Occurrence of illicit drugs in two wastewater treatment plants in the South of Italy

Chemosphere. 2018 May:198:377-385. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.01.158. Epub 2018 Feb 3.

Abstract

In this study the occurrence and the behavior of illicit drugs and their metabolites have been investigated for two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (namely, WWTP-1 and WWTP-2) located in Sicily (island of Italy). Samples were analyzed for methamphetamine, cocaine (COC), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methadone (METH), 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), 3,4-methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDA); 3,4-methylenedioxy ethylamphetamine (MDEA), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) and Benzoylecgonine (BEG). The BEG, COC, MOR and THC-COOH were found at the highest concentration in both WWTPs. The Wastewater-based epidemiology calculation for BEG, COC, cannabinoids and THC-COOH was performed. On average, for both plants, population consumes 1.6 and 23.4 dose 1000 inh-1 day-1 of cocaine and cannabis, respectively. For WWTP-1 negative removals of illicit drugs were observed. For WWTP-2 the following average removal efficiencies were obtained: BEG (77.85%), COC (92.34%), CODEINE (64.75%), MOR (90.16%) and THC-COOH (68.64%).

Keywords: Contaminants of emerging concern; Drug behavior; Illicit drugs; Water treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine / analysis
  • Amphetamines / analysis
  • Cannabidiol / analysis
  • Cocaine / analogs & derivatives
  • Cocaine / analysis
  • Dronabinol / analysis
  • Drug Combinations
  • Humans
  • Illicit Drugs / analysis*
  • Methamphetamine / analysis
  • Pyrrolidines / analysis
  • Sicily
  • Substance Abuse Detection
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid*
  • Wastewater / chemistry*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

  • Amphetamines
  • Drug Combinations
  • Illicit Drugs
  • Pyrrolidines
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • ethylamphetamine
  • Cannabidiol
  • Methamphetamine
  • benzoylecgonine
  • Dronabinol
  • Amphetamine
  • Cocaine
  • nabiximols
  • 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine