Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 28 No 5 (2024): 975 - 984

 

ESTIMATION OF DRUG CONSUMPTION IN KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA VIA WASTEWATER-BASED DRUG EPIDEMIOLOGY

 

(Anggaran Penggunaan Dadah di Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia Melalui

Epidemiologi Dadah Berasaskan Air Kumbahan)

 

Mohammad Azimuddin Izani1, Nurul `Azyyati Sabri1, Kooi Yeong Khaw2, Iekhsan Othman3, and Joo Hui Tay1*

 

1Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah,

Lebuhraya Persiaran Tun Khalil Yaakob, 26300 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

2School of Pharmacy,

Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia

3Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences,

Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: tayjoohui@umpsa.edu.my

 

 

Received: 7 June 2024; Accepted: 24 July 2024; Published:  27 October 2024

 

 

Abstract

The wastewater-based drug epidemiology (WBDE) methodology has been extensively employed to estimate drug consumption in diverse communities worldwide, serving as a valuable supplement to conventional epidemiological approaches. However, such methodology has not been employed to study drug consumption rates in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. In this study, we aimed to estimate drug consumption rates in Kuantan, Pahang utilizing the WBDE methodology. Untreated wastewater samples were collected from the 14 largest wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Kuantan between August and November 2021. Excreted residues of amphetamine (AMP), methamphetamine (METH), 3,4-methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and morphine (MOR) were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. AMP, METH, MDMA and MDA were detected at mean concentrations ranging from below detection limit (<LOD) to 1890 ng/L, while MOR was not found in any of the samples. METH was the most prevalent illicit drug in Kuantan, with a total estimated mean consumption rate of 7.04 mg/day/1000 people. Although the estimated consumption rate may not be directly comparable to other research due to the decentralized design of WWTPs in the studied area, our findings have provided insights into hotspots and/or high-risk areas for drug usage in the serviced community and a deeper understanding of METH and MDMA consumption patterns across different WWTPs. This information would be valuable for local authorities in planning targeted solutions to address these issues.

 

Keywords: wastewater, illicit drugs, methamphetamine, Malaysia, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

 

Abstrak

Metodologi epidemiologi dadah berasaskan air sisa (WBDE) telah digunakan secara meluas untuk menganggarkan penggunaan dadah dalam pelbagai komuniti di seluruh dunia, sebagai maklumat tambahan yang berharga kepada pendekatan epidemiologi secara konvensional. Walau bagaimanapun, kaedah sedemikian belum digunakan untuk mengkaji kadar penggunaan dadah di Pantai Timur Semenanjung Malaysia. Dalam kajian ini, kami bertujuan untuk menganggarkan penggunaan dadah di Kuantan, Pahang dengan menggunakan kaedah WBDE. Sampel air sisa yang belum dirawat diambil daripada 14 loji rawatan air sisa kumbahan (WWTP) yang terbesar di Kuantan di antara Ogos dan November 2021. Sisa residu amfetamin (AMP), metamfetamin (METH), 3,4-metilenadioksimetamfetamin (MDMA), 3,4- metilenadioksimamfetamin (MDA), dan morfin (MOR) dalam sampel air sisa dianalisis menggunakan kromatografi cecair ditambah dengan spektrometri jisim gandaan tiga (LC-MS/MS). AMP, METH, MDMA dan MDA dikesan pada kepekatan di bawah had pengesanan (<LOD) hingga 1890 ng/L, manakala MOR tidak ditemui dalam mana-mana sampel. METH merupakan dadah berbahaya yang paling lazim ditemui di Kuantan, dengan jumlah anggaran kadar penggunaan purata sebanyak 7.04 mg/hari/1000 orang. Walaupun anggaran kadar penggunaan ini mungkin tidak boleh dibandingkan dengan penyelidikan yang lain disebabkan rekabentuk WWTP yang ternyahpusat di dalam kawasan kajian, penemuan kami telah memberikan pemahaman tentang kawasan titik panas dan/atau kawasan berisiko tinggi untuk penggunaan dadah dalam komuniti perkhidmatan dan pemahaman yang lebih mendalam bagi penggunaan METH dan MDMA di WWTP yang berbeza. Maklumat ini amat berguna untuk pihak berkuasa tempatan di dalam merancang penyelesaian yang disasarkan untuk menangani isu-isu ini.

 

Kata kunci: air sisa, dadah terlarang, metamfetamin, Malaysia, kromatografi cecair-spektrometri jisim tandem

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