The first application of wastewater-based drug epidemiology in five South Korean cities.
Illicit drug consumption in five cities in South Korea was estimated by analyzing 17 drug residues in untreated wastewater samples collected during the Christmas and New Year period of 2012-13. Only methamphetamine, amphetamine, and codeine were detected at concentrations of tens of nanograms per liter or even lower concentrations in more than 90% of the samples. Other illicit drug residues (including cocaine, methadone, and benzoylecgonine) that have been detected frequently in wastewater from other countries were not found in this study. Methamphetamine was found to be the most widely used illicit drug in South Korea, and the estimated average consumption rate was 22 mg d(-1) (1000 people)(-1). This rate is, for example, 2-5 times lower than the estimated average consumption rates in Hong Kong and other parts of China and 4-80 times lower than the estimated average consumption rates in cities in Western countries. It should be noted that the wastewater samples analyzed in this study were collected during a holiday season, when daily consumption of illicit drugs is often higher than on an average day. The methamphetamine usage rates were calculated for different cities in South Korea, and the usage rates in smaller cities was higher (2-4 times) than the average.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
Ki Yong
KY
Kim
The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), The University of Queensland, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia.
Foon Yin
FY
Lai
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
Hee-Young
HY
Kim
The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), The University of Queensland, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia.
Phong K
PK
Thai
The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), The University of Queensland, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia. Electronic address: j.mueller@uq.edu.au.
Jochen F
JF
Mueller
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jeoh@pusan.ac.kr.
Jeong-Eun
JE
Oh
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000032:analysis; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000032:analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D000661:Amphetamine; D000662:Amphetamines; D003042:Cocaine; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008694:Methamphetamine; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C005618:benzoylecgonine
Consumption rate; Illicit drug; Methamphetamine; Sewage epidemiology; South Korea; Wastewater analysis