Not Afraid of Sharks? Well, Now They’re on Cocaine
In a study published last week, researchers tested 13 sharks off the coast of Rio de Janeiro and found that all had cocaine in their liver and muscle tissues. The levels of cocaine found in these sharks were reported to be as much as 100 times higher than in previously observed marine life.
Dr. Hauser Davis said there were several hypotheses as to how cocaine found its way to the marine creatures, including illegal labs refining cocaine or cocaine packages lost or dumped by traffickers. But she believes these account for only a small amount of the drug found in the ocean.
“We feel that the major source would be excretion through urine and feces from people using cocaine,” she said. Most wastewater treatment plants worldwide cannot effectively filter these substances, leading to their release into the ocean. --- NYTimes
