The use of wastewater analysis in forensic intelligence: drug consumption comparison between Sydney and different European cities

Abstract

Wastewater analysis offers objective and complementary information to illicit drug agencies by monitoring patterns of illicit drug consumption. In this study, wastewater samples from three different wastewater treatment plants in Sydney, Australia were collected in March 2016. Ten targeted drugs were analysed and temporal and geographical analyses were performed to obtain a better understanding of the type and amount of illicit drugs consumed in Sydney in comparison with similar studies conducted around Australia and in Europe. Among the targeted drugs, methamphetamine was consumed the most, followed by cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Weekly patterns were observed where a peak during the weekend was present. The geographical analysis showed differences between the regions targeted. This observation may be related to socio-demographic aspects. The comparison of our study to other data sources from Australia showed a high consumption of methamphetamine in Sydney and Western Australia. The comparison between Sydney and different European cities revealed a difference in consumption, which is in line with traditional market indicators. The information obtained through wastewater analysis provides complementary information regarding illicit drug consumption, the size, and the evolution of the illicit drug market. This, ultimately, will assist authorities in making informed decisions.

Wastewater-based epidemiology pilot study to examine drug use in the Western United States

“…This is in contrast to a methamphetamine dose consumption rate of 0.22 g/day per 1000 pop reported for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ( Nguyen et al, 2018 ), 0.45 g/day per 1000 pop in Istanbul, Turkey ( Mercan et al, 2019 ), and 0.157 g/day per 1000 pop in Barcelona, Spain ( Mastroianni et al, 2017 ). Dose consumption rates for methamphetamine for a few Australian cities were comparable to Site A, although none reached the levels detected from Site B ( Bannwarth et al, 2019 ). The abuse of methamphetamines is corroborated in rural communities.…”

“…They reported on average MDMA dose consumption rates between 0.041 and 0.372 g/day per 1000 pop, which at the lower end was comparable with the level of Site A (0.066 g/day per 1000 pop). Sydney, Australia was comparable to Site A, with a dose consumption rate of 0.06 g/day per 1000 pop ( Bannwarth et al, 2019 ).…”

Evaluation of Illicit Drug Consumption by Wastewater Analysis Using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler as a Monitoring Tool

“…Additionally, population surveys are expensive and complex to perform ( Hernández et al, 2018 ). The benefits of WBE resulted in the publication of studies in many countries of the world ( Archer et al, 2018 ; Bannwarth et al, 2019 ; Banta-Green et al, 2016 ; Bartelt-Hunt et al, 2009 ; Baz-Lomba et al, 2016 ; Benaglia et al, 2020 ; Boleda et al, 2009 ; Burgard et al, 2019 ; Foppe et al, 2018 ; Kankaanpää et al, 2016 ; Mackulˇak et al, 2014 ; Maldaner et al, 2012 ; Metcalfe et al, 2010 ; van Nuijs et al, 2009b ; Zhang et al, 2019 ; Zuccato et al, 2008 ). In fact, since 2011, the Europe-wide network (Sewage analysis CORe Group Europe (SCORE)) performs the systematic monitoring of consumption biomarkers of four priority drugs (cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), amphetamine, and methamphetamine) in WWTPs, covering 68 cities from 23 European countries in 2019 ( EMCDDA, 2020 ).…”

High-throughput multi-residue quantification of contaminants of emerging concern in wastewaters enabled using direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

“…Most analytical techniques for targeted CEC determinations have used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) for pharmaceuticals ( Paíga et al, 2019 ; Yuan et al, 2014 ), illicit drugs ( Bannwarth et al, 2019 ; Centazzo et al, 2019 ; Baker et al, 2014 ) and pesticides ( Zhang et al, 2011 ; Jones et al, 2017 ; Köck-Schulmeyer et al, 2013 ) in wastewaters. LC–MS/MS using triple quadrupole mass analysers has dominated targeted CEC analysis due to their sensitivity, quantitative precision and selectivity via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) ( Malachová et al, 2018 ).…”