The use of wastewater analysis in forensic intelligence:drug consumption comparison between Sydney and different European cities

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.

Could wastewater analysis be a useful tool for China?——A review

Analysing wastewater samples is an innovative approach that overcomes many limitations of traditional surveys to identify and measure a range of chemicals that were consumed by or exposed to people living in a sewer catchment area. First conceptualised in 2001, much progress has been made to make wastewater analysis（WWA） a reliable and robust tool for measuring chemical consumption and/or exposure. At the moment, the most popular application of WWA, sometimes referred as sewage epidemiology, is to monitor the consumption of illicit drugs in communities around the globe, including China. The approach has been largely adopted by law enforcement agencies as a device to monitor the temporal and geographical patterns of drug consumption. In the future, the methodology can be extended to other chemicals including biomarkers of population health（e.g. environmental or oxidative stress biomarkers, lifestyle indicators or medications that are taken by different demographic groups） and pollutants that people are exposed to（e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,perfluorinated chemicals, and toxic pesticides）. The extension of WWA to a huge range of chemicals may give rise to a field called sewage chemical-information mining（SCIM） with unexplored potentials. China has many densely populated cities with thousands of sewage treatment plants which are favourable for applying WWA/SCIM in order to help relevant authorities gather information about illicit drug consumption and population health status. However, there are some prerequisites and uncertainties of the methodology that should be addressed for SCIM to reach its full potential in China.

Impact of HIV on the health-related quality of life in youth with perinatally acquired HIV

Background Studies investigating health-related quality of life(HRQoL)in youth with perinatally acquired HIV(PHIV+)are scarce.This study aimed to compare HRQoL of PHIV+to sociodemographic-matched youth not living with HIV(HIV-),Spanish general youth population,and to explore associations between sociodemographic variables,drug consumption,and HRQoL.Methods PHIV+youth were randomly selected from CoRISpe database(Cohort of the Spanish Pediatric HIV Network).HRQoL was evaluated by SF-12v2.Results Thirty-nine PHIV+youth(mean age:23.36 years,SD=3.83)and thirty-nine HIV-youth(mean age:22.97 years,SD=3.80)participated in this study.PHIV+obtained lower scores in SF-12 physical health subscale(PCS)than HIV-(P=0.001)and Spanish general youth population(P=0.006).PHIV+had lower scores on the mental health subscale(MCS)than the Spanish general youth population(P<0.001).PHIV+who were at school obtained better scores than those were not at school.PHIV+youth who had used cocaine and cannabis had lower scores in MCS(P=0.002).Conclusions There is a need for HRQoL management in the associated medical follow-up.