Estimation of the psychoactive substances consumption within 12 wastewater treatment plants service areas in a certain city of Guangxi, China applying wastewater-based epidemiology

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2021-07, Vol.778, p.146370, Article 146370
• Main Authors: Jin, Hangbiao, Yang, Dan, Hao, Yunbin, Zhang, Jinyang, Wu, Pengfei, Liu, Weiping, Zhao, Meirong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consumption; LC-MS/MS; Occurrence; Psychoactive substance; Wastewater-based epidemiology
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146370

The abuse of psychoactive substances has been increasing dramatically over the last few years, which is becoming a concern for human health and social stability. How to accurately estimate psychoactive substances' total consumption in certain areas is the key to manage such substances. In order to control psychoactive substances, 8 psychoactive substances' consumption within 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) service areas in a certain city of Guangxi, China was investigated in 2019. Firstly, a solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was used to determine the influent concentrations. Morphine (MOR), 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methamphetamine (METH), ketamine (KET), and norketamine (NK) were detected, with the concentrations ranging from less than method detection limit (NK, MDMA) to 170.91 (METH) ng/L. Then, the back-estimation of consumption was conducted according to the objective and near real-time wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). The results demonstrate that KET, MOR, and METH are the most abused psychoactive substances, with the mean consumption of 682.42, 167.81, and 44.56 mg/day/1000 inh, respectively. The psychoactive substance residues of WWTPs influent were analyzed to estimate such substances' consumption in specific areas, so as to provide support for risk prevention and control. [Display omitted] •WBE can be a tool to monitor the abuse of psychoactive substances in a population.•City-wide psychoactive substances consumption in Guangxi was estimated via WBE.•MOR, METH, and KET were ubiquitous in the 12 WWTPs of Guangxi.•KET was abused indiscriminately in a certain city of Guangxi.