Wastewater-based monitoring of 2-fluoro-deschloroketamine abuse from 2019 to 2021 in a southern Chinese province.
The Science of the total environment June 20, 2022 Xiqing Li, Lizhou Feng, Xiaolin Fan et al. 12 citations
2-fluoro-deschloroketamine (FDCK), a ketamine analog and new psychoactive substance, was monitored in wastewater from a southern Chinese province for the first time. In 2019, average FDCK loads in the province exceeded peak ketamine loads in most major Chinese cities in 2014, and FDCK became the predominant synthetic drug. Consumption dropped sharply in 2020 and 2021 after proactive police actions, yet FDCK remained the most consumed drug by 2021, suggesting it persisted despite enforcement and may have similar or improved psychoactive effects relative to ketamine. The findings highlight the need for wastewater-based monitoring of FDCK abuse in other regions.