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Aim: To test if there was a reduction in alcohol consumption in wastewater samples in the Northern Territory of Australia after the implementation of a minimum unit alcohol price policy (MUP) in October 2018. Design, setting, cases: Between August 2016 and February 2020, wastewater samples were collected across 66 sites in the Northern Territory and all other states and territories in Australia. Samples were collected every 2 months in capital cities and every 4 months in regional places during this period. Overall, 4917 samples were taken (2816 before MUP and 2101 after). Measurements The number of standard drinks per 1000 people per day in the respective catchment areas was estimated based on the concentration of an alcohol‐specific metabolite, ethyl sulphate in the samples (using the excretion factor of ethyl sulphate, the flow of wastewater entering the wastewater treatment plants and the population of each wastewater catchment). Findings Results from a linear mixed model showed that there was a large drop in alcohol consumption immediately after the MUP in Northern Territory [estimated drop = 1231, 99% confidence interval (CI) = 830, 1633; 38.75%]. There was no significant drop in all other states/territories except for Queensland, which showed a significant but much smaller drop (estimated drop: 310; 99% CI = 114, 550). One year after the MUP, the drop narrowed to 520 (99% CI = 189, 851) and was no longer statistically significant in February 2020 (15 months after MUP; estimated drop = 283, 99% CI = −114, 681). Conclusions: Per‐capita consumption of alcohol appears to have decreased substantially in the Northern Territory of Australia immediately after the implementation of a minimum unit price but consumption steadily recovered and almost returned to the pre‐MUP consumption level after 15 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first long-term wastewater study to report a reverse trend in nicotine use. • Tobacco use continuously declines but at a reduced rate over recent years. • Total nicotine use has increased since 2018 due to an increase in e-cigarette use. • Triangulation of wastewater and sales data suggests presence of illicit tobacco use. Previous wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) studies have reported decreasing trends of nicotine and tobacco use in Australia before 2017, but there is concern that increasing illicit use of nicotine in vaping products and illicit tobacco could reverse this progress. This study aimed to assess temporal trends of nicotine consumption and specifically tobacco consumption via wastewater analysis in a population in Australia between 2013 and 2021. One week of daily wastewater samples were analyzed every two months from February 2013 to December 2021 in a regional city serving ∼100,000 people. A total of 340 daily samples were analyzed for anabasine (tobacco specific biomarker) and nicotine metabolites, cotinine and hydroxycotinine, using direct injection method by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Daily consumption estimates were calculated from daily flow data, population estimates and previously reported excretion factors. Linear spline regression was performed to identify periods when significant change of slopes occurred and to evaluate the temporal trends. Tobacco use monitored using anabasine as a biomarker, showed a decreasing trend over the whole period with a higher rate of decrease during the first two years (2013-2014, 21 % decrease) compared to the later 7 years (2015-2021, 10 % decrease). Nicotine use, monitored using cotinine and hydroxycotinine, showed a downward trend between 2013 and 2018 (2013‐2014: 18 % decrease, p < 0.05; 2015‐2016: 6 % increase, p = 0.48; Feb-Dec 2017: 15 % decrease, p = 0.39) followed by a significant increase from 2018 to 2021 (40 % increase, p < 0.001). This finding suggests the increasing use of non-tobacco nicotine-based products. Additionally, the tobacco use estimate by wastewater analysis was higher than the tobacco sales data, which suggests the use of illicit tobacco in the catchment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Enantiomeric profiling was used in this study to investigate the consumption of amphetamine and methamphetamine in regional and urban Southeast Queensland, Australia over a period of seven years. S(+) methamphetamine was predominantly consumed in both urban and regional areas, showing a two and three fold increase in urban and regional catchments respectively between 2011 and 2017. The ratio of amphetamine to methamphetamine (AMP/METH) in wastewater reflected the expected excretion profile of methamphetamine consumption indicating the presence of amphetamine in this study was primarily the result of methamphetamine metabolism. However, the occasional occurrence of R(−) amphetamine in samples containing higher AMP/METH ratios, suggested the consumption of racemic amphetamine. The R(−) methamphetamine enantiomer was also identified in several samples, possibly indicative that the phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) synthesis process rather than the more typical reduction of ephedrines was also being used to manufacture methamphetamine. Furthermore, we identified two samples with a significantly different enantiomer ratio for the METH and AMP as well as a much lower AMP/METH concentration ratio suggesting contribution from direct disposal of methamphetamine into the sewer. This study demonstrated that enantiomeric profiling in wastewater-based epidemiology can provide valuable information for evaluating the origin of amphetamine in wastewater as either a metabolite of methamphetamine consumption or amphetamine itself. