Banknotes as a Source of Drug and Pharmaceutical Contamination of the Population

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12520%2F25%3A43909699" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12520/25:43909699 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13040242" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13040242</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxics13040242" target="_blank" >10.3390/toxics13040242</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Banknotes as a Source of Drug and Pharmaceutical Contamination of the Population

Original language description

This study investigates the potential contamination of cash register employees in the Slovak Republic with 148 selected pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and their metabolites. Of these, 42 substances were detected, and it was found that the target group-cashiers-regularly handle large volumes of banknotes, increasing their exposure to contaminants compared to the general population. This study revealed that commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications significantly contribute to the contamination of cash registers. This study found that cashiers exhibited notably higher detection rates of antibiotics, including penicillin-V (2x), azithromycin (23x), and erythromycin (up to 64x), than the general population. Additionally, there was an alarming increase in illegal substances, with methamphetamine levels rising fivefold and cocaine up to fifteenfold. This study highlights a broader environmental concern, suggesting that routine handling of contaminated banknotes may lead to the transfer of micropollutants. Furthermore, personal hygiene practices, particularly handwashing, could play a role in introducing pharmaceuticals and narcotics into wastewater, potentially contributing several milligrams of contaminants daily.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Toxics

ISSN

2305-6304

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

13

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

10

Pages from-to

nestránkováno

UT code for WoS article

001474296000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105003650188