Researchers at the University of Queensland have detected two strains of a synthetic opioid in Australian wastewater for the first time.
The drugs, variants of nitazene, are highly potent and addictive, with some forms up to 40 times stronger than fentanyl. Nitazenes have caused fatal overdoses in Australia.
The discovery was made as part of an international survey analysing wastewater across 22 countries between 2022 and 2024.
Researchers believe the Australian samples were the result of disposals, not consumption.
Nitazenes
Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids, first developed in the late 1950s as an alternative to morphine. They were never approved for medicinal use due to their potency.
The highly potent drugs re-emerged in the late 2010s and have quickly become widespread.
In Australia, health authorities have issued warnings about nitazenes being sold as other drugs, including MDMA and cocaine. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, they have been found in almost every state and territory since 2021.
Discovery
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Over the 2022/23 and 2023/24 New Year periods, researchers collected 700 wastewater samples from 68 locations across 22 countries.
Traces of two nitazenes – protonitazene and etonitazepyne – were detected in samples from Australia and the U.S.
The levels found in Australia were “significantly higher” than those identified in the U.S.
Researchers believe the detection in Australia is more likely due to the drugs being thrown out, rather than consumed and excreted.
Warning
Health experts warn that nitazenes are becoming an increasing public health threat, with fatal overdoses reported in Australia.
Lead researcher Dr Richard Bade said Australian teams have developed “highly sensitive” detection tools in preparation for the drug’s potential spread.
“Going forward, we hope to... support the rapid deployment of public health interventions before harm occurs and becomes widespread,” Dr Bade said.
