Identification of new biomarkers for the epidemiological monitoring of new psychoactive substances in wastewater

• Applicant: Dr. Sascha Kevin Manier
• Subject Area: Toxicology, Laboratory Medicine
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 492370445

Drugs of abuse are a global problem that is being studied in detail by scientists and authorities. Various techniques, such as surveys or hospital records, are commonly used to determine the extent of the consumption. However, in recent years, the testing of wastewater samples has also been increasingly investigated to determine the prevalence of drug use. A major challenge in this regard is posed by new psychoactive substances (NPS), which are structurally derived from classic drugs of abuse, but are usually much more potent. Especially in the case of synthetic opioids or similar highly potent substances, direct detection of the parent substance in an untargeted screening procedure is very unlikely.In this project, new biomarkers for the presence of such NPS in wastewater samples shall be identified. These biomarkers may originate from the metabolism of the microorganisms, but also from reactions of the substances with components of the wastewater matrix.Therefore, in order to find suitable markers for epidemiological monitoring of such substances, standardized protocols are first developed to detect potential biomarkers after incubation of wastewater samples (influent) from sewage treatment plants. These protocols include an extensively evaluated extraction method and an analytical method based on nano-liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Subsequently, two commonly seized NPS in Europe, furanylfentanyl from the synthetic opioids group and 5F-MDMB-PICA from the synthetic cannabinoids group, shall be incubated with pooled waster samples from different wastewater treatment plants and previously unknown biomarkers shall be identified using metabolomics techniques. This project would lay the groundwork for the investigation of more complex models. For example, metabolomics studies using wastewater incubations could be coupled with in vivo or in vitro models to simulate ingestion of the substances and thus provide better information on biomarkers that indicate not only the presence but also the consumption of the respective substance. In addition, further studies can investigate the effect of complex mixtures of NPS on the microorganisms of the wastewater, as they are more common in reality. The aim of this work is not to develop statistical models that indicate the consumption or presence of NPS, but to identify individual structures that can be detected by other working groups, such as those in (environmental-) toxicology or forensic sciences, even without the applied techniques using untargeted or targeted screening methods.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants