Occurrence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in drinking and source water in the São Paulo State region, Brazil.

The occurrence of illicit drugs in natural waters (surface, source and drinking water) is of interest due to the poor sanitation coverage and the high consumption of drugs of abuse in Brazil. In addition, little is known about the effects of these compounds on aquatic organisms and human health. This work investigates the occurrence of cocaine (COC) and its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BE), in surface and drinking water collected in rivers from a populated geographic area in Brazil.