Meth traces found in all wastewater plants surveyed by gov't

Meth [YONHAP]

Traces of methamphetamine, more commonly known as “philopon” in Korea, were found in every single wastewater treatment plant that was surveyed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety across the nation over the past three years.

The ministry announced the latest finding on Thursday, saying the analysis was based on samples collected from 34 wastewater treatment facilities in the country’s nine provinces and eight major cities from 2020 to 2022.

The daily average usage of meth per 1,000 individuals was estimated to be approximately 20 milligrams.

Seven illegal drug substances were surveyed for the analysis: meth, cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, methadone, amphetamine and THC-COOH.

Based on the results from last year’s survey alone, Incheon showed the highest estimated daily average usage of illicit drugs per 1,000 individuals. The estimated amounts used in the metropolitan city were 39.73 milligrams for meth, 7.97 milligrams for ecstasy and 10.7 milligrams for cocaine.

In terms of individual wastewater treatment plants, the so-called Sihwa plant in Siheung, Gyeonggi, showed the highest estimated daily average usage of illicit drugs per 1,000 individuals last year, with 136.5 milligrams measured for meth and 35.02 grams for ecstasy.

Wastewater epidemiology surveys are a widely used tool for monitoring illegal drug use among populations, as drugs ingested in the human body make their way out through urine and feces that end up in sewer networks.

Last year, cocaine was discovered only in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi and Busan. The wastewater treatment plant at Incheon International Airport recorded the highest estimated daily average usage of cocaine per 1,000 individuals with 42.82 milligrams.

Ecstasy was detected in 19 wastewater treatment plants in 2020 and 27 plants last year. The estimated daily average usage of ecstasy per 1,000 individuals gradually grew from 17.1 milligrams in 2020 to 1.99 milligrams in 2021 and 2.58 milligrams in 2022.

Larger amounts of meth were found in metropolitan and port cities.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stressed that the analysis had certain limitations including factors such as rainfall, drugs disposed of in wastewater, and the presence of metabolites from authorized pharmaceuticals.

The ministry said it was planning to share its results with international organizations such as the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and with local investigative authorities for reference. The findings will also be used in devising educational programs and policies to prevent drug addiction.

Going forward, the ministry said it would survey more wastewater treatment plants and continue its quest to eradicate drug abuse.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]