Sewer Water Gives Glimpse Into Drug Use

Oregon State Researchers Sampled Wastewater Streams In 10 U.S. Cities

(AP)  Researchers have figured out how to give an entire community a drug test using just a teaspoon of wastewater from a city's sewer plant.

The test wouldn't be used to finger any single person as a drug user. But it would help federal law enforcement and other agencies track the spread of dangerous drugs, like methamphetamines, across the country.

Oregon State University scientists tested 10 unnamed American cities for remnants of drugs, both legal and illegal, from wastewater streams. They were able to show that they could get a good snapshot of what people are taking.

"It's a community urinalysis," said Caleb Banta-Green, a University of Washington drug abuse researcher who was part of the Oregon State team. The scientists presented their results Tuesday at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

Two federal agencies have taken samples from U.S. waterways to see if drug testing a whole city is doable, but they haven't gotten as far as the Oregon researchers.

One of the early results of the new study showed big differences in methamphetamine use city to city. One urban area with a gambling industry had meth levels more than five times higher than other cities. Yet methamphetamine levels were virtually nonexistent in some smaller Midwestern locales, said Jennifer Field, the lead researcher and a professor of environmental toxicology at Oregon State.

The ingredient Americans consume and excrete the most was caffeine, Field said.

Cities in the experiment ranged from 17,000 to 600,000 in population, but Field declined to identify them, saying that could harm her relationship with the sewage plant operators.

She plans to start a survey for drugs in the wastewater of at least 40 Oregon communities.

The science behind the testing is simple. Nearly every drug — legal and illicit — that people take leaves the body. That waste goes into toilets and then into wastewater treatment plants.

"Wastewater facilities are wonderful places to understand what humans consume and excrete," Field said.

In the study presented Tuesday, one teaspoon of untreated sewage water from each of the cities was tested for 15 different drugs. Field said researchers can't calculate how many people in a town are using drugs.

She said that one fairly affluent community scored low for illicit drugs except for cocaine. Cocaine and ecstasy tended to peak on weekends and drop on weekdays, she said, while methamphetamine and prescription drugs were steady throughout the week.

Field said her study suggests that a key tool currently used by drug abuse researchers — self-reported drug questionnaires — underestimates drug use.

"We have so few indicators of current use," said Jane Maxwell of the Addiction Research Institute at the University of Texas, who wasn't part of the study. "This could be a very interesting new indicator."

David Murray, chief scientist for U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the idea interests his agency.

Murray said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is testing federal wastewater samples just to see if that's a good method for monitoring drug use. But he didn't know how many tests were conducted or where.

The EPA will "flush out the details" on testing, Benjamin Grumbles joked. The EPA assistant administrator said the agency is already looking at the problem of potential harm to rivers and lakes from legal pharmaceuticals.

The idea of testing on a citywide basis for drugs makes sense, as long as it doesn't violate people's privacy, said Tom Angell of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a Washington-based group that advocates legalizing most drugs.

"This seems to be less offensive than individualized testing," he said.

[rainmangdg57]

This is just the first shot fired at your rights. Coming soon to your home, drug testing of your waste water. And it wouldn''t be a violation of your rights, anymore than going through your trash is today. Think I''m crazy, just look at what has been going on the last 30 years. remember when they came out with "forfeiture" laws to be used only against drug dealers. Now it''s used against everyone for any crime. First they''ll check cities, than ...

[nottellin1]

I understand that the state of California does the most recycling of waste water. No wonder some of those people act so strange at times.
Posted by gunshack1 at 01:41 PM : Aug 22, 2007

Anyone who thinks that grey water is recycled back as drinking water is out of there mind. Unless you consider that after it is treated and goes into the ocean (in CA case), evaporates into the clouds and rains back down to a water source. That is the obly way waste water could be become drinking water.

[dzfromsc]

What next? Cameras on tax returns?
This is getting so out of hand. If they government wants to fight the war on drugs, get it at the source- the importing, manufacturing, and distribution. Succeed at that and you won''t have to test water.
I take alot of prescriptions and I don''t want anyone testing my urine and questioning me about my medicine. As for the people abusing legal medicines, the people who take them, prescribe them, and dispense them need to be extremely cautious of what they''re doing.
Would un-agreed to urine tests be admissable in court? This is just opening a disasterous can of worms...

[infidel_us]

Stick a Johnson in his mouth and a probe in his a.z.z at the same time. Fat neocon pig.
Posted by usmcvn at 09:41 PM : Aug 22, 2007

Is this some fantasy of yours, you pervert? I''m sure you speak from experience. You sond like a man whose had his s*it pushed in a few times. LOL

[gkc99]

Better stick a probe on Rush ********''s toilet to check on the morphine content!

