News

Many pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse released from wastewater treatment plants are chiral compounds. As our research expanded to include drugs of abuse in wastewater, we identified a unique analytical challenge: the enantiomers of tramadol and O-desmethylvenlafaxine overlap and cannot be adequately separated using conventional approaches. In collaboration with the Hopkins Lab in Chemistry at the University of Waterloo, a new two-dimensional chiral LC × DMS mass spectrometry method was developed to successfully separate and analyze these compounds. This collaborative work was featured on the cover of Analyst.

CTV’s Karis Mapp joined our team on the river as we conducted electrofishing surveys for darters downstream of wastewater treatment plants, part of ongoing research into how trace contaminants, including opioids, may affect fish in the wild.

CBC Radio’s The Morning Edition – K‑W highlighted recent research showing that opioids and antidepressants are accumulating in freshwater fish downstream of wastewater treatment plants. The segment explores how these pharmaceuticals enter aquatic environments and what the findings mean for fish health and ecosystem management.

The full interview is available to stream through CBC Radio.

Waterloo News has published a feature on our recent research showing that opioids, antidepressants, and other drugs are accumulating in freshwater fish downstream of wastewater treatment plants, marking the first evidence of these substances in wild Canadian fish.

We have been researching the effects of upgrades to wastewater treatment plants in the Region of Waterloo for many years now and some of this work is being published.  The Water Institute wrote an article about Sean McLay (M.Sc) research on invertebrates which was recently published in River Research and Applications. 

A dynamic look inside the Faculty of Science’s Water Facility, following researchers and students as they gather field samples and study fish in our mobile and facility labs, showcasing hands-on innovation and real-world impact.

Mark Servos visited a local retention pond to help investigate a large number of fish dying. Published by Kitchener City News' Josh Piercey on Apr 2, 2025.

Professor Mark Servos and collaborators were awarded $1.35M to look at various high-risk substances found in wastewater.  Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Diana Cardenas Soraca leads the effort. 

The Water Institute congratulates Dr. Mark Servos on winning the 2024 Outstanding Contribution Award at the Canadian Ecotoxicity Workshop (CEW) on October 9, recognizing his major impact on ecotoxicology in Canada and his leadership in advancing research on contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

Ontario ends the COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program which has been provincially funded since the fall of 2020.  It was a very important tool for pandemic preparedness and healthcare planning leaving behind a legacy of knowledge.