Abstract

PACHECO FERREIRA, Aldo. Illicit drug consumption estimations derived from wastewater analysis: A critical review. Rev. Univ. Ind. Santander. Salud [online]. 2019, vol.51, n.1, pp.69-80. ISSN 0121-0807.  https://doi.org/10.18273/revsal.v51n1-2019008.

Quantitative measurement of illicit drugs in wastewater can provide objective information on community drug use patterns and trends. The presence of illicit drugs in treatment plants for wastewater and in the environment was analyzed by sewege epidemiology. It is a systematic review from 2008-2017 by means of the controlled descriptors: "illicit drugs", "wastewater treatment plants" and "environment" performed on Medline databases via PubMed, SciELO, BVS via LILACS and Google Scholar. The search yielded 439 studies. 34 studies were selected for analysis. The years of publication varied, with 2016 being the highest of publications (ten), followed by 2014 and 2012 (five), 2017, 2013, 2010 (three), 2011 (two), 2015, 2009 and 2008 (one each). The results showed the presence of chemical indicators of the classic drugs cocaine and cannabis. Research on the presence of illicit drugs, particularly as active compounds in the environment, are vital to improve knowledge of the types consumed, its occurrence; being able to unfold to analyze the exposure and the impact of these compounds in the environment and public health. The results of this revision have highlighted that wastewater-based epidemiology is a useful and powerful approach.

Keywords : Illicit drugs; environment; wastewater treatment plants; review.

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