Data triangulation in the context of opioids monitoring via wastewater analyses

Béen, Frederic; Benaglia, Lisa; Lucía, Sonia; Gervasoni, Jean-Pierre; Esseiva, Pierre; Delémont, Olivier

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.03.022

Cited by 45 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Wastewater samples were analysed using validated liquid-chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric methods. Details on the analytical procedures can be found in (samples from Germany), (Castiglioni et al, 2006) (Lugano), (Been et al, 2015) (Chur, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchatel and Sion) and (Berset et al, 2010) (Basel, Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen, Zurich, Winterthur and Liechtenstein (Bendern)). All laboratories are involved in the multi-city study published by the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2015b) and the analytical performance of methods used were assured by the participation in external interlaboratory exercises.…”

Section: Wastewater Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Average daily population normalised loads (concentrations multiplied by daily wastewater flows and divided by the number of inhabitants), back-calculations (daily consumption of parent compound based on estimated loads and excretion data) and the associated errors were estimated for each city using Monte Carlo simulations, following existing procedures (Been et al, 2015;Jones et al, 2014). The parameters used are reported in Tables 2 and 3.…”

Section: Wastewater Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The last decade has seen the emergence and refinement of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), which relies on quantitative measurement of specific biomarkers of illicit drug use in wastewater. Presented as a complementary approach to current surveillance methods (Amundsen and Reid, 2014;Been et al, 2015;Bramness et al, 2014;Reid et al, 2012Reid et al, , 2011, WBE has received much attention. Although further developments will most probably refine it in the near future, WBE already enables the gathering of unique spatio-temporal information about consumption (Ort et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing geographical differences in illicit drug consumption—A comparison of results from epidemiological and wastewater data in Germany and Switzerland

Béen

Bijlsma

Benaglia

et al. 2016

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

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Background: Wastewater analysis is an innovative approach that allows monitoring illicit drug use at the community level. This study focused on investigating geographical differences in drug consumption by comparing epidemiological, crime and wastewater data. Methods: Wastewater samples were collected in 19 cities across Germany and Switzerland during one week, covering a population of approximately 8.1 million people. Self-report data and consumption offences for the investigated areas were used for comparison and to investigate differences between the indicators. Results: Good agreement between data sources was observed for cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants, whereas substantial discrepancies were observed for cocaine. In Germany, an important distinction could be made between Berlin, Dortmund and Munich, where cocaine and particularly amphetamine were more prevalent, and Dresden, where methamphetamine consumption was clearly predominant. Cocaine consumption was relatively homogenous in the larger urban areas of Switzerland, although prevalence and offences data suggested a more heterogeneous picture. Conversely, marked regional differences in amphetamine and methamphetamine consumption could be highlighted. Conclusions: Combining the available data allowed for a better understanding of the geographical differences regarding prevalence, typology and amounts of substances consumed. For cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants, the complementarity of survey, police and wastewater data could be highlighted, although notable differences could be identified when considering more stigmatised drugs (i.e., cocaine and heroin).Understanding illicit drug consumption at the national scale remains a difficult task, yet this research illustrates the added value of combining complementary data sources to obtain a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the situation.

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Section: Wastewater Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Wastewater Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Assessing geographical differences in illicit drug consumption—A comparison of results from epidemiological and wastewater data in Germany and Switzerland

Béen

Bijlsma

Benaglia

et al. 2016

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

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“…wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), has been presented as a complementary data source to other monitoring tools such as surveys, treatment demand and law enforcement data. The approach has shown great progress, and recent efforts have been put in data triangulation with other sources (Been et al, 2015(Been et al, , 2016 and the statistical analysis of the data produced (Salvatore et al, 2015), especially in large comparison studies. Despite several limitations, it has shown clear advantages, which have been widely recognized EMCDDA, 2015a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of illicit drug use in the main cities of Colombia by means of urban wastewater analysis

