# Drug Consumption Trends and Take Back Program Indicators: A wastewater-based approach in Washington State

> **NIH NIH R15** · UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND · 2020 · $344,950

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 This project proposes to monitor illicit drug and prescription opioid consumption trends at the population
level in six cities in Washington State over a three year period. This study overlaps with two other major
events: 1) the initiation of a state-wide drug take back program and 2) the 2020 census. This, first in the nation,
statewide drug take-back program is aimed at reducing prescription opioid abuse and to reduce environmental
contamination. Wastewater provides an excellent approach to provide an indicator of the effectiveness of this
program. Prescription opioids and their metabolites will be measured as part of the three year monitoring
program and the change in hydrocodone/norhydrocodone (metabolite) will be used as a take-back program
indicator. Hydrocodone and its metabolite will be used because it is highly prescribed, highly wasted, and
recommended by the DEA for disposal by flushing. Wastewater-based approaches to population level drug
consumption include many data inputs with population being the largest source of uncertainty. This project will
identify and monitor compounds in wastewater that reflect human populations. Levels of these population
biomarkers (drugs and food additives) in wastewater will be used to develop a more accurate account of the
population size contributing to the wastewater sample and thus to develop better per capita consumption
estimates. Levels of these population markers will be validated with 2020 census data and the dynamic trends
in populations will be evaluated with mobile device data. These population biomarkers will thus provide the
project’s illicit drug and prescription opioid three-year consumption trends with updated and reliable per capita
data.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10046299
- **Project number:** 1R15DA051792-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND
- **Principal Investigator:** DAN BURGARD
- **Activity code:** R15 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $344,950
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10046299

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10046299, Drug Consumption Trends and Take Back Program Indicators: A wastewater-based approach in Washington State (1R15DA051792-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10046299. Licensed CC0.

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