Cyprus joins global wastewater research
A new international wastewater study, led by researchers from 20 countries and published in Water Research (Elsevier, October 2025), has revealed traces of drugs, antibiotics and new psychoactive substances in sewage samples across Europe, including two wastewater treatment plants in Cyprus.
The research, conducted by a University of Cyprus team led by Professor Despina Fatta-Kassinos, is the first to provide comprehensive data on the presence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) and pharmaceutical residues in wastewater from 52 sampling sites worldwide.
Findings and environmental impact
According to the study, samples from several European and Mediterranean locations- including Cyprus- contained synthetic cathinones, new benzodiazepines and herbal psychoactive compounds mimicking the effects of cocaine or amphetamines.
It also detected pharmaceutical pollutants such as antibiotics, painkillers and sedatives that remain in wastewater even after treatment, raising concerns about their persistence and potential environmental spread.
The Cyprus wastewater study highlights the island’s role as a pilot area for analysing pollutant behaviour in closed water systems and under conditions of water reuse for irrigation. Researchers say the findings underline the need to strengthen national wastewater monitoring networks and to establish a European Toxicovigilance Observatory, in which Cyprus could play an active part.
Global collaboration
The project, led by Dr Richard Bade of the University of Queensland, involved scientists from Australia, the US, Sweden, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. It demonstrates the growing importance of wastewater analysis as a public health tool, allowing early detection of new substances before they reach the market or cause mass poisoning incidents.
Professor Fatta-Kassinos said the research shows that “wastewater can act as a mirror of society, revealing early changes in substance use and new environmental challenges”.
Implications for Cyprus
Data suggest that Cyprus must maintain continuous sampling and upgrade its wastewater treatment facilities, while updating legislation to address new psychoactive substances that fall outside current regulatory frameworks.
Read the full study here.
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