ArticleThe International journal on drug policy2022
Temporal monitoring of stimulants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium through the analysis of influent wastewater.
Article in The International journal on drug policy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Current state and future perspectives on de facto population markers for normalization in wastewater-based epidemiology: A systematic literature review.The Science of the total environment · 2024Pooled it
- Patterns of substance-induced psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national registry study of specialist healthcare contacts.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- A critical review of wastewater-based epidemiology as a tool to evaluate the unintentional human exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2025Review
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11 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsWastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a complementary epidemiological data source to monitor stimulant consumption. The aims were to: (i) study intra- and inter-year temporal changes in stimulant use in Belgium during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (ii) evaluate the effect of COVID-19 restrictive measures on stimulant consumption.
methodsThe study population corresponded to the catchments of four wastewater treatment plants corresponding with four Belgian cities (i.e., Antwerp-Zuid, Boom, Brussels, Leuven). Daily 24-h composite influent wastewater samples collected over one week in September 2019 and March through June 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed for biomarkers of amphetamine, cocaine, methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Measured concentrations were converted to population-normalized mass loads by considering the daily flow rate and the catchment population size. Mobile network data was used to accurately capture population movements in the different catchment areas. Temporal changes were assessed with multiple linear regression models, and the effect of the COVID-19 interventions on stimulant consumption were investigated.
resultsAn increase in amphetamine use was observed in three cities during governmental restrictions, with highest consumption predominantly during lockdown. Similarly, cocaine consumption was higher after the pandemic started, with highest consumption noted during the lockdown period in Boom and Leuven. Consumption of MDMA was similar in Antwerp-Zuid, Brussels and Leuven throughout the entire sampled period. In Boom, the highest consumption was observed during the full lockdown period.
conclusionsThe present study shows the potential of WBE to assess the impact of stringent lockdown measures on stimulant use in Belgium. This paper shows that strong restrictive measures did not have a profound effect on stimulant consumption.
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