Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK.
Inuvi Diagnostics Ltd, Churcham Business Park, Gloucester, GL28AX, UK.
Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 29;14(1):20129. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-70378-7.
This study investigates the presence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and their metabolites in two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) situated in South Wales, UK (WWTP-1 and WWTP-2). Analysis was conducted for 35 NPS and metabolites, along with the inclusion of benzoylecgonine (main cocaine metabolite) and cannabis, the most detected illicit substances. Benzoylecgonine was identified as the predominant substance in both WWTPs. Epidemiological calculations revealed the average population consumption of cocaine to be 3.88 mg/d/1000 inhabitants around WWTP-1 and 1.97 mg/d/1000 inhabitants for WWTP-2. The removal efficiency of benzoylecgonine across both WWTPs was observed at an average of 73%. Subsequent qualitative analyses on randomly selected wastewater samples detected medicinal compounds including buprenorphine, methadone, and codeine in both WWTPs. An additional experiment employing enzymatic hydrolysis revealed the presence of morphine, an increased presence of codeine, and 11-Nor-9-Carboxy-THC (THC-COOH) post-hydrolysis. These findings underscore the significant presence of illicit substances and medicinal compounds in wastewater systems with the absence of NPS within the South Wales area, highlighting the necessity for enhanced monitoring and treatment strategies to address public health and environmental concerns.
本研究调查了英国南威尔士的两个废水处理厂（WWTP-1 和 WWTP-2）中新精神活性物质（NPS）及其代谢物的存在情况。对 35 种 NPS 和代谢物进行了分析，同时包括苯甲酰古柯碱（主要可卡因代谢物）和大麻，这是最常检测到的非法物质。苯甲酰古柯碱被确定为两个 WWTP 中的主要物质。流行病学计算显示，WWTP-1 周围的可卡因平均人口消耗量为 3.88mg/d/1000 居民，WWTP-2 为 1.97mg/d/1000 居民。苯甲酰古柯碱在两个 WWTP 中的去除效率平均为 73%。随后对随机选择的废水样本进行定性分析，在两个 WWTP 中均检测到包括丁丙诺啡、美沙酮和可待因在内的药用化合物。一项额外的酶水解实验显示，在水解后存在吗啡、可待因含量增加和 11-Nor-9-羧基-四氢大麻酚（THC-COOH）。这些发现强调了非法物质和药用化合物在废水系统中的大量存在，而南威尔士地区不存在 NPS，突出了加强监测和处理策略以解决公共卫生和环境问题的必要性。
