Estimation of the prevalence of substance use by wastewater-based epidemiology study in four cities of Guangdong, China.
PloS one January 1, 2025 Wei Wang, Dan Wang, Li Liu et al. 3 citations
Methamphetamine was the most consumed drug in four cities of Guangdong Province, with consumption ranging from 65 to 223 mg per 1000 inhabitants per day, followed by heroin (19-55 mg/1000 inh/d), codeine (7-20 mg/1000 inh/d), and ketamine (1-13 mg/1000 inh/d). Prevalence rates of methamphetamine, heroin, and ketamine across the cities were 0.149%-0.411%, 0.003%-0.019%, and 0.003%-0.196%, respectively. Between 2023 and 2024, heroin prevalence showed a downward trend, while methamphetamine and ketamine prevalence increased. Cocaine was detected in only two wastewater treatment plants, and MDMA in two separate plants. The analysis of wastewater samples from 67 treatment plants over one year identified six of ten monitored illicit drugs.