Historique
Article de Périodique
Illicit drugs in the environment (2009)
Auteur(s) :
ZUCCATO, E. ;
CASTIGLIONI, S.
Année
2009
Page(s) :
3965-3978
Sous-type de document :
Revue de la littérature / Literature review
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
PRO (Produits, mode d'action, méthode de dépistage / Substances, action mode, screening methods)
Thésaurus mots-clés
PRODUIT ILLICITE
;
ENVIRONNEMENT
;
EAUX USEES
;
ANALYSE CHIMIQUE
;
MESURES QUANTITATIVES
;
CONTAMINATION
Autres mots-clés
Résumé :
This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on illicit drugs as emerging environmental contaminants. Several studies have recently reported that illicit drugs are detectable in wastewater from municipal sewage treatment plants (STPs) and surface waters. These substances are excreted in urine and faeces unchanged or as active metabolites in high percentages after consumption and continuously discharged into domestic wastewaters. Residues of illicit drugs can therefore reach STPs in substantial amounts, escaping degradation, and are then released into surface waters. Environmental concentrations are low, but risks for human health and the environment cannot be excluded. Morphine, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy all have potent pharmacological activities, and their presence as complex mixtures in surface waters may be toxic to aquatic organisms. Levels of residues in untreated wastewater have been used to estimate illicit drug consumption in the population. Given that current epidemiological methods are indirect and possibly biased, this evidence-based approach offers a new tool for estimating drug abuse in real time.
Affiliation :
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Milan, Italy
Autre(s) lien(s) :
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40485706