The first wastewater-based epidemiology study for alcohol monitoring in Cyprus: Temporal and spatial consumption trends from a one-year study

IF 8 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Science of the Total Environment Pub Date : 2025-07-21 DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180113

Magda Psichoudaki , Dimitrios Tzelios , Maria Savvidou , Christos Mina , Costas Michael , Despo Fatta-Kassinos

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Abstract

Recent studies conducted globally have identified a rising trend in alcohol consumption during the last years, generating a great concern, due to the negative consequences on human health and the broader effects on society. Monitoring of ethyl sulphate (EtS) by applying wastewater epidemiology (WBE) has been proven to be an effective technique for the assessment of alcohol use within a community. This work reports the results of a WBE-based study, conducted for the first time in the Republic of Cyprus, on alcohol consumption, throughout a one-year systematic monitoring. Daily influent wastewater samples from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), one serving part of the capital city and one a coastal touristic area, were collected every three days for one year, and EtS was determined by means of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The analysis revealed a relatively stable mean monthly alcohol consumption in the capital area, with daily consumption ranging from 0.31 to 10.60 mL/day/inh. In the coastal area, significant variations in alcohol consumption were observed, with tourist activity during the summer months being associated with nearly a tenfold increase in alcohol use compared to the winter months. Furthermore, four weekly campaigns were conducted for the determination of five stimulant illicit drugs. The results indicated a statistically significant association between alcohol and some stimulants, namely methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine. While this association does not imply direct causation or co-consumption, it highlights potential patterns of concurrent presence in wastewater.

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塞浦路斯第一个基于废水的酒精监测流行病学研究：一年期研究的时间和空间消费趋势

最近在全球进行的研究发现，在过去几年中，酒精消费呈上升趋势，由于对人类健康的负面影响和对社会的更广泛影响，引起了极大关注。应用废水流行病学（WBE）监测硫酸乙酯（EtS）已被证明是评估社区内酒精使用情况的一种有效技术。这项工作报告了一项基于世卫组织的研究的结果，该研究首次在塞浦路斯共和国进行了为期一年的系统监测，涉及酒精消费。从两个污水处理厂（一个服务于首都部分地区，另一个服务于沿海旅游区）收集每日进水废水样本，每三天收集一次，为期一年，并采用液相色谱串联质谱法测定et。分析显示，首都地区的月平均酒精消费量相对稳定，日消费量为0.31至10.60 mL/day/inh。在沿海地区，观察到酒精消费量的显著变化，与冬季相比，夏季的旅游活动与酒精使用量增加了近10倍有关。此外，每周进行四次运动，以确定五种兴奋剂非法药物。结果表明，酒精和一些兴奋剂，即甲基苯丙胺、MDMA和氯胺酮之间存在统计学上的显著关联。虽然这种关联并不意味着直接因果关系或共同消费，但它突出了废水中同时存在的潜在模式。

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来源期刊

Science of the Total Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

17.60

自引率

10.20%

发文量

8726

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Science of the Total Environment is an international journal dedicated to scientific research on the environment and its interaction with humanity. It covers a wide range of disciplines and seeks to publish innovative, hypothesis-driven, and impactful research that explores the entire environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. The journal's updated Aims & Scope emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary environmental research with broad impact. Priority is given to studies that advance fundamental understanding and explore the interconnectedness of multiple environmental spheres. Field studies are preferred, while laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant methodological advancements or mechanistic insights with direct relevance to the environment.