Improving Wastewater-Based Tobacco Use Estimates Using Anabasine

In wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), nicotine metaboliteshavebeen used as biomarkers for monitoring tobacco use. Recently, theminor tobacco alkaloids anabasine and anatabine have been suggestedas more specific biomarkers for tobacco use since nicotine use canbe from both tobacco and non-tobacco sources. This study aimed toprovide an in-depth evaluation of the suitability of anabasine andanatabine as WBE biomarkers of tobacco and subsequently estimate theirexcretion factors for WBE applications. Pooled urine (n = 64) and wastewater samples (n = 277), collectedbetween 2009 and 2019 in Queensland, Australia, were analyzed fornicotine and its metabolites (cotinine and hydroxycotinine), as wellas anabasine and anatabine. Anabasine performed as the better biomarker,showing a similar per capita load in pooled urine (2.2 +/- 0.3 mu g/day/person) and wastewater samples (2.3 +/- 0.3 mu g/day/person),while the per capita load of anatabine in wastewater was 50% higherthan its load in urine. It is estimated that 0.9 mu g of anabasinewas excreted per cigarette smoked. Triangulation of tobacco salesdata and tobacco use estimated from either anabasine or cotinine showedthat anabasine-based estimates were 5% higher than sales data, whilecotinine-based estimates were between 2 and 28% higher. Our resultsprovided concrete evidence to confirm the suitability of anabasineas a specific biomarker for monitoring tobacco use by WBE. First evaluation of anabasine and anatabineas specifictobacco biomarkers via pooled urine and wastewater and the triangulationof estimated tobacco use with sales data are discussed.

Automated summary

In wastewater-based epidemiology, anabasine and anatabine have been proposed as specific biomarkers for tobacco use. This study aimed to evaluate their suitability as biomarkers and estimate their excretion factors for wastewater-based epidemiology applications.