Comparison of community illicit drug use in 11 cities of Turkey through wastewater-based epidemiology

DAĞLIOĞLU N., Guzel E. Y., Atasoy A., GÖREN İ. E.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH, no.12, pp.15076-15089, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11356-020-11404-9
  • Journal Name: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, IBZ Online, ABI/INFORM, Aerospace Database, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Environment Index, Geobase, MEDLINE, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.15076-15089
  • Keywords: Wastewater biomarker analysis, Drug abuse, Marijuana, MDMA, LC-MS, MS, Turkey, CONSUMPTION PATTERNS, TREATMENT PLANTS, STIMULANT-DRUGS, ANALYSIS. PART, ABUSE, METHAMPHETAMINE, METABOLITES, PHARMACEUTICALS, AMPHETAMINE, COCAINE
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an ever-increasing discipline that enables researchers to track near-real-time data concerning the recreational use of illicit drugs. Community illicit drug use was estimated in eleven Turkish cities, using eighteen wastewater treatment plants, representing the metropolitan cities and rural areas with different socio-demographic characteristics. In this study, 24-h composite influent wastewater samples were collected for 1 week per season between March 2019 and December 2019. Heroin, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana were covered as illicit drugs in this study. Solid-phase extraction, LC-MS/MS separation, identification, and quantification were used as the analytical methods. Overall results indicate that both cocaine and MDMA usage increased in all cities on weekends. More specifically, it was observed that the average amount of cocaine use regarding 11 cities was 14.7 mg/1000 person/day, while figures for other substances are as follows: 9.5 for amphetamine, 34.5 for methamphetamine, 38.4 for MDMA, 42.2 for heroin, and lastly 5412 mg/1000p/day for marijuana. This study holds the position of being the most comprehensive one conducted, considering spatial and temporal datasets on illicit drug consumption obtained via WBE in Turkey.