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Research article2020Peer reviewedOpen access

Using wastewater-based epidemiology to estimate consumption of alcohol and nicotine in major cities of China in 2014 and 2016

Gao, Jianfa; Zheng, Qiuda; Lai, Foon Yin; Gartner, Coral; Du, Peng; Ren, Yuan; Li, Xiqing; Wang, Degao; Mueller, Jochen F.; Thai, Phong K

Abstract

Monitoring the use of alcohol and tobacco in the population is important for public health planning and evaluating the efficacy of intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to use wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to estimate alcohol and tobacco consumption in a number of major cities across China and compare WBE estimates with other data sources. Daily composite influent wastewater samples were collected from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across China in 2014 (n = 53) and 2016 (n = 45). The population-normalized daily consumption estimated by WBE were compared with other data sources where available. The average consumption of alcohol was 8.1 +/- 7.0 mL ethanol/person aged 15 + /day (EPD) in the investigated cities of 2016 while those involved in 2014 had an average consumption of 4.7 +/- 3.0 EPD. The average tobacco consumption was estimated to be 3.7 +/- 2.2 cigarettes/person aged 15 + /day (CPD) in 2016 and 3.1 +/- 1.9 CPD in 2014. The changes in the average consumption in those cities from 2014 to 2016 were supported by the results from a limited number of WWTPs where samples were collected in both years. Consumption of alcohol and tobacco in urban China is at a medium level compared with other countries on a per capita basis. WBE estimates of tobacco consumption were relatively comparable with results of traditional surveys and sales statistics. WBE estimates of alcohol consumption were lower than WHO survey results, probably due to EtS degradation and uncertainty in the EtS excretion factor.

Keywords

Biomarker; Cotinine; Ethyl-sulphate; LC-MS/MS; Wastewater-based epidemiology

Published in

Environment International
2020, Volume: 136, article number: 105492

    Sustainable Development Goals

    Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
    Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
    Substance Abuse

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105492

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/104543