The development of pharmaceuticals has made a significant contribution to human health, but misuse and abuse have gradually become a social problem. Therefore, we urgently need to monitor and analyse drug consumption levels in different catchments.
Humans excrete trace amounts of substances such as pharmaceuticals or illicit drugs that are referred to as biomarkers. Several drugs and their metabolites enter the sewer network through home sources (e.g. washbasin and toilet) and are transported to wastewater treatment plants where they are unable to be entirely removed and consequently discharged into the environment.
Wastewater contains a wide range of chemicals and biomarkers of human activities which can provide information and act as an indicator of consumption. As one of the most important urban infrastructure systems, wastewater networks play an important role in ensuring public health and safety and reducing the spread of waterborne diseases. Therefore, it is important to determine the scale of drug use and spatiotemporal trends by monitoring wastewater.
