Cocaine Sharks’ Found Off Brazil’s Coast

More than a dozen sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, a new study reveals. Researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation found the drug in both the muscle tissue and liver of 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks. These findings, reported by CNN, mark the first time cocaine has been detected in wild sharks.

The sharks were selected for the study due to their small size and their habitat in coastal waters near significant contaminant sources. The levels of cocaine found in these sharks were up to 100 times higher than previously recorded in other marine animals. Interestingly, the concentration of cocaine in the muscle tissue was higher in female sharks compared to males.

Researchers attribute the high levels of cocaine in these sharks to increased drug use globally. South America accounts for about 22% of cocaine users, with Brazil being the second-largest consumer market. The study suggests that the rise in cocaine consumption and inadequate sewage treatment are likely causes of the contamination, rather than the dumping of cocaine by traffickers. Enrico Mendes Saggioro, an ecotoxicologist involved in the study, mentioned that unlike Mexico and Florida, Brazil doesn’t often see cocaine bales dumped at sea.

The impact of cocaine on shark health remains uncertain as no specific studies have been conducted on sharks yet. However, past research on fish and mussels indicates that cocaine exposure can be harmful. Mendes Saggioro and co-author Rachel Ann Hauser Davis noted that it is probable, though unproven, that cocaine exposure could have negative physiological effects on sharks.

Sara Novais, a marine eco-toxicologist from the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, emphasized the significance of these findings, calling them “very important and potentially worrying.” The study highlights the broader environmental impact of human drug use and the need for better sewage treatment infrastructure.

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