Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Psichoudaki, T. Mina, M. Savvidou, C. Mina, C. Michael, D. Fatta-Kassinos
Summary: The outbreak and control measures of COVID-19 had an impact on the use of illicit drugs in the Republic of Cyprus. The use of amphetamine and methamphetamine was not significantly affected during the lockdown period, but decreased when restrictions were eased. The limitations on social interactions during quarantine led to a sharp decrease in the use of MDMA and cocaine, but their use increased significantly when activities reopened.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Marit Huizer, Thomas L. ter aak, Pim de Voogt, Annemarie P. van Wezel
Summary: Illicit drug use is a complex and stigmatized behavior, making it challenging for drug surveillance systems. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a method used to estimate drug consumption, with studies increasing globally. However, there are uncertainties in sampling methods and consumption data, and further standardization of WBE is desired. High-quality studies are increasing, but WBE has not been widely used in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Russia, with high consumption rates in the US and lower rates reported in Asia.
Article
Substance Abuse
Anne Line Bretteville-Jensen, Ellen J. Amundsen, Jane Mounteney
Summary: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a timely, non-invasive, and cost-effective indicator of illicit drug consumption. However, there are important methodological issues and potential shortcomings that need to be considered when designing sampling procedures and interpreting the analytical results.
EUROPEAN ADDICTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Zohreh Nazmara, Babak Ebrahimi, Pouran Makhdoumi, Leila Noori, Seyed Amirhosein Mahdavi, Gholamreza Hassanzadeh
Summary: Illicit drug use is a growing issue among young people today, with substances like amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, and marijuana being the most common illicit drugs worldwide. Evidence suggests that the use of these drugs can lead to subfertility or complete infertility in males. Therefore, it is recommended that couples planning to conceive avoid any illicit drug use to maintain fertility potency.
IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Shringika Soni, Utkarsh Jain, Donald H. Burke, Nidhi Chauhan
Summary: This review article provides an overview of the recent advances in aptamer sensing technology, with a focus on its application in drug detection. By utilizing various techniques such as electrochemical, optical, and colorimetric methods, aptasensors are capable of rapid and on-spot detection of seized drugs or illegal substances. The challenges in aptasensor development are discussed, along with the proposal of using advanced nanomaterials and different sensing platforms for innovative aptasensor development.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tolulope I. Lawrence, Natalie Sims, Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern, Sreekantha B. Jonnalagadda, Bice S. Martincigh
Summary: Estimation of community-wide consumption of illicit drugs through wastewater analysis is a new concept in Africa although widely applied in developed nations as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). It is an important tool that can be used in understanding supply and demand patterns of illicit drug use on a local, national, and international scale. This study hopes to bridge that gap by contributing to Africa's baseline information on illicit drug use.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Lingling Zhang, Xiaochun Li, Yunchao Li, Hua-Zhong Yu
Summary: The study presents the design and testing of an integrated colorimetric microarray immunochip platform for the quantitation and direct visual determination of multiple illicit drugs in body fluids. The platform offers wider dynamic response ranges and lower limits of detection compared to standard ELISA tests, meeting government regulations for law enforcement. The advantages of multiplexing, simultaneous visual recognition, and accurate quantitation make on-site detection feasible, showing promise for practical applications.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dan Aberg, Daniel Chaplin, Chris Freeman, Bela Paizs, Christian Dunn
Summary: High drug use at music festivals can lead to the direct release of illicit drugs into the environment, posing a potential threat. A study found significantly higher concentrations of illicit drugs in the Whitelake River downstream of Glastonbury Festival, indicating ongoing impact on aquatic life.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Stefania Angela Di Fusco, Roberta Rossini, Marco Flori, Luigi Pollarolo, Nadia Ingianni, Marco Malvezzi Caracciolo D'Aquino, Giuseppe Galati, Filippo Zilio, Annamaria Iorio, Fortunato Scotto di Uccio, Fabiana Luca, Michele Massimo Gulizia, Francesco Ciccirillo, Domenico Gabrielli, Furio Colivicchi
Summary: Recreational drug use can lead to coronary artery disease through various mechanisms, with an increasing number of young patients experiencing drug-related acute coronary syndrome. This position statement provides the most recent epidemiological data on acute coronary syndrome in cases of drug abuse, outlines the main pathophysiological mechanisms, management recommendations, and prognosis for these patients.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tran Thi Thanh Hue, Qiuda Zheng, Nguyen Thi Kieu Anh, Vu Ngan Binh, Ngo Quang Trung, Hoang Thu Trang, Pham Quoc Chinh, Luu Quang Minh, Phong K. Thai
Summary: Illicit drug use is a significant issue in Vietnam, but there is limited information available. This study utilized wastewater-based epidemiology to assess the prevalence of illicit drug use in an urban population of Vietnam. The findings reveal that methamphetamine has become the most commonly used drug, surpassing heroin.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arndis Sue Ching Love, Valpor Asgrimsson, Kristin Olafsdottir
Summary: Estimating illicit drug use on a community level through wastewater samples using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a reliable method for obtaining near real-time results. The study in Reykjavik from 2017 to 2020 found an increase in amphetamine and methamphetamine use, with amphetamine being the dominant stimulant and stable MDMA use. There was a significant decrease in cocaine use and an increase in cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The results by WBE aligned with other indicators such as seizure data and driving under the influence cases, successfully estimating temporal and spatial trends in illicit drug use.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Leslie W. Suen, Thibaut Davy-Mendez, Kathy T. LeSaint, Elise D. Riley, Phillip O. Coffin
Summary: This study characterized the rates, presentation, and management of emergency department visits related to cocaine and psychostimulant use, compared to opioid use. The findings showed that visits related to psychostimulants have increased significantly, and they often require interventions for acute cardiopulmonary and psychiatric complications.
