Presence of Illicit Drugs in the Sarno River (Campania Region, Italy)

Abstract

The presence of illicit drugs and their metabolites in surface waters has to be\rconsidered a new type of hazard, still unknown, for both the human health and\rthe aquatic ecosystem, due to the potent\rpharmacological activities of all the illicit drugs. Our research was aimed at\revaluating the presence of illicit drugs in the Sarno River (Campania region,\rItaly), crossing a densely populated area, the basin of the Sarno River, one of\rthe largest and most important economic areas in Campania region, famous for\rthe presence of zones with high landscape-environmental value. The drugs\rselected for this study were the most used in Campania region. The presence of\rillicit drugs in surface water was analyzed by a selective multi-residue assay\rbased on liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry. The analysis showed\rthe presence of all the illicit drugs investigated: cocaine and its main\rmetabolites (benzoylecgonine, nor-benzoylecgonine), morphine, THC-COOH and\rcodeine; cocaine was the most abundant illicit drug. The presence of illicit\rdrugs and their metabolites in the Sarno River suggests new potential risk for\rthe basin’s inhabitants, using water in the food chain, via field irrigation\rand animal feed, and for the health of the\raquatic fauna.