Colleen Naughton, a CITRIS principal investigator (PI) and 2020 seed funding award recipient is leading a new research initiative for nicotine detection at UC Merced.
To detect tobacco use, Naughton and researchers are using a technique that looks for chemicals in wastewater samples taken at UC Merced and at treatment plants in Merced, Modesto and Woodland (Yolo County) from July through December 2025.
Naughton learned that UC Merced had lower levels of nicotine consumption than the three municipal treatment plants, which all had similar levels. In the future, Naughton hopes to improve the technique, so researchers can differentiate between cigarette use and vaping.