Wastewater Analyses for Psychoactive Substances at Music Festivals: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Forensic Chemistry

Background:

• Music festivals are significant venues for recreational drug and novel psychoactive substance consumption.
• Wastewater analysis offers a powerful tool for monitoring population-level substance use.
• Previous research has not systematically synthesized global data on drug use at festivals via wastewater analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate and synthesize published wastewater analyses detecting recreational drug use at music festivals worldwide.
• To identify patterns and regional variations in drug consumption at these events.
• To highlight limitations and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS databases for relevant studies.
• Included 23 studies utilizing wastewater or pooled urine sampling and mass spectrometry.

Main Results:

• 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) was the most frequently detected substance globally.
• Significant regional differences observed: methamphetamine in Eastern Europe, MDMA in Western Europe, cocaine in South America.
• Electronic dance music festivals showed higher rates of MDMA detection.

Conclusions:

• Wastewater analysis is effective for monitoring drug use trends at music festivals.
• Geographic and demographic biases in current research need addressing.
• Enhanced sampling, analytical methods, and public health strategies are crucial for future harm reduction efforts.