BOSTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. health officials may soon be able to make estimates on illegal drug use in communities by testing for drug residues in sewage.
The approach could provide a fast, reliable and inexpensive way to track drug trends at the local, regional or state levels -- eliminating the need to rely on surveys, medical records and crime reports to assess a community’s drug abuse problem -- said lead researcher Jennifer Field of Oregon State University, who is working with researchers at the University of Washington.
Preliminary tests conducted in 10 U.S. cities show the method can simultaneously quantify methamphetamine and metabolites of cocaine and marijuana, and legal drugs such as methadone, oxycodone and ephedrine, the researchers said.
Field said the new screening method under development in her lab improves upon the utility of the laboratory tools currently used to identify traces and metabolites of drugs in waterways.
The findings were presented in Boston at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
