Problems of Forensic Sciences 2009 Vol. 79 (LXXIX) 327-337
MUNICIPAL SEWAGE AS A SOURCE OF CURRENT INFORMATION ON PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES USED IN URBAN COMMUNITIES
Marek WIERGOWSKI, Beata SZPIECH, Krystyna REGUŁA, Anna TYBURSKA
Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
Streszczenie
The results of municipal wastewater analysis may be a matter of interest to many experts in various fields of science: chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology, medicine, sociology and ethics. It is also possible to observe trends in use of certain kinds and quantities of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs thanks to long-term investigation of effluents in tested communities. The results of wastewater analysis can provide current information on the scale and trends in the use of psychoactive substances, and in the future may allow early detection of newly introduced illicit drugs. An unambiguous interpretation of analytical results is difficult due to the high variability of the content of psychoactive substances and the matrix of analysed samples of wastewater. Selection of place and time of samples collection for study is extremely important, and valuable conclusions can be drawn only after long-term monitoring of selected control points. Pharmaceuticals occurring most commonly in wastewater are: analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, lipid regulating drugs, antiepileptics, beta-blockers, hormones, antibiotics and antidepressants. Among illegal drugs, the most common (in wastewater) are those consumed the most frequently, including amphetamine and methamphetamine and their analogues, cannabinoids, morphine, codeine, and cocaine.
Słowa kluczowe
Chemical-toxicological analysis of municipal sewage; Psychoactive substances; Narcotics.