Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Wastewater-based Estimation of Substances Discharged at the Rest Areas along the State Highways in Kentucky
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Chemistry
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Bikram Subedi, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
The increasing presence of both licit and illicit stimulants have caused serious consequences on public health and is a continuous threat to communities across the United States. Despite evidence of drug-involved traffic incidents along the interstate highways, this report represents the first comprehensive and quantitative report of drugs discharged at the rest areas along the interstate highways. In this National Institute of Justice-funded study, the amounts and consumption rates of various discharged drugs including stimulants, opioids, and prescription antipsychotics are being measured in raw wastewater collected from five rest areas and a truck servicing facility using a state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technique. Three stimulants (cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamine), two opioids (hydrocodone and tramadol), THC metabolite, and four antidepressants (venlafaxine, citalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline) were detected in all of the collected wastewater samples in the early phases of the project. Methamphetamine was the most prevalent stimulant (40.0-1240 mg/d) followed by the cocaine metabolite (9.18-385 mg/d) and amphetamine (14.9-97.9 mg/d). The rest area users normalized methamphetamine discharge in Christian County rest area (I-24E) was 1.8 folds higher than in Whitehaven rest area (I-24W) and 7.8 folds higher than in the Laurel County truck service facility (I-75). The significantly higher ratio of cocaine and its metabolite (>1.0) found in the Whitehaven rest area suggested the possibility of a direct discharge of cocaine in two select days in October. Overall, we established a unique collaboration among the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Murray State University and the University of Kentucky.
Spring Scholars Week 2022 Event
Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Wastewater-based Estimation of Substances Discharged at the Rest Areas along the State Highways in Kentucky
The increasing presence of both licit and illicit stimulants have caused serious consequences on public health and is a continuous threat to communities across the United States. Despite evidence of drug-involved traffic incidents along the interstate highways, this report represents the first comprehensive and quantitative report of drugs discharged at the rest areas along the interstate highways. In this National Institute of Justice-funded study, the amounts and consumption rates of various discharged drugs including stimulants, opioids, and prescription antipsychotics are being measured in raw wastewater collected from five rest areas and a truck servicing facility using a state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technique. Three stimulants (cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamine), two opioids (hydrocodone and tramadol), THC metabolite, and four antidepressants (venlafaxine, citalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline) were detected in all of the collected wastewater samples in the early phases of the project. Methamphetamine was the most prevalent stimulant (40.0-1240 mg/d) followed by the cocaine metabolite (9.18-385 mg/d) and amphetamine (14.9-97.9 mg/d). The rest area users normalized methamphetamine discharge in Christian County rest area (I-24E) was 1.8 folds higher than in Whitehaven rest area (I-24W) and 7.8 folds higher than in the Laurel County truck service facility (I-75). The significantly higher ratio of cocaine and its metabolite (>1.0) found in the Whitehaven rest area suggested the possibility of a direct discharge of cocaine in two select days in October. Overall, we established a unique collaboration among the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Murray State University and the University of Kentucky.