[toolmangler-2009]

government looking to get rid of more taxpayer money so the democrats can raise taxes when they get elected thats a big IF of course
Posted by mercyme884 at 06:51 PM : Aug 22, 2007

The Gvnmnt can always get rid of taxpayer money, all they want is a justifyable excuse, Drug detection is such an excuse. "Potty detectors" is just more pork, They can be outfitted with sensors and alarms that can pinpoint the culprits address. Jusr think of the myriads of reasons that will rise to the surface, "Terrorists are dumping all traces of their bombs down the toilets, if you don''t want to be blown up authorize the purchase of these inexpensive monitoring devices. One for each water permit would be deducted from your taxes at the end of the crisis.

[mercyme884]

When Shakespeare said "methinks they doth protest too much" he must have had a precognition of you doofuses you sure are dumb let them check the **** plants. with it all mixed together they don''t know where it came from.You all oughta pick your battles more carefully this is only the government looking to get rid of more taxpayer money so the democrats can raise taxes when they get elected thats a big IF of course

[kansas1946]

All of the drug users will get wind of this and just start doing their business outside in the yard. This is what happens when you have brain-dead bureaucrats with too much money and too much time on their hands. This is the stupidist thing that I have ever heard of in the land of the stupid.

[toolmangler-2009]

I can see the headlines; GRANNY NABBED FOR TOKED TURDS!! The Los Angeles monitor system flagged a address on Bushy St for excessive amounts of cannabis in the sewage. The homeowner said "But Granny Knots was the only one at home." At the time of the infraction the home owner whos name was withheld was alibied by his Boss.

[taylpatr]

Wow, just when I thought that the zeal for examining our bodily fluids had maybe leveled off a little, along comes this new waste of time and money. Back in the 80''s when Ronny Raygun started this witch hunt, I told my fellow construction workers "This isn''t going to stop here, you know.If we p*e in this bottle the powers that be are going to keep on hacking away at your rights." The main response was "Well, ya gotta do it if you want to work." Since then I''ve seen urinalysis used to demote, demoralize, demean and disgrunt American workers, along with all the other attacks on our freedom and our Constitution. I think Ronny Raygun was right when he said "If you can get them to pi*s in a bottle, you can get them to do anything." So much for the unity of the American worker. So much for our non-existent privacy.

[kansas1946]

The idea of testing on a citywide basis for drugs makes sense, as long as it doesn''t violate people''s privacy, said Tom Angell of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a Washington-based group that advocates legalizing most drugs.

"This seems to be less offensive than individualized testing," he said.
*********************************
Is this guy an idiot?????? Makes sense for what. So what if there are drugs in the toilet. What are you going to do about it. Nothing. So what is the point? SEEMS less offensive than individualized testing. What the h e l l does that mean. Were the considering testing the whole community on an individual basis, but thought this was a better idea.

This drug war has gotten way out of hand. It is the government''s first favorite excuse for violating civil liberties, then comes terrorism. Have Americans just turned into complete sheep that need a keeper. Good Lord.

[magoo2u1]

This is not a bad idea as it is. The problem comes when they connect a sensor on each individual line at the street. Then you get to go to jail because your daughter''s friend took a P at your house. Or I set you up by pouring dope into your bowl while your at work.
I could see Insurance companies monitoring the toiled at their office to check what kind of prescriptions you are taking when you drop by to sign your life insurance paperwork.
I''ll stick with my septic system and start toting around a plastic bag.

[jmcalli]

I have a septic tank. Anyone comes on my property with a shovel and I shoot ''em!

[jmcalli]

Ha! I have a septic tank. Anyone comes on my property with a shovel and I shoot ''em!

[jmcalli]

Ha! I have a septic tank. Anyone comes on my property with a shovel and I shoot ''em!

[maedean]

how stupid is this??? They pay these people way to much money... Does the goverment have a poop patrol grant for this ? I''ll bet they do !!!!!!

[jmcalli]

Ha! I have a septic tank. Anyone comes on my property with a shovel and I shoot ''em!

[finewoven]

To me, it isn''''t worth the risk of surrendering yourself to an out of balance legal system. So I guess it works, if we don''''t mind throwing away so many people.
Posted by Dems08 at 11:05 AM : Aug 22, 2007

Seems to be that there should be some probable cause for law enforcement to do this, unless this kind of fishing expedition is the new legal systems'' way of doing business.

Somehow, the Constitutional imperative for the pursuit of happiness might include moderation in all things. But the zero tolerance avenue puts more people in jail, thereby cutting down on productivity and increasing taxes for building, maintaining, and manning jails.

The idea of government by the people for the people is messed up in "throwing away" the people who don''t agree 100% with the authorative/moral perogatives of a few career types. Maybe if the EPA and law enforcement starts in those communities with higher percentages of minorities, the focus could be on putting them away for the betterment of our American way of life. Maybe not.

[ivandrago]

If you must buy bottled water, please recycle the bottles. China is poisoning their water supplies manufacturing bottles for the world.

[azmka]

mbwinnsboro: Well said!

On another note; Does this mean that super desperate drug addicts will be taking sewage shots?