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Seven years monitoring of enantiomeric amphetamine (AMP) and methamphetamine (METH) • Chiral and metabolite ratios suggested AMP comes predominantly from METH consumption • Amphetamine may have been used occasionally in Queensland recently. • Comparable estimates of AMP consumption acquired using two different methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (1 - 5000 µm) are pervasive in every compartment of our environment. However, little is understood regarding the concentration and size distribution of microplastics in road dust, and how they change in relation to human activity. Within road dust, microplastics move through the environment via atmospheric transportation and stormwater run-off into waterways. Human exposure pathways to road dust include dermal contact, inhalation and ingestion. In this study, road dust along an urban to rural transect within South-East Queensland, Australia was analysed using Accelerated Solvent Extraction followed by pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS). Polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, poly (methyl methacrylate) and polyethylene were quantified. Microplastic concentrations ranged from ~0.5 mg/g (rural site) to 6 mg/g (Brisbane city), consisting primarily of polyvinyl chloride (29%) and polyethylene terephthalate (29%). Size fractionation (< 250 µm, 250–500 µm, 500–1000 µm, 1000–2000 µm and 2000–5000 µm) established that the < 250 µm size fraction contained the majority of microplastics by mass (mg/g). Microplastic concentrations in road dust demonstrated a significant relationship with the volume of vehicles (r2 = 0.63), suggesting traffic, as a proxy for human movement, is associated with increased microplastic concentrations in the built environment. [Display omitted] • Street dust from Queensland, Australia was sampled in a city to rural transect. • Microplastics of PP, PS, PET, PVC, PMMA and PE were quantified using (pyr-GC/MS). • Concentrations ranged from ~0.5 mg/g (Rural) to 6 mg/g (City location). • Polyvinyl chloride (29%) and polyethylene terephthalate (29%) were the most abundant of all quantified microplastic. • Concentrations correlated with traffic volumes. (r2 = 0.63). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides complementary information to traditional self-report methods for estimating substance use within a population. WBE was applied to estimate the consumption of alcohol in an Australian rural city (population estimated 100,000) over 6 years.Methods: A total of 352 wastewater samples were analysed from a wastewater treatment plant located in South-East Queensland, Australia, from 2012 to 2017. The concentration of an alcohol biomarker, ethyl sulphate, was quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and used to estimate per-capita consumption. The WBE results were compared with alcohol consumption estimates based on national taxation data and self-reported national survey data in Australia.Results: Average daily alcohol consumption estimated by WBE was between 19 and 30 mL/person/day for the population aged 15 years and older during the six-year period. Alcohol consumption decreased 4 % per annum on average over the study period. Our data showed higher rates of consumption on weekends and public holidays when compared to consumption between Monday and Thursday. The comparative trend of WBE data was consistent with the national alcohol survey and taxation statistics on alcoholic beverages over the same period.Conclusions: A clear decline in alcohol consumption in the catchment was observed during the sampling period, which reflected similar changes in consumption from taxation statistics and self-report survey data. Expected variations in weekly consumption and public holidays were also identified. This study demonstrates the potential of WBE for long-term monitoring of alcohol consumption in evaluating the effectiveness of local and national alcohol policies and prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastics pollution is a global issue impacting every part of our environment. Tyre road wear particle (TRWP) plastics pollution is thought to be one of the largest pollution sources in urban environments. These plastics are also of concern due to the presence of additive chemicals, incorporated during manufacture, that can be released into the surrounding environment. This study aimed to provide information on concentrations of a range of anthropogenic plastics related pollutants in the Australian environment through a scoping study of surface water in 5 key urban centres around Queensland, Australia. Samples were analysed for a suite of 15 common tyre additive chemicals, TRWPs and 6 common high production polymers, and included the new transformation product of concern 6PPD-quinone which has recent reports of causing mass mortality events in certain aquatic species. The additives were ubiquitously detected (2.9-1440 ng/L) with 6PPD-quinone concentrations lower than in previous studies (<0.05-24 ng/L) and TRWPs detected at 18 of the 21 sites (

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has spread rapidly across the globe infecting millions of people and causing significant health and economic impacts. Authorities are exploring complimentary approaches to monitor this infectious disease at the community level. