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Stability of new psychoactive substances in crude wastewater.

Davies, B., Paul, R., Osselton, D. and Wooley, T., 2024. Stability of new psychoactive substances in crude wastewater. Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology. (In Press)

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DOI: 10.1007/s12024-024-00860-1

Abstract

Those involved in drug testing continue to grapple with the dynamic nature of emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) and their rapid infiltration into society. The challenge extends beyond merely detecting and measuring NPS using analytical tools; it also encompasses the complexities arising from the formation and presence of metabolites and degradation products. This study utilises liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry to investigate the stability of new psychoactive substances in wastewater. Seven NPS compounds including 25C-NBOMe, 5F-APINACA 4-hydroxyphenyl, AB-PINACA, APINACA 4-hydroxyphenyl, fentanyl, norfentanyl and MDPV, along with their corresponding internal standard, were examined. Reference material for each NPS compound was introduced into a wastewater sample from a Wessex water treatment plant. The sample was then exposed to four different environments: room temperature, refrigerator temperature, acidification to pH 2, and the introduction of sodium metabisulfite. The findings highlight the critical dependence of storage conditions on target analytes, emphasizing the paramount importance of the time elapsed between collection and analysis for NPS wastewater analysis. Notably, synthetic cannabinoids exhibit limited stability in wastewater whereas cathinone-like substances demonstrate greater stability. Furthermore, metabolites prove to be more stable in wastewater than the parent drug, suggesting that focusing on metabolite detection may be more favourable for future analysis.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:1547-769X
Uncontrolled Keywords:Wastewater; SPE; LC-ToF–MS; Stability; NPS
Group:Faculty of Science & Technology
ID Code:40172
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:16 Jul 2024 12:05
Last Modified:16 Jul 2024 12:05

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