cheng SY, Concheiro-Guisan M. Wastewater analysis for nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and cannabis in New York City. Forensic Sci Res 2019; 4:152-167. [PMID: 31304444 PMCID: PMC6609350 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2019.1609388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
According to current surveys and overdoses data, there is a drug crisis in the USA. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an evolving discipline that analyses wastewater samples to detect drugs and metabolites to estimate drug consumption in a certain community. This study demonstrates how drug relative presence could be tracked by testing wastewater, providing real-time results, in different boroughs in New York City throughout 1 year. We developed and fully validated two analytical methods, one for 21 drugs and metabolites, including nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and cannabis markers; and another for the normalization factor creatinine. Both methods were performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using positive electrospray ionization, achieving a limit of quantification of 5–10 ng/L for drugs and metabolites, and 0.01 mg/L for creatinine. These methods were applied to 48 one-time grab wastewater samples collected from six wastewater treatment plants in New York City (Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn), eight different times throughout 2016, before and after major holidays, including Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labour Day and New Year’s. In this study, the drug group normalized concentrations present in the wastewater samples, in decreasing order, were cocaine, nicotine, opioids, cannabis and amphetamines. When looking at individual compounds, the one with the highest normalized concentration was benzoylecgonine (BE), followed by cotinine, morphine and 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH). To estimate community use, these concentrations were multiplied by the corresponding correction factor, and the most present were THCCOOH, followed by BE, cotinine and morphine. When comparing the treatment plants by drug group (nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, opioids and cannabis), samples collected from The Bronx had the highest normalized concentrations for nicotine, cocaine and opioids; The Bronx and Manhattan for cannabis; and Manhattan and Queens for amphetamines. In most of the cases, no effect due to holiday was observed. This study provides the first snapshot of drug use in New York City and how that changes between key calendar dates employing wastewater analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Centazzo
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bonnie-Marie Frederick
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alethea Jacox
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shu-Yuan Cheng
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marta Concheiro-Guisan
- Department of Sciences, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Gonçalves J, Rosado T, Soares S, Simão AY, Caramelo D, Luís Â, Fernández N, Barroso M, Gallardo E, Duarte AP. Cannabis and Its Secondary Metabolites: Their Use as Therapeutic Drugs, Toxicological Aspects, and Analytical Determination. MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 6:E31. [PMID: 30813390 PMCID: PMC6473697 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Although the medicinal properties of Cannabis species have been known for centuries, the interest on its main active secondary metabolites as therapeutic alternatives for several pathologies has grown in recent years. This potential use has been a revolution worldwide concerning public health, production, use and sale of cannabis, and has led inclusively to legislation changes in some countries. The scientific advances and concerns of the scientific community have allowed a better understanding of cannabis derivatives as pharmacological options in several conditions, such as appetite stimulation, pain treatment, skin pathologies, anticonvulsant therapy, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. However, there is some controversy regarding the legal and ethical implications of their use and routes of administration, also concerning the adverse health consequences and deaths attributed to marijuana consumption, and these represent some of the complexities associated with the use of these compounds as therapeutic drugs. This review comprehends the main secondary metabolites of Cannabis, approaching their therapeutic potential and applications, as well as their potential risks, in order to differentiate the consumption as recreational drugs. There will be also a focus on the analytical methodologies for their analysis, in order to aid health professionals and toxicologists in cases where these compounds are present.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Gonçalves
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Tiago Rosado
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Sofia Soares
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Ana Y Simão
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Débora Caramelo
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Ângelo Luís
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Nicolás Fernández
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Toxicología y Química Legal, Laboratorio de Asesoramiento Toxicológico Analítico (CENATOXA). Junín 956 7mo piso. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina.
| | - Mário Barroso
- Serviço de Química e Toxicologia Forenses, Instituto de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses - Delegação do Sul, 1169-201 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Eugenia Gallardo
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| | - Ana Paula Duarte
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|