Medición de drogas ilícitas en aguas residuales: estudio piloto en México / Assessing illicit drugs in wastewater: a pilot study in Mexico

Resumen: Objetivo: Monitorear el consumo de drogas a través de la medición de sus metabolitos en aguas residuales. Material y métodos: Se obtuvieron muestras de 31 plantas de tratamiento de agua residual y de 95 sitios con poblaciones específicas (38 escuelas, 42 unidades de tratamiento de adicciones y 15 centros de readaptación social). Usando cromatografía líquida de ultra-alta resolución, se midieron nueve metabolitos de seis drogas. Resultados: Ocho de nueve metabolitos de drogas fueron identificados en aguas residuales. Los metabolitos de marihuana (THC-COOH), cocaína (benzoilecgonina) y metanfetamina fueron identificados en escuelas, centros de readaptación social y de tratamiento de adicciones. En Nuevo Laredo, Culiacán y Torreón se encontraron los consumos per cápita más elevados de cocaína, marihuana, anfetamina y metanfetamina. Conclusiones: El monitoreo del uso de drogas a través de aguas residuales es factible en México y podría constituir un sistema de vigilancia para identificar cambios de su consumo en el tiempo.

Abstract: Objective: Monitor drug use through wastewater metabolite measurement. Materials and methods: Wastewater samples were obtained from 31 wastewater treatment plants and 95 sites with specific populations (38 schools, 42 units of addiction treatment and 15 penitentiaries). Using ultra high liquid chromatography, we measured nine metabolites from six drugs. Results: Eight out of nine drug metabolites were identified in the samples. Marijuana (THC-COOH), cocaine (benzoylecgonine) and methamphetamine were identified in schools, centers of addiction treatment and penitentiaries. Nuevo Laredo, Culiacan and Torreon had the highest consumption of cocaine, marijuana, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Conclusions: Monitoring drug use through wastewater is feasible in Mexico and could constitute a surveillance system to identify changes in the time.

Avaliação da presença de cocaína e anfetamina em amostras de sangue post mortem e de indivíduos vivos, utilizando técnica de microextração em fase líquida (HF-LPME) / Amphetamine, cocaine and tetrahydrocannabinol evaluation in blood samples of living people and post mortem blood samples using microextraction technique in liquid phase (HF-LPME)

Estima-se atualmente que mais de 5% da população mundial vem fazendo uso recreativo de algum tipo de substância psicoativa, sendo que o direito a esse uso é tema recorrente da sociedade contemporânea. Por apresentar riscos associados à saúde e a segurança das populações, o uso abusivo dessas substâncias tem instigado a toxicologia social na busca de respostas, com as quais se possa caracterizar, analisar e gerenciar esses riscos. Drogas de grande consumo no Brasil são a anfetamina, cocaína e Cannabis sativa. Esta tese desenvolveu uma nova metodologia para detectar e quantificar anfetamina, cocaína e tetrahidrocanabinol em sangue total, com uso de microextração em fase líquida via fibra de polipropileno (HF-LPME), seguida de cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massa (GC-MS). Trata-se de uma técnica que apresenta vantagens sobre as tradicionais, uma vez que demanda quantidades menores de solvente orgânico, diminuindo riscos e custos de processo. Também propôs um estudo com a aplicação dos métodos em 69 amostras de sangue de vivos e de post mortem, as quais foram obtidas por convênio com a superintendência da polícia técnica científica de São Paulo (SPTC/SP). Os métodos desenvolvidos foram validados de acordo com diretrizes internacionais de interesse forense. Como resultado da validação, os métodos desenvolvidos se mostraram precisos e exatos para anfetamina e cocaína. O limite de detecção da cocaína foi de 5 ng . mL-1 e o limite de quantificação de 10 ng . mL-1. Quanto a anfetamina, os limites de detecção e de quantificação foram de 5 ng . mL-1. A técnica de HF-LPME não foi aplicável ao tetraidrocanabinol (Δ9-THC). Como resultado da análise das amostras, 40% delas apresentaram resultados positivos para cocaína. Desses positivos, 35% foram oriundos das matrizes de sangue de vivos e 64% oriundos de sangue post mortem. Nenhuma delas apresentou resultado quantificável para anfetamina

It is currently estimated that more than 5% of the world's population has been doing recreational use of some kind of psychoactive substances and the legal right to such use is a recurring theme debated by contemporary society. Due to the risks associated with populations health and safety, the abusive use of these substances has been instigating by social toxicology to search for answers to characterize, analyze and manage these risks. Drugs of great consumption in Brazil are, amphetamine cocaine and marijuana. This thesis proposes to develop a new methodology to detect and quantify psychoactive drugs in whole blood with the use of liquid phase microextraction by polypropylene fiber (HFLPME), followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It is a technique that presents advantages compared with traditional ones, because of the smaller amounts demands of organic solvent, reducing risks and process costs. It also proposes a study with 69 blood samples taken from living persons and post mortem blood samples, which were obtained by agreement with the Superintendency of São Paulo Scientific Technical Police (SPTC / SP). The methods developed were validated according to international guidelines of forensic interest. As a result of the validation, the methods developed were precise and accurate for amphetamine and cocaine. The limit of cocaine detection was 5 ng . mL-1 and the limit of quantification was 10 ng . mL-1. As for amphetamine, the limits of detection and quantification were 5 ng . mL-1. The HF-LPME technique was not applicable to tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). As a result of the sample analysis, 40% of them presented positive results for cocaine. Of these, 35% were from blood samples taken from living persons and 64% from the post mortem blood samples. None of the samples presented quantifiable results for amphetamine

Simultaneous Determination of Three Kinds of Effective Constituents in Cannabis Plants by Reversed-phase HPLC / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To establish a high performance liquid chromatographic （HPLC） method for simultaneous determination of three effective constituents, including tetrahydrocannabinol （THC）, cannabidiol （CBD） and cannabinol （CBN） in Cannabis plants.@*METHODS@#A C₁₈ column was used in this study, and acetonitrile-phosphate buffer （0.015 mol/L KH₂PO₄） was used as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. At a detection wavelength of 220 mm, UV absorption spectra were collected at the wavelength range of 190-400 nm, and the spectra and retention time were counted as qualitative evidence.@*RESULTS@#THC, CBD and CBN could be well separated by this method. Three components had good linear relationship in the range of 0.4-40 μg/mL （R²≥0.999 3）. The recoveries were over 87%. The limits of detection were 1.8 ng, 2.0 ng and 1.3 ng, respectively. The relative standard deviation （RSD） were less than 5% for both inter-day and intra-day precisions.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Reversed-phase HPLC method is simple, rapid and accurate, and it is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative detection of THC, CBD and CBN in Cannabis plants.

Valoración de los efectos fisiológicos y neuroquímicos de altas concentraciones de tetrahidrocannabinol en modelos biológicos / Assessment physiological and neurochemical effects of high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol in biological models

El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar los efectos fisiológicos y neuroquímicos en 60 ratones machos cepas Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) en edad adulto-joven con pesos promedios de 25,45 ± 3,05 g, sometidos durante seis semanas a dosis del principio psicoactivo de la marihuana el Δ-9-tetrahidrocannabinol en concentraciones entre 4 - 20%. Se realizaron tomas de sangre retroorbital para evaluar parámetros hematológicos y bioquímicos antes, durante y post experiencia. Se monitorearon medidas tales como: peso, ingesta de agua, alimentos, actividad locomotora horizontal y vertical, entre otros. Al final de la experiencia se realizo autopsia y toma de muestras de regiones cerebrales, para medir niveles de neurotransmisores aminoacidicos y dopamina. Estos resultados permiten concluir que altas concentraciones del principio psicoactivo de la marihuana hacen más dependiente al consumidor con los consecuentes daños fisiológicos y neurológicos. Esto lleva a que cada vez se necesite más droga para producir el mismo efecto.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the physiological and neurochemical effects in 60 (Naval Medical Research Institute) NMRI male mice strains in young adult - age average weight 25.45 ± 3.05 g, underwent six weeks at doses of the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana the Δ -9-tetrahydrocannabinol in concentrations between 4-20 %. Retroorbital blood shots were conducted to evaluate hematological and biochemical parameters before, during and post experience. Weight, water intake, food, horizontal and vertical locomotors activity include: measures such as monitored. At the end of the experience autopsy was conducted and sampling of brain regions to measure levels of amino acid neurotransmitters and dopamine. These results suggest that high concentrations of the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana consumers become more dependent with consequent physiological and neurological damage. This leads to more and more drugs is needed to produce the same effect.