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Title
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The stability of illicit drugs and metabolites in wastewater, an important issue for sewage epidemiology?
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Author
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Abstract
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| The stability of nine illicit drugs and metabolites in influent wastewater at relevant conditions (20 °C and at pH 7.5) was evaluated during 26 h (in 1 h intervals) to assess whether significant in-sewer processes of degradation or formation occur. This assessment is important for the sewage epidemiology approach, which uses concentrations of illicit drugs and metabolites in influent wastewater to back-calculate amounts of these substances used by a community or population. The results of this study showed that amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and EDDP (metabolite of methadone) are stable in wastewater for 12 h and longer. For benzoylecgonine and methadone, a modest formation in the course of time was observed (0.2% per h and 0.4% per h, respectively), while for cocaine (40% degradation after 12 h), ecgonine methylester (20% degradation after 12 h), and 6-monoacetylmorphine (20% degradation after 12 h), a clear decrease in concentrations in time was seen. These findings suggest that for compounds with a significant stability issue, it is important to take their behavior into account when performing back-calculations in sewage epidemiology. However, this study also highlights the need of future research regarding transformation pathways of the individual compounds. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Journal of hazardous materials. - Amsterdam
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Publication
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Amsterdam
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2012
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ISSN
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0304-3894
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DOI
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10.1016/J.JHAZMAT.2012.04.030
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Volume/pages
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239
(2012)
, p. 19-23
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ISI
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000310763600002
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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