Sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, according to a recent study by scientists from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. This discovery confirms long-standing suspicions that marine life can be impacted by drugs discarded into the ocean by smugglers.
The study focused on 13 wild Brazilian sharpnose sharks, a species that resides exclusively in coastal waters and is therefore highly susceptible to pollution. These sharks were obtained from small fishing vessels, and their muscle and liver tissues were analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. This technique, which separates molecules in a liquid, was used to detect cocaine and benzoylecgonine, the drug's primary metabolite.
The results were startling: all 13 sharks tested positive for cocaine, with concentrations up to 100 times higher than previously reported in other marine creatures. The study also revealed that cocaine was more prevalent in the sharks' muscle tissue than in their livers.
This marks the first instance of cocaine being detected in free-range sharks, highlighting a significant environmental concern. However, the researchers noted that the field is "very limited" and that the full impact of cocaine and benzoylecgonine on aquatic life remains unknown.
This research was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. It underscores the broader issue of drug pollution in the ocean, which has been highlighted by incidents such as the US Coast Guard's seizure of over 14,100 pounds (6,400 kg) of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean last year, with an estimated street value of $186 million (£142 million).
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