Can cocaine use be evaluated through analysis of wastewater? A nation‐wide approach conducted in Belgium

ABSTRACT Aims Cocaine is the second most‐used illicit drug world‐wide and its consumption is increasing significantly, especially in western Europe. Until now, the annual prevalence has been estimated indirectly by means of interviews. A recently introduced and direct nation‐wide approach based on measurements of the major urinary excreted metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, in wastewater is proposed. Design Wastewater samples from 41 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Belgium, covering approximately 3 700 000 residents, were collected. Each WWTP was sampled on Wednesdays and Sundays d... Mehr ...