When humans use drugs or medications, the breakdown products from many of these substances ultimately end up in the wastewater that passes through treatment plants in cities, towns and other jurisdictions. Previous research conducted in Europe has shown that chemical analysis of wastewater can help public health officials identify trends in substance use within a given population. In a study published in May 2014 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, a team of researchers from the State University of New York at Albany conducted the first U.S.-based project designed to detect substances of abuse in municipal wastewater.
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