Cocaine residues found in the wastewater of cities in Europe

Benzoylecgonine in wastewater in selected European cities in 2022, mg/1000 population/day

Belgium

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Spain

Tarragona

Denmark

Portugal

Antwerp Zuid

neighbourhood had the highest concentration of all sites studied

Croatia

Italy

Milan

Slovenia

Austria

Latvia

Germany

Berlin

Czech Rep

Prague

Slovakia

Estonia

Lithuania

Greece

Sweden

Poland

Cyprus

Turkey

Finland

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

Belgium

Brussels

Antwerp Zuid

neighbourhood had the highest concentration of all sites studied

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Tarragona

Spain

Denmark

Copenhagen

Portugal

Lisbon

Croatia

Italy

Milan

Slovenia

Austria

Latvia

Germany

Berlin

Czech Rep

Prague

Slovakia

Estonia

Lithuania

Greece

Sweden

Poland

Cyprus

Turkey

Finland

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

Guardian graphic. Source: EMCDDA, European Drug Report 2023, Sewage Analysis Core Group Europe. Note: only cities and neighbourhoods within cities that participated in the study are shown; a number of capital cities were not included in the study. Benzoylecgonine is the main metabolite of cocaine, excreted in the urine