Temporal Analysis of the Cocaine Metabolite Benzoylecgonine in Wastewater to Estimate Community Drug Use*

Abstract

Indirect estimation methods of cocaine consumption may not reflect the real extent of cocaine use. Another approach is sewage epidemiology. This direct approach is based on analysis of a stable cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BE), in wastewater. Influent to the Lubbock (Texas) Water Reclamation Plant was sampled twice a week to assess weekly variations in estimates of cocaine consumption over a 5-month period. BE was extracted from influent wastewater samples using solid phase extraction and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Measured concentrations of BE were converted to cocaine equivalents; the estimated average daily consumption of cocaine during the study period was 1152 ± 147 g. Based on BE concentrations and sewage epidemiology, higher cocaine consumption was observed on weekends compared to weekdays (p < 0.0003). This method was effective in monitoring BE in wastewater and could be used to complement survey data in estimating cocaine use at a local level.

Occurrence and removal of illicit drugs in different wastewater treatment plants with different treatment techniques

“…And the concentrations of MDMA ranged from 0.18 to 0.55 ng/L in influents and 0.18-0.67 ng/L in effluents. These concentrations were lower than many reported levels in countries and regions with high consumption of MDMA, such as the Taiwan (≤ LOD-4.82 ng/L) [25], US (70 ng/L) [26], UK (13.9 ng/L) [19] and Spain (180 ng/L) [27]. Compared with those cities, Changzhou is a relatively small area with less entertainment places, and the detected MDMA concentrations were nearly 100 times lower than in European countries.…”

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology of Cocaine in the Brazilian Federal District: Spatial Distribution, Weekly Variation and Sample Preservation Strategies

“…Also for this reason, analytical data concerning benzoylecgonine in wastewater samples has been used as a near real-time tool to estimate cocaine consumption for a given population. 8,9 Several works have explored different aspects of the WBE approach including other cocaine metabolites, 10 estimation of other consumed drugs, 10-12 influence of recreational events, [13][14][15][16] consumption dynamics in restricted facilities, [17][18][19] temporal and spatial variability, [20][21][22] stability of target chemicals, 23,24 refinement on estimates calculation, [25][26][27] innovations in sample preparation and analysis, [28][29][30] among others. In Brazil, the first work to put the WBE approach into practice was designed to assess cocaine consumption on regions served by six wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) installed in the Brazilian Federal District (FD).…”

Sewage‐based epidemiology in monitoring the use of new psychoactive substances: Validation and application of an analytical method using LC‐MS/MS

“…Conceptualized in 2001 by Daughton, sewage‐based epidemiology (SBE) is the analysis of excretion products of illicit drugs in sewage with the purpose of estimating community drug use. Sewage‐based epidemiology has been applied since 2005 as an approach complementary to classical investigation methods such as, consumer interviews, medical records, population surveys, and crime statistics for estimating illicit drug use in communities . Data obtained from SBE provides information on drug use in a direct, quick and objective way on an international scale …”

“…Sewage-based epidemiology has been applied since 2005 as an approach complementary to classical investigation methods such as, consumer interviews, medical records, population surveys, and crime statistics for estimating illicit drug use in communities. [2][3][4][5][6] Data obtained from SBE provides information on drug use in a direct, quick and objective way on an international scale. [7,8] New psychoactive substances (NPS) are substances that are not controlled by the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and that may pose a threat to public health.…”