Application of wastewater-based epidemiology to estimate the usage of beta-agonists in 31 cities in China

The illegal use of beta-agonists could cause severe problems to human health. In this study, the usage of beta-agonists in 31 cities across China was estimated using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). The proposed method is based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and LC-MS/MS and was developed and validated to determine the concentration of seven beta-agonists in wastewater. A population model based on cotinine (COT), NH4-N and the flow volume was constructed to estimate the population equivalents for different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Clenbuterol and ractopamine are banned in China for both animal husbandry and medical use, but were nevertheless detected in some wastewater samples at rates of 6.2 % and 4.7 %, respectively (n = 339). The WBE-based consumption of clenbuterol and ractopamine were compared with the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and the health risks were assessed by their hazard quotients (0.26-6.62 for clenbuterol and 9.27 × 10-4-0.05 for ractopamine). Salbutamol, clorprenaline and terbutaline were observed in practically all wastewater samples at concentrations of up to several ng/L, whereas the formoterol and bambuterol concentrations were below the detection limit in all samples. Salbutamol consumption (7.35 ± 4.14 mg/1000 inh/day) was highest among the examined beta-agonists and varied regionally. Beta-agonist consumption based on WBE was higher in some cities than that based on medical survey data, indicating potential illegal use. These results show that WBE can be a straightforward and supplementary method for monitoring beta-agonist usage at the population level and spatially.