Wastewater Analysis of Illicit Substances as a Means of Detecting Substance Abuse

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Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) is a rapidly developing discipline with the potential to provide near real-time data on regional and temporal variations in the use of various legal substances, including nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and illicit drugs. Since the early 2000s, wastewater analysis has been increasingly utilized to gauge the prevalence of illicit drug use within society. Reasons for this adoption include the method’s efficiency, the ease of sample acquisition, and the cost-effectiveness of analysis. Wastewater analysis yields estimated consumption data at the provincial level by detecting target substances within the influent of provincial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and subsequently performing back-calculations. WWTP selection for analysis involves a careful evaluation of factors such as the basins/populations served, infrastructure compatibility and the feasibility of 24-hour composite sampling. Following the collection of both influent and effluent water samples from designated WWTPs, a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method is employed for sample preparation. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) is then used to identify and quantify legal and illicit substances and their respective metabolites. The detected concentrations of either the target substance or its primary metabolite form the basis for calculating the estimated amounts of substances consumed within the region. Consequently, WBE has emerged as a valuable tool for the real-time assessment of substance use patterns across various populations, encompassing legal and illicit substances. Moreover, WBE demonstrates promise in novel application areas, including monitoring biomarkers relevant to forensic investigations. These biomarkers may provide insights into lifestyle factors, disease prevalence within a population, and exposure to environmental pollutants.