RETRACTED: Illicit and licit drug contamination results on Turkish banknotes in three provinces of Turkey

Abstract

Illicit drugs represent the latest category of emerging environmental pollutants, giving rise to numerous health, social, and environmental problems. Assessing their concentration in various environmental matrices, such as sewage, surface water, and banknotes, provides an indirect means of estimating community-level consumption of illicit drugs and evaluating potential ecotoxicological effects associated with exposure. This study focused on the analysis of 14 illicit and licit drugs present 600 Turkish banknotes collected from three different provinces: Ankara, Adana, and Istanbul. The banknotes underwent preparation by a non-destructive and straightforward extraction method using methanol. A method was subsequently developed and validated for liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry analysis to detect and quantify the target analytes. The investigated substances included benzoylecgonine, cocaine, codeine, morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine, methyl 3,3-dimethyl-2-(1-(pent-4-en-1-yl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)butanoate, N-[1-(aminocarbonyl)-2,2-dimethylpropyl]-1-butyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide, tetrahydrocannabinol, pregabalin, ketamine, and tramadol. Our findings indicate that banknotes commonly circulated in the three cities were primarily contaminated with methamphetamine and cocaine. Although the contamination levels are not excessively high, the potential impact on human health and the environment should not be overlooked. Immediate attention is warranted due to the harmful effects of these contaminants on our environment.