Investigação de cocaína e benzoilecgonina em águas residuais de Manaus-AM

Abstract

Illicit drugs and metabolites have received a lot of attention from scientific community, classified as emerging contaminants, these compounds have been found in big cities wastewaters, water treatment station and sewer and in many cases they are resistant to conventional treatment processes, they are considered persistent in natural and consumption water and the contaminants, and to be exposed to theses contaminants, in levels of trace, in a long period have gotten unknown effects. Thus, the aim of this study paper is to investigate the presence and behavior of cocaine and its benzoylecgonine metabolite, in Franco’s stream waters, of São Raimundo’s hydrographic basin, in Manaus city, Amazonas, in a period of 24 hours divided by shifts, and samples in each 2 hours, with a register of chemical-physical data of the stream. The identification and quantification of cocaine and its main metabolite benzoylecgonine in the waters of the Franco’s stream was accomplished through the using of methods of preparation and concentration of water samples, by solid phase extraction, associated to analytical techniques of liquid chromatography coupled to the mass spectrometry. It was obtained levels of cocaine and benzoylecgonine from 35,41 ng L-1 to 20667,73 ng L-1 and from 15,73 ng L-1 to 6566,37 ng L-1 respectively. The consumption estimative ranged among 0,0005 mg hab-1 day1 to 1,084 mg hab-1 day-1, higher values especially in morning shift, probably due to consumption the previous night. This study paper is an alert and bring a profile about the cocaine consumption in Manaus city, and it intend to bring attention of regulator institutions, because there are not defined levels to these compounds as quality parameters of water in brazil.