Wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor 68 NPS/conventional drug use in Taipei metropolitan area in Taiwan during and after COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication date: Sep 05, 2024

Amidst far-reaching COVID-19 effects and social constraints, this study leveraged wastewater-based epidemiology to track 38 conventional drugs and 30 new psychoactive substances (NPS) in northern Taiwan. Analyzing daily samples from four Taipei wastewater plants between September 2021 and January 2024-encompassing club reopenings, holidays, Lunar New Year, an outbreak, and regular periods-thirty-one drugs were detected, including 5 NPS. Tramadol, zolpidem tartrate, CMA, and MDPV were newly detected in Taiwanese sewage with frequency of 1. 4 %- 89. 0 %. Conventional drug use typically increased post-pandemic, aside from benzodiazepines and methadone. Methamphetamine showed 100 % frequency, indicating ongoing daily consumption despite COVID-19 measures. Methamphetamine and morphine’s consumption dipped then rose around club reopening, hinting at limited access. The consumption trend of methadone appeared to compensate for the use of morphine. Ketamine and NPS demonstrated similar patterns throughout the entire period. NPS as party drugs seemed influenced by an unstable supply chain and complexities in implementation. Benzodiazepines, commonly abused alongside synthetic cathinones in Taiwan exhibited an opposing trend to NPS while aligned with acetaminophen, suggesting elevated stress and anxiety levels during the pandemic. No significant differences were observed in drug consumption between weekdays and weekends, potentially indicating that COVID-19 measures blurred the traditional distinctions between these timeframes. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: New psychoactive substances refer to chemically modified variants of controlled drugs designed to mimic the effects of the original drugs while evading modern detection methods, categorizing them as hazardous materials. The study presents a sewage monitoring project conducted from 2021 to 2024, collecting samples from four WWTPs to analyze NPS and conventional drug trends during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings uncovered connections between drug consumption patterns and pandemic-related policies. In light of the persistent drug abuse and their environmental presence, the results bear critical importance for both environmental and public health. We provide a thorough assessment of these relationships and prioritize areas for future research.

Concepts Keywords
Abused COVID-19
Party COVID-19 pandemic
Taiwan Drug abuse
Weekdays Humans
Illicit Drugs
Illicit Drugs
Psychotropic Drugs
Psychotropic Drugs
SARS-CoV-2
Substance Abuse Detection
Substance-Related Disorders
Taiwan
Wastewater
Wastewater
Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring
Wastewater-based epidemiology
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water Pollutants, Chemical

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
drug DRUGBANK Tramadol
disease VO frequency
drug DRUGBANK Methadone
drug DRUGBANK Metamfetamine
drug DRUGBANK Morphine
drug DRUGBANK Ketamine
drug DRUGBANK Acetaminophen
disease MESH drug abuse
drug DRUGBANK Water

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