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Assessing alcohol consumption through wastewater-based epidemiology: Spain as a case study
Ester López-García1, Carlos Pérez-López1, Cristina Postigo1
1Water, Environmental, and Food Chemistry Unit (ENFOCHEM), Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|September 6, 2020
Summary
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) offers a fast, economical method to estimate population alcohol consumption. This study in Spain found WBE alcohol consumption estimates comparable to national surveys, highlighting its utility for public health planning.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Traditional methods for estimating population alcohol consumption have limitations.
- Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides an alternative and complementary approach.
- WBE utilizes biomarker concentrations in wastewater to infer consumption rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of WBE in estimating population-level alcohol consumption in Spain.
- To compare WBE-derived alcohol consumption data with existing national health survey data.
- To explore the spatial and temporal patterns of alcohol consumption using WBE.
Main Methods:
- Composite 24-hour wastewater samples were collected from 17 treatment plants across 13 Spanish cities over seven days in 2018.
- Ethyl sulfate, a biomarker for alcohol consumption, was measured in the wastewater samples.
- Alcohol consumption was back-calculated based on measured biomarker concentrations.
Main Results:
- Alcohol consumption varied significantly across cities and between weekdays and weekends, ranging from 4.5 to 46 mL/day/inhabitant.
- WBE-derived estimates generally aligned with data from the Spanish National Health Survey.
- The national annual consumption rate estimated by WBE was 5.7 ± 1.2 L ethanol per capita (aged 15+), comparable to the survey's 4.7 L.
Conclusions:
- This large-scale WBE study in Spain validates its usefulness for tracking alcohol consumption patterns.
- WBE offers a rapid and cost-effective alternative for public health monitoring and policy development.
- The findings support the integration of WBE into strategies for managing alcohol-related health issues.
