Wastewater analysis offers objective and complementary information to illicit drug agencies by monitoring patterns of illicit drug consumption.In this study,wastewater samples from three different wastewater treatment...Wastewater analysis offers objective and complementary information to illicit drug agencies by monitoring patterns of illicit drug consumption.In this study,wastewater samples from three different wastewater treatment plants in Sydney,Australia were collected in March 2016.Ten targeted drugs were analysed and temporal and geographical analyses were performed to obtain a better understanding of the type and amount of illicit drugs consumed in Sydney in comparison with similar studies conducted around Australia and in Europe.Among the targeted drugs,methamphetamine was consumed the most,followed by cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine(MDMA).Weekly patterns were observed where a peak during the weekend was present.The geographical analysis showed differences between the regions targeted.This observation may be related to socio-demographic aspects.The comparison of our study to other data sources from Australia showed a high consumption of methamphetamine in Sydney and Western Australia.The comparison between Sydney and different European cities revealed a difference in consumption,which is in line with traditional market indicators.The information obtained through wastewater analysis provides complementary information regarding illicit drug consumption,the size,and the evolution of the illicit drug market.This,ultimately,will assist authorities in making informed decisions.展开更多
The effectiveness of three types of plastic bags used by the New South Wales Police Force for the storage of clandestine drug evidence has been investigated through a comparison of mechanical properties.The tensile an...The effectiveness of three types of plastic bags used by the New South Wales Police Force for the storage of clandestine drug evidence has been investigated through a comparison of mechanical properties.The tensile and tear properties of“as received”low-density polyethylene(LDPE)and poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC)bags do not show major differences such that one type would be favoured over the other.However,the mechanical properties of the bags once exposed to a range of chemicals routinely collected as drug evidence have been shown to be influenced as a result of different chemical interactions.Although an interaction of reagents/solvents with an additive within the LDPE bags is proposed to influence the mechanical properties of the bags,the change in properties has been shown to be less severe than that observed for the PVC bag,where softening and damage of the bags results due to absorption of reagents.展开更多
Research is essential for any field to move forward.It allows us to expand our body of knowledge and enables any discipline to advance its application and meet its overall purpose.This is of course also essential for ...Research is essential for any field to move forward.It allows us to expand our body of knowledge and enables any discipline to advance its application and meet its overall purpose.This is of course also essential for forensic science,a fundamentally research-based discipline,to develop and validate detection or examination methods and gather data and establish frameworks to understand forensic traces and their value to relevant stakeholders,such as law enforcement and the courts.展开更多
基金Marie Morelato would like to acknowledge the UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.Frederic Been acknowledges the Swiss National Science Foundation[SNSF_P2LAP2_164892]the Research Foundation-Flanders[FWO,project 12Y8518N]for his postdoctoral fellowshipas well as the INTERWASTE[grant number 734522]project funded by the European Commission[grant number Horizon 2020].
文摘Wastewater analysis offers objective and complementary information to illicit drug agencies by monitoring patterns of illicit drug consumption.In this study,wastewater samples from three different wastewater treatment plants in Sydney,Australia were collected in March 2016.Ten targeted drugs were analysed and temporal and geographical analyses were performed to obtain a better understanding of the type and amount of illicit drugs consumed in Sydney in comparison with similar studies conducted around Australia and in Europe.Among the targeted drugs,methamphetamine was consumed the most,followed by cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine(MDMA).Weekly patterns were observed where a peak during the weekend was present.The geographical analysis showed differences between the regions targeted.This observation may be related to socio-demographic aspects.The comparison of our study to other data sources from Australia showed a high consumption of methamphetamine in Sydney and Western Australia.The comparison between Sydney and different European cities revealed a difference in consumption,which is in line with traditional market indicators.The information obtained through wastewater analysis provides complementary information regarding illicit drug consumption,the size,and the evolution of the illicit drug market.This,ultimately,will assist authorities in making informed decisions.
文摘The effectiveness of three types of plastic bags used by the New South Wales Police Force for the storage of clandestine drug evidence has been investigated through a comparison of mechanical properties.The tensile and tear properties of“as received”low-density polyethylene(LDPE)and poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC)bags do not show major differences such that one type would be favoured over the other.However,the mechanical properties of the bags once exposed to a range of chemicals routinely collected as drug evidence have been shown to be influenced as a result of different chemical interactions.Although an interaction of reagents/solvents with an additive within the LDPE bags is proposed to influence the mechanical properties of the bags,the change in properties has been shown to be less severe than that observed for the PVC bag,where softening and damage of the bags results due to absorption of reagents.
文摘Research is essential for any field to move forward.It allows us to expand our body of knowledge and enables any discipline to advance its application and meet its overall purpose.This is of course also essential for forensic science,a fundamentally research-based discipline,to develop and validate detection or examination methods and gather data and establish frameworks to understand forensic traces and their value to relevant stakeholders,such as law enforcement and the courts.
