1. New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in Pooled Urine and Wastewater:
A Review
Iria González Mariño
29th February 2016

2. Early Warning Advisory on NPS. UNODC 2015
NPS - Classification
Early Warning Advisory on NPS. UNODC 2015

3. NPS – Number
NPS in Europe. An update from the EU Early Warning System. EMCDDA 2015

4. NPS – Seizures
NPS in Europe. An update from the EU Early Warning System. EMCDDA 2015

5. Urine from individual consumers Pooled urine from portable urinals
NPS – Alternative monitoring
Urine from individual consumers
Pooled urine from portable urinals
Wastewater

6.      NPS – Alternative monitoring Urine from individual consumers
Not practical at population/subpopulation levels
Pooled urine from portable urinals
Limited to subpopulations (although, actually, the part of a population most likely to contribute to the consumpion of NPS in a specific location)
Only published studies from UK  
Wastewater
Extensible to “regional” populations
Limited usefulness in the case of NPS due to limited information on their pharmacokinetics and metabolism; low prevalence of consumption -> low concentrations in wastewater; lack of information on their stability  

7. 3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP)
NPS in Pooled Urine
Synth. cathinones
Synth. cannabinoids
Phenethylamines
Piperazines
Ketamine analogs
1 portable urinal at a large nightclub in South London
4 pooled samples at different times over one weekend in July 2011
NPS
C median (ng/mL)
Metabolites
Mephedrone
2965.1 +
3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP)
123.7
2-aminoindane (2-AI)
27.2

8. Frequency of detection Methylhexanamine (DMAA) Methiopropamine (MPA)
NPS in Pooled Urine
Synth. cathinones
Synth. cannabinoids
Phenethylamines
Piperazines
Ketamine analogs
12 portable urinals distributted in Westminster (Central London)
1 sample per urinal after a 12-h period on a Saturday night in March 2012
NPS
Frequency of detection
(n. of urinals)
Metabolites
Hordenine 12
Methylhexanamine (DMAA) 9
Mephedrone 6
Methiopropamine (MPA) 2 +
Methoxetamine (MXE) 1

9. NPS in Pooled Urine
Synth. cathinones
Synth. cannabinoids
Phenethylamines
Piperazines
Ketamine analogs
12 portable urinals distributed accross Central London
1 sample per urinal, once a month for 6 consecutive months
NPS
Frequency of detection
(n. of months)
Mephedrone 6
Methylhexanamine (DMAA)
Methiopropamine (MPA) 5
Pipradrol 4
Cathinone
5-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran (5-APB) 3
4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC)

10. NPS in Pooled Urine
Synth. cathinones
Synth. cannabinoids
Phenethylamines
Piperazines
Ketamine analogs
4 portable urinals in central locations within 9 UK cities
1 sample per urinal after a 12-h period on a Saturday night in April 2014
NPS
Frequency of detection
(n. of cities)
Mephedrone 5
Methiopropamine (MPA) 3
Methylhexanamine (DMAA) 2
Methoxetamine (MXE)
3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP) 1
Benzylpiperazine (BZP)
Pentedrone
Methylone
Glaucine

11. NPS in Wastewater

12. NPS in Wastewater

13. NPS in Wastewater

14. 2 weeks/month in May&Nov 2012 <LOQ-2 mg/day/1000 inh (1 city)
NPS in Wastewater
Compound
Australia UK
Finland
Belgium&
Switzerland
Italy
Adelaida
Cambridge
10 cities
9 cities
6 cities
17 cities
6-8 weeks/year over
3 days
2 weeks/month in May&Nov 2012
8 days in August 2012
some days in 2013,
2 weeks in 2014
7 days/year over
Methcathinone
11-23 mg/w/1000 inh
253 µg/L
Mephedrone
<LOQ-15 mg/w/1000 inh
549 µg/L
1-24 ng/L
(2 cities)
Methylone
<LOQ-22 mg/w/1000 inh
traces occasionally
n.d.-2 ng/L
Ethylone
<LOQ (3 cities)
Butylone
3 µg/L
<LOQ (2 cities)
MDPV
<LOQ-9 mg/w/1000 inh
1-20 mg/day/1000 inh (2 cities)
<LOQ-2 mg/day/1000 inh (1 city)
BZP
<LOQ-275 mg/w/1000 inh
TFMPP
1-30 mg/w/1000 inh
4-FPP
98 µg/L
MBZP
6 µg/L
4-MEOPP
8 µg/L
MXE
n.d.-12 ng/L
PMMA

15. 5 WWTPs in Santorini Island JWH-018 N-5-hydroxypentyl
NPS in Wastewater
Compound
Norway
Greece
Oslo, Hamar, Bergen
5 WWTPs in Santorini Island
3 days in July 2012
7 days in July 2013
JWH-018 N-5-hydroxypentyl
49-62 mg/day/1000 inh
JWH-122
<LOQ
n.d.-4 ng/L
JWH-210
CP47, 497
<LOQ-305 ng/L
α-PVP
n.d.-7 ng/L
Synth. cathinones
Synth. cannabinoids
Phenethylamines
Piperazines
Ketamine analogs
7 Synthetic cathinones
3 Synthetic cannabinoids + 1 metabolite
5 Piperazines
1 Phenethylamine
1 Ketamine analog
4 Synthetic cathinones
No Synthetic cannabinoids detected!!
2 Piperazines
3 Phenethylamines
1 Ketamine analog
4 Other substances

16. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION