title: Analysis of drugs of abuse by online SPE-LC high resolution mass spectrometry: communal assessment of consumption.
abstract: An online SPE-LC-HRMS method was developed to monitor the consumption of 18 drugs of abuse (DOAs) including amphetamines, opioids, cocainics, cannabinoids, lysergics, and their corresponding metabolites in a well characterized college campus setting via wastewater analysis. Filtered and diluted (10×) sewage water samples (5 mL inj.) were automatically pre-concentrated and analyzed in 15 min using a Thermo EQuan MAX online SPE system equipped with a HyperSep™ Retain PEP (20×2.1 mm×12 μm) SPE column and a Hypersil Gold™ aQ (150×2.1 mm×3 μm) analytical column. A Q Exactive™ Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap HRMS was used in full scan mode (R=140,000) for positive identification, and quantitation of target compounds. Method detection limits for all analytes ranged between 0.6 and 1.7 ng/L in sewage. A total of 14 DOAs were detected from two different locations (dorms and main college campus) within a one-year period. Most frequently detected drugs throughout the entire study were amphetamine (>96%) and THC's metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ-9-THC (>100%) with maximum concentrations of 5956 and 2413 ng/L respectively. Daily doses per 1000 people were determined in order to assess consumption of THC, amphetamine, heroin and cocaine, in both dorms and main campus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA; Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Electronic address: nheuett@fiu.edu.
authors.forename: Nubia V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Heuett
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA; Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Electronic address: cramirez@fiu.edu.
authors.forename: Cesar E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Electronic address: amfernan@fiu.edu.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA; Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Electronic address: gardinal@fiu.edu.
authors.forename: Piero R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gardinali
mesh_terms: D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: College campus; High resolution mass spectrometry; Illicit drugs; Online-SPE; Sewage influents