Online meeting on wastewater-based epidemiology

Wastewater analysis is a method that allows the potential monitoring of levels of illicit drugs and their metabolites excreted in liquid household waste and has enormous value for monitoring trends of drug use. The European network SCORE (Sewage analysis CORe group - Europe) was established in 2010 with the objective of creating a common protocol to standardize the wastewater analysis and to coordinate international studies in European cities.

Since then, a number of wastewater analyses have been conducted in several cities. Under the current IPA7 project, partners from the Western Balkan region were invited to enlarge the network of laboratories participating in the sampling data collection (SCORE).

The principles of Wastewater-based epidemiology, Sewage Analysis CORe group Europe (SCORE), Sampling; Analytical Methodologies, and Trends in stimulant use, were presented to the interested partners in an online event that joined not only Serbia, but also other countries of the EU Eastern partnership.

A study to assess feasibility of implementing this method in the Western Balkan region will start soon.