Airborne psychotropic substances in eight Italian big cities: burdens and behaviours.
Psychotropic substances were monitored in eight big cities of Italy over one year, starting in May 2010, in the frame of the Ariadrugs Project. Yearly average concentrations ranged from 0.02 ± 0.01 to 0.26 ± 0.11 ng/m(3) for cocaine, from 0.05 ± 0.05 to 0.96 ± 1.37 ng/m(3) for cannabinoids, from 16 ± 6 to 61 ± 28 ng/m(3) for nicotine, and from 1.0 ± 0.8 to 8 ± 7 ng/m(3) for caffeine. Palermo and Turin were the cities suffering the lowest and the highest psychotropic substance concentrations, respectively. Nicotine and cocaine exhibited trends less seasonally modulated than common air toxicants. Caffeine and cannabinoids peaked in winter dropping close to zero from May to August. In Rome, where various anthropic contours were investigated in February 2011, differences were observed both in net concentrations and ratios of psychotropic substances vs. regulated toxicants. Ambient drugs look as a consequence of addiction and their burdens give insights about the corresponding consumes.
National Research Council of Italy - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), Via Salaria Km 29.3, P.O. Box 10, I-00015 Monterotondo Stazione, Rome, Italy. cecinato@iia.cnr.it
Angelo
A
Cecinato
Catia
C
Balducci
Paola
P
Romagnoli
Mattia
M
Perilli
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002110:Caffeine / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003042:Cocaine / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007558:Italy; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D002110:Caffeine; D009538:Nicotine; D003042:Cocaine