BMC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Thomas L. Ter Laak, Erik Emke, Annemieke Benschop, Ton Nabben, Frederic Been
Summary: Drug consumption estimates are important for public health and understanding criminal activities. Wastewater analysis can be used to estimate drug consumption and markets. This study in Amsterdam found an increase in consumption of MDMA, cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine using wastewater analysis and other survey methods.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew Chappell, Bridget Armstrong, Emma Jay, Kaitlyn Phung, Sara McCormick, Susie Grigg, Ben Waite
Summary: Estimation of consumption of illicit drugs by wastewater-based epidemiology provides insights into community drug-use patterns. This study utilized wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor three illicit drugs in New Zealand and found that methamphetamine had the highest consumption rate, while cocaine had the lowest. Consumption rates also varied across different regions.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fahad Ahmed, Benjamin Tscharke, Jake W. O'Brien, Wayne D. Hall, Peter J. Cabot, P. Marcin Sowa, Saer Samanipour, Kevin V. Thomas
Summary: A wastewater-based epidemiology method was used to estimate analgesic consumption and assess pain burden in Australian communities. The concentration of analgesics in wastewater samples from 60 communities was analyzed, and the amount of drug consumed per day per 1000 inhabitants was estimated. The burden of pain treatment was categorized as mild to moderate or strong to severe pain, and a higher burden was observed in regional and remote areas. The correlation analysis showed that pain affects populations across socioeconomic groups. Australians spent approximately US $3.5 per day on analgesics. The study suggests that wastewater-based epidemiology can be an effective tool to estimate analgesic consumption and assess pain burden in communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Toshimi Nakajima, Mao Kuragano, Makoto Yamada, Ryo Sugimoto
Summary: This study compared the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to river nutrient budgets at nearshore and embayment scales, and found that SGD-derived nutrients become more important at larger spatial scales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Liu, Lei Zhang, Chongyang Zhang, Ziguang Chen, Jingguang Li
Summary: NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves used for household heating have become a significant source of indoor pollution in Chinese urban areas. The high indoor concentration of NO2 poses potential health risks to residents. It is urgently necessary to establish relevant regulations and implement emission reduction technologies to reduce NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Hans Peter H. Arp, Raoul Wolf, Sarah E. Hale, Sivani Baskaran, Juliane Gluege, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Ian T. Cousins, Harrie Timmer, Roberta Hofman-Caris, Anna Lennquist, Andre D. Bannink, Gerard J. Stroomberg, Rosa M. A. Sjerps, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, Jose Benito Quintana, Daniel Zahn, Herve Gallard, Tobias Mohr, Ivo Schliebner, Michael Neumann
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philomina Onyedikachi Peter, Binessi Edouard Ifon, Francois Nkinahamira, Kayode Hassan Lasisi, Jiangwei Li, Anyi Hu, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in sediments from Yundang Lagoon, China. The results show four distinct fluorescent components, with protein-like substances being the most prevalent. Additionally, the total fluorescence intensity and LREE concentrations exhibit a synchronized increase from Outer to Inner to Songbai Lake core sediments. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between DOM content and pollution levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Christine Alewell
Summary: The objective of this study is to incorporate soil hydraulic properties into the erodibility factor (K) of USLE-type models. By modifying and improving the existing equations for soil texture and permeability, the study successfully included information on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) into the calculation of K factor. Using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm, two independent K factor maps with different spatial resolutions were generated. The results show that the decrease in K factor values has a positive impact on the modeling of soil erosion rates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesmin Akter, Wendy J. M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Ilho Kim, Stuart L. Simpson, Phong Thai, Asja Korajkic, Warish Ahmed