Bijlsma

Botero-Coy

Rincón

et al. 2016

Science of The Total Environment

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Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) relies on the principle that traces of compounds, which a population is exposed to or consume, are excreted unchanged or as metabolites in urine and/or feces, and ultimately end up in the sewer network. Measuring target metabolic residues i.e. biomarkers in raw urban wastewater allows identifying the exposure or use of substances of interest in a community. Up to date, the most popular application of WBE is the estimation of illicit drug use and studies have been made mainly across Europe, which has allowed estimating and comparing drug use in many European cities. However, until now a comprehensive study applying WBE on the most frequently consumed illicit drugs has not been performed in South American countries. In this work, we applied this approach to samples from Colombia, selecting two of the most populated cities: Bogotá and Medellin. Several biomarkers were selected to estimate drug use of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), heroin and ketamine. Composite samples (24-h) were collected at the corresponding municipal wastewater treatment plants. Sample treatment was performed at location by applying solid-phase extraction (SPE). Before SPE, the samples were spiked with appropriate isotope labeled internal standards. In parallel, samples (spiked with the analytes under study at two concentration levels) were also processed for quality control. Analysis of influent wastewater was made by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, with triple quadrupole analyzer. Data shown in this paper reveal a high use of cocaine by the population of the selected Colombian cities, particularly from Medellin, while the use of other illicit drugs were low. The relevance of using quality control samples, particularly in collaborative studies, as those presented in this work, where research groups from different countries participate and where the samples had to be shipped overseas, is highlighted in this paper.

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“…No single measure can provide a full picture of regional drug use and current trends [10,11]. A multi-indicator approach is required, incorporating commensurate data such as population surveys and police data [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Several of the previous comparisons of wastewater data with other indicators of drug consumption have been limited by the single week of sampling issue.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of trends in wastewater‐based data and traditional epidemiological indicators of stimulant consumption in three locations

et al. 2019

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Aims To compare long‐term trends in wastewater data with other indicators of stimulant use in three locations and to test the reliability of estimates based on 1 week of sampling. Design Comparison of trends in quantities (‘loads’) of stimulants or their metabolites in wastewater with trends in other indicators of stimulant use (e.g. treatment, police, population survey data). Setting and Participants Populations in Oslo (Norway), South‐East Queensland (Australia) and Eindhoven (the Netherlands). Measurements Wastewater data were modelled for MDMA (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine), benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine), amphetamine and methamphetamine in Oslo; benzoylecgonine in Eindhoven; and methamphetamine in South‐East Queensland. Choice of stimulants modelled in each region was primarily determined by availability of useable data. Findings In Oslo, wastewater data, driving under the influence of drugs statistics and seizure data all suggested increasing MDMA use between 2009 and 2017. In South‐East Queensland, there was an estimated 31.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 29.4–32.9%] annual increase in daily loads of methamphetamine in wastewater between 2009 and 2016, compared with a 14.1% (95% CI = 10.9–17.3%) annual increase in seizures. Some of the increase in wastewater can be explained by increased purity. In Eindhoven, there was no evidence of a change in cocaine consumption from wastewater, but a reduction was observed in numbers in treatment for cocaine use from 2012 to 2017. In approximately half the cases examined in Oslo, credible intervals around estimates of annual average loads from a regression model versus estimates based on a single week of sampling did not overlap. Conclusions Long‐term trends in loads of stimulants in wastewater appear to be broadly consistent with trends in other indicators of stimulant use in three locations. Wastewater data should be interpreted alongside epidemiological indicators and purity data. One week of wastewater sampling may not be sufficient for valid inference about drug consumption.

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Data triangulation in the context of opioids monitoring via wastewater analyses

Cited by 45 publications

References 35 publications

Assessing geographical differences in illicit drug consumption—A comparison of results from epidemiological and wastewater data in Germany and Switzerland

Assessing geographical differences in illicit drug consumption—A comparison of results from epidemiological and wastewater data in Germany and Switzerland

Estimation of illicit drug use in the main cities of Colombia by means of urban wastewater analysis

A comparison of trends in wastewater‐based data and traditional epidemiological indicators of stimulant consumption in three locations

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