Table 1.
Selected studies performed by WBE that compared the use of several contaminants before and during the pandemic (before 2019 and during 2020).
| Compounds study | Country | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Licit and illicit drugs and antidepressants | ||
| Z-drugs, benzodiazepines, and ketamine | USA and Mexico | [42] |
| Use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco | Spain | [43] |
| Illicit drugs (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, benzoylecgonine, and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydro cannabinol) | European cities (Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy) | [45] |
| Antidepressant drugs | Spain | [44] |
| Drugs of abuse and antidepressants | Connecticut (USA) | [45] |
| Pharmaceuticals occurrence and pathways in the context of COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| NSAIDs, antihypertensives, diuretics, antiepileptics, antilipidemics, antibiotics, analgesics, antivirals, anticancer drugs, contrast iodinated drugs, antidiabetics, antiallergic drugs, anti-ulcers, and other pharmaceuticals | Greece | [48] |
| Change of chemical content in WWTPs (antipsychotic drugs, illicit drugs, tobacco compounds, food additives, pesticides, biocides, surfactants, and industrial chemicals) | Greece | [39] |
| Suspected screening of 78 chemicals of interest, which included pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, disinfectants, ultraviolet (UV) filters, and others | Connecticut (USA) | [45] |
| High-throughput analysis (28 substances, 6 major classes: antidepressants, antiepileptics, antihistamines, antihypertensives, synthetic opioids, and central nervous system stimulants) | New York (USA) | [49∗] |
| Trace anti-COVID-19 pharmaceuticals | ||
| Suspected screening (acetaminophen, darunavir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, and oseltamivir selected as anti-COVID-19 pharmaceuticals) | Italy | [52] |
| Suspected screening and correlations with COVID-19 metrics for several identified chemicals as well as many unidentified features in the data, including three potential indicator molecules that are recommended for prioritization in future studies on COVID-19 in wastewater and sludge. | Connecticut (USA) | [46] |
| Hospital use of antivirals and sedo-analgesic drugs | Spain | [53] |
| Antibiotics (three macrolide antibiotics and ciprofloxacin) | Spain | [50] |
| Increased concentration of anti-COVID-19 pharmaceuticals in wastewater | World | [51∗∗] |
| Dexamethasone | Europe & Asia | [54] |