Summary: The choice of workflow in wastewater surveillance has a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, while having minimal effects on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. Certain components in the workflow can be interchangeable, but factors such as buffer type, chloroform, and homogenization speed can affect the recovery of viruses and bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Luo, Xueting Yang, Diwei Wang, Hongmei Xu, Hongai Zhang, Shasha Huang, Qiyuan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: Atmospheric PM2.5, which can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The study found that both the mass concentration of PM2.5 and the DTT activity were higher during the heating season than during the nonheating season. Combustion sources were the primary contributors to DTT activity during the heating season, while secondary formation dominated during the nonheating season. The study also revealed that biomass burning had the highest inherent oxidation potential among all sources investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin L. Murphy, Leah R. Gerber, Chelsea M. Rochman, Beth Polidoro
Summary: Plastic pollution has devastating consequences for marine organisms. This study uses a trait-based framework to develop a vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. The index ranks 63 study species based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, providing valuable information for species monitoring and management priorities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenji Maurice, Amelia Bourceret, Sami Youssef, Stephane Boivin, Liam Laurent-Webb, Coraline Damasio, Hassan Boukcim, Marc-Andre Selosse, Marc Ducousso
Summary: Growing pressure from climate change and agricultural land use is destabilizing soil microbial community interactions. Little is known about microbial community resistance and adaptation to disturbances, hindering our understanding of recovery latency and implications for ecosystem functioning. This study found that anthropic disturbance and natural disturbance have different effects on the topology and stability of soil microbial networks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunhao Li, Yali Feng, Haoran Li, Yisong Yao, Chenglong Xu, Jinrong Ju, Ruiyu Ma, Haoyu Wang, Shiwei Jiang
Summary: Deep-sea mining poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health by disturbing sediment and transmitting metal ions through the food chain. This study developed a new regenerative adsorption material, OMN@SA, which effectively removes metal ions. The adsorption mechanism and performance of the material for metal ion fixation were investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Medici, Margherita Lavorgna, Marina Isidori, Chiara Russo, Elena Orlo, Giovanni Luongo, Giovanni Di Fabio, Armando Zarrelli
Summary: Valsartan, a widely used antihypertensive drug, has been detected in high concentrations in surface waters due to its unchanged excretion and incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This study investigated the degradation of valsartan and identified 14 degradation byproducts. The acute and chronic toxicity of these byproducts were evaluated in key organisms in the freshwater trophic chain.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Lin, Lianbao Chi, Qing Yuan, Busu Li, Mingbao Feng
Summary: This study investigated the photodegradation behavior and product formation of two representative pharmaceuticals in simulated estuary water. The study found that the formed transformation products of these pharmaceuticals have potential toxicity on marine organisms, including oxidative stress and damage to cellular components.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Fang, Dongdong Jiang, Ye He, Siyi Wu, Yuehong Li, Ziqi Zhang, Haoting Chen, Zixin Zheng, Yan Sun, Wenxiang Wang
Summary: This study revealed that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants led to decreased pregnancy rates, with PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO emerging as the four most prominent pollutants. Individuals aged 35 and above exhibited heightened susceptibility to pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman, Rashid Shamsuddin, Amin Abbasi, Mohaira Ahmad, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Abdul Sami, Hamad Almohamadi
Summary: In this study, inverse vulcanized polysulfides (IVP) were synthesized by reacting molten sulfur with 4-vinyl benzyl chloride, and then functionalized using N-methyl D-glucamine (NMDG). The functionalized IVP showed a high mercury adsorption capacity and a machine learning model was developed to predict the amount of mercury removed. Furthermore, the functionalized IVP can be regenerated and reused, providing a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Bonfiglio, Renata Sisto, Stefano Casciardi, Valeria Palumbo, Maria Paola Scioli, Erica Giacobbi, Francesca Servadei, Gerry Melino, Alessandro Mauriello, Manuel Scimeca
Summary: This study investigated the presence of aluminum in human colon cancer samples and its potential association with biological processes involved in cancer progression. Aluminum was found in tumor areas of 24% of patients and was associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell death. Additional analyses revealed higher tumor mutational burden and mutations in genes related to EMT and apoptosis in aluminum-positive colon cancers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity may improve strategies for the management of colon cancer patients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)