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Illicit Drugs and Metabolites in the Llobregat River Basin

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The Llobregat

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 21))

Abstract

Recently, the study of illicit drugs and metabolites in the aquatic environment has become a matter of scientific interest. An increasing number of studies have been carried out worldwide in this area of research in the last years. The Llobregat River basin has been one of the investigated areas in Spain. Its water quality has been shown to be affected by the presence of this type of emerging contaminants, often to a larger extent than other rivers, due to its marked Mediterranean character and urban and industrial pressures. This chapter reviews the occurrence of illicit drugs and their metabolites in both wastewaters and surface waters along the Llobregat River basin, and the analytical methodologies developed for their determination. Measured levels of these substances in the Llobregat River basin are compared with the levels found in other Spanish and European areas. Since treated wastewaters constitute the main source of illicit drugs and metabolites to the natural receiving waters, and surface waters are used for water supply purposes, the reported removal of these substances in wastewater treatment plants and drinking water treatment plants along the basin is also reviewed. Finally, the use of influent wastewater levels to estimate illicit drug use in riverine populations is also discussed.

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Abbreviations

6ACM:

6-Acetyl-morphine

ACN:

Acetonitrile

AM:

1-Phenylpropan-2-amine or amphetamine

BE:

Benzoylecgonine

CAS:

Conventional activated sludge

CE:

Cocaethylene

COC:

Cocaine

CODE:

Codeine

DUI:

Drug use indicator

DWTP:

Drinking water treatment plant

EDDP:

2-Ethylene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine

EPH:

Ephedrine

ESI:

Electrospray

FENTA:

Fentanyl

HER:

Heroin

IS:

Internal standard

KETA:

Ketamine

LC:

Liquid chromatography

LOQ:

Limit of quantification

LSD:

Lysergic acid diethylamide

MA:

N-Methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine or methamphetamine

MDA:

3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine

MDEA:

3,4-Methylenedioxyethamphetamine

MDMA:

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ecstasy

MeOH:

Methanol

METH:

Methadone

MOR:

Morphine

MS:

Mass spectrometry

MS/MS:

Tandem mass spectrometry

nor-CODE:

Nor-codeine

nor-LSD:

Nor-LSD and nor-iso-LSD

nor-MOR:

Nor-morphine

OH-THC:

11-Hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol

O-OH-LSD:

2-Oxo-3-hydroxy LSD

PCP:

Phencyclidine

QqLIT:

Hybrid quadrupole-linear ion trap

QqQ:

Triple quadrupole

RO:

Reverse osmosis

RSD:

Relative standard deviations

SPE:

Solid phase extraction

SRM:

Selective reaction monitoring

SW:

Surface water

THC:

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

THC-COOH:

11-Nor-9-carboxy- Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol

UF:

Ultrafiltration

UPLC:

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography

WW:

Wastewater

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects CGL2007-64551/HID and Consolider-Ingenio 2010 CSD2009-00065) and it reflects only the authors’ view. Nicola Mastroianni acknowledges the CSIC for the JAE predoctoral grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, (IDAEA-CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Cristina Postigo, Nicola Mastroianni, Miren López de Alda & Damià Barceló

  2. Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Parc Científic i Tecnològic de la Universitat de Girona, Edifici H2O, 17003, Girona, Spain

    Damià Barceló

Authors
  1. Cristina Postigo
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  2. Nicola Mastroianni
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  3. Miren López de Alda
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  4. Damià Barceló
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miren López de Alda .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. of the University of Girona, Catalan Institute for Water Research (IC, Scientific and Technological Park, Emili Grahit 101, Girona, 17003, Spain

    Sergi Sabater

  2. , Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/ Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Antoni Ginebreda

  3. , Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Damià Barceló

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Postigo, C., Mastroianni, N., de Alda, M.L., Barceló, D. (2012). Illicit Drugs and Metabolites in the Llobregat River Basin. In: Sabater, S., Ginebreda, A., Barceló, D. (eds) The Llobregat. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 21. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2012_146

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