SUBTERRANEAN BLUES

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John Jay researchers can even be found mucking around in the subterranean spheres of New York City. Dr. Marta Concheiro-Guisan and Dr. Shu-Yuan Cheng, of the Department of Sciences, have formed a team to test wastewater for residues of illicit drugs throughout the city. Their new study, which collected wastewater from six treatment plants in NYC—in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx—intends to provide city officials with a large-scale snapshot of New Yorkers’ drug use. In the future, the team says it’s possible to explore concentrations of other substances, like antidepressants or hormones, that will tell the city more about community health.