This Is What Happens When Salmon Get All Coked Up
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- A Swedish study found that traces of cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine, present in rivers and lakes, accumulate in juvenile Atlantic salmