Sharks off the coast of Brazil tested positive for cocaine because of exposure in waterways connected to the illegal drug trade.
As The Washington Post reported, researchers studied 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks captured by fishing fleets and found evidence of cocaine in their livers and muscle tissues.
What's happening?
Brazilian sharpnose sharks live in areas known for raw sewage and illegal drug contamination. Researchers assessed the environmental impact of this contamination on wildlife, following prior studies that have uncovered legal and illicit drugs accumulating in waterways and threatening marine life in the region.
The amount of cocaine in the tested sharks "exceeded levels reported in the literature for fish and other aquatic organisms by up to two orders of magnitude."
Cocaine enters Brazillian waterways through raw sewage discharge into rivers and canals, as well as drifting packs of cocaine that sharks bite into before drug smugglers or law enforcement discover them.
Why is cocaine in sharks important?
The researchers' discovery marked the first time wild sharks have ever tested positive for cocaine. It demonstrates how illegal drugs can impact the surrounding environment and the animals living in it.
Cocaine may have a profound impact on the sharks' health, but its presence in sharks also signals risks for humans. Cocaine can reenter the human food supply when sharks are caught and used for their meat. Brazil's drinking water has also tested positive for cocaine.
Yet contaminated waterways are not exclusive to Brazil and affect wildlife communities worldwide. From a fertilizer spill in Iowa that caused a near-total fish kill to English water companies illegally dumping raw sewage into the country's largest natural lake, the life-giving water we all depend upon is at risk.
What's being done about polluted water and wildlife?
In the case of the cocaine-positive sharks, the researchers published their findings in the journal Science of the Total Environment to share this disturbing discovery with the world. Various media outlets have covered the story to increase public awareness.
Scientists and advocates are pursuing numerous efforts to address polluted waterways and protect wildlife. For example, an Indonesian nonprofit has built barriers to trap river waste and prevent it from entering the ocean. The state of Maine has committed to removing thousands of synthetic, poisonous chemicals previously used as farmland fertilizer.
Sharks are vital predators at the top of the food chain in marine environments. Now is the time for communities to put more effort into shark conservation and removing pollutants and dangerous debris from waterway habitats.
The authors of this study wrote: "Understanding the assimilation of drugs of abuse and other contaminants of emerging concern in this species can offer valuable insights regarding human health risk assessments and seafood consumption safety."
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