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approaches to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in municipal wastewater are being implemented worldwide as an environmental surveillance approach to inform health authority decision-making. Owing to the extended excretion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in stool, WBE can surveil large populated areas with a longer detection window providing unique information on the presence of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic cases that are unlikely to be screened by clinical testing. Herein, we analysed SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 24-h composite wastewater samples (n = 63) from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 24th of February to 1st of May 2020. A total of 21 samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2, ranging from 135 to 11,992 gene copies (GC)/100 mL of wastewater. Detections were made in a Southern Brisbane WWTP in late February 2020, up to three weeks before the first clininal case was reported there. Wastewater samples were generally positive during the period with highest caseload data. The positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in wastewater while there were limited clinical reported cases demonstrates the potential of WBE as an early warning system to identify hotspots and target localised public health responses, such as increased individual testing and the provision of health warnings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Gout is a rheumatic arthritis disease which poses a health burden. Monitoring the prevalence of gout is key to reduce the community burden of gout disease and associated health costs. Allopurinol has been used as a first line gout preventive medication in Australia which is metabolised into oxypurinol and excreted in urine. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was applied to estimate temporal trends of gout prevalence in an Australian community over eight-years via the quantification of oxypurinol in wastewater. A total of 180 wastewater samples collected between 2012 and 2019 were analysed for oxypurinol to estimate allopurinol consumption in a community in South East Queensland, Australia. Annual gout prevalence was estimated by daily defined doses (DDD) consumed and ranged from 24 to 32 DDD/day/1000, an equivalent gout prevalence of 2.3 to 3.2% over the eight-year period. A statistically significant increase in allopurinol consumption was observed over the period (Slope = 0.094, p = 0.0001), equating to year-on-year increases in gout prevalence of 3.6% per year. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first long-term gout prevalence study using wastewater, adding epidemiological and public health insights in the gout research field., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 7-year temporal trend study of artificial sweetener consumption was performed by determining per capital mass loads in 293 influent wastewater samples collected from a wastewater treatment plant in Australia between 2012 and 2018. Population-weighted per capita mass loads of the four detected artificial sweeteners ranged from 2.4 ± 0.8 mg d -1 p -1 for saccharin to 7.8 ± 2.0 mg d -1 p -1 for acesulfame over the study period. Negligible intra-week fluctuations were observed, however the consumption of acesulfame was seen to be significantly influenced by season with the highest consumption in summer. The consumption of sucralose and saccharin significantly increased with an annual increase rate of 10% and 6.0%. Cyclamate consumption declined over the same period with average annual decrease rate of 11%, which agrees with data from market surveys. Sucrose equivalence of total artificial sweeteners consumption showed an increase between 2012 and 2016, then decreased in 2018. This is the first long-term trend study of artificial sweetener consumption by wastewater analysis and highlights the feasibility to quantitatively measure artificial sweeter consumption over time., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Health concerns and related regulation of bisphenol A (BPA) in some countries have led to an increase in the production and use of unregulated and poorly understood BPA analogues, including bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol B (BPB), and bisphenol AF (BPAF). To assess the temporal trends of human exposure to BPA analogues, urine and wastewater samples were collected from South East Queensland, Australia between 2012 and 2017 and analyzed for five bisphenols using validated isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry methods. BPA and BPS were the predominant bisphenols detected in both urine and wastewater samples, with median concentrations of 2.5 and 0.64 μg/L in urine and 0.94 and 1.1 μg/L in wastewater, respectively. BPB, BPF, and BPAF had low detection frequencies in both urine and wastewater samples. Concentrations of BPA in both urine and wastewater decreased over the sampling period, whereas concentrations of BPS increased, suggesting that BPS has become a BPA replacement. The contributions of urinary excretion to wastewater were calculated by the ratio of daily per capita urinary excretion to wastewater-based mass loads of bisphenols. Urinary BPA and BPS contributed to less than 1% of the load found in wastewater, indicating that much of the BPA and BPS originates from other sources.

Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is accompanied by the shedding of the virus in stool. Therefore, the quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater affords the ability to monitor the prevalence of infections among the population via wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). In the current work, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was concentrated from wastewater in a catchment in Australia and viral RNA copies were enumerated using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) resulting in two positive detections within a six day period from the same wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The estimated viral RNA copy numbers observed in the wastewater were then used to estimate the number of infected individuals in the catchment via Monte Carlo simulation. Given the uncertainty and variation in the input parameters, the model estimated a median range of 171 to 1,090 infected persons in the catchment, which is in reasonable agreement with clinical observations. This work highlights the viability of WBE for monitoring infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, in communities. The work also draws attention to the need for further methodological and molecular assay validation for enveloped viruses in wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)