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September 09, 2024WASTEWATER SURVEY: DRUG METABOLITES, NOVEMBER 2023 The Canadian Wastewater Survey reports on the levels of 10 different drugs: amphetamine, cannabis (measured through metabolite THC-COOH), cocaine (measured through metabolite benzoylecgonine), codeine, ecstasy (MDMA), fentanyl (measured through metabolite norfentanyl), methadone, methamphetamine, morphine and oxycodone. The data are currently collected for cities that represent a total population over 9 million: Halifax, Montréal, Toronto, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver. Data collection recently stopped in Prince Albert.
Wastewater samples are collected on 7 consecutive days and used to assess daily average drug loads per capita for the month. Statistics Canada cautions that measured values can include laboratory errors as well as influences from configuration of sewer systems and stability of drugs in wastewater/samples. Data collected through surveys in 2022 and 2023 are not comparable to similar data collected in 2019 and 2020.
The load of amphetamine reported in Halifax wastewater was below the weighted average for measured municipalities. Saskatoon reported the highest load of amphetamine while Toronto, Halifax and Vancouver all reported amphetamine loads below the national average.
Halifax reported the highest load of cannabis (THC-COOH) among measured cities. Montréal and Toronto reported lower than average cannabis loads in wastewater.
Halifax's wastewater load of cocaine was higher than the weighted city average (2nd behind Montréal). Toronto and Vancouver reported lower wastewater loads of cocaine than the average - though variance in cocaine loads was smaller than for other substances.
Codeine loads observed in Halifax wastewater were above the weighted city average. Codeine loads were notably higher in Edmonton and notably lower in Montréal.
Halifax reported the lowest wastewater load of ecstasy (MDMA) among reporting cities. Vancouver reported the highest loads of ecstasy.
Wastewater loads for fentanyl were comparatively low in Halifax and Montréal. Vancouver reported wastewater loads of fentanyl that were at a higher order of magnitude than any other city.
Halifax's methadone loads in the wastewater were just below weighted city averages. Methadone loads were notably higher in Saskatoon and Vancouver and lower in Montréal.
Wastewater load of methamphetamine was relatively low in Halifax. Saskatoon and Edmonton reported the highest loads of methamphetamine in wastewater.
Morphine loads in Halifax wastewater were just below the weighted city average. Morphine loads were comparatively low in Montréal, Toronto and Saskatoon. Vancouver reported the highest morphine loads in its wastewater.
Loads of oxycodone in Halifax wastewater were below the weighted city average. Oxycodone loads were notably higher in Toronto and Edmonton.
Trends
Drug metabolites in wastewater were measured every two months in 2023 and every month in 2022.
From July to September 2023, drug loads in Halifax were down for most substances with only amphetamines and fentanyl reporting increased loads. From September to November 2023, drug loads in wastewater were down for amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, fentanyl, methadone and methamphetamine while loads were up for cannabis, codeine, morphine and oxycodone.
Compared with November 2022, wastewater drug loads in Halifax were down for all substances except ecstasy. There was an unusually high load of fentanyl reported in Halifax wastewater reported in November 2022.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 13-10-0871-01 Drug metabolites in wastewater in select Canadian cities, by month, 2022 to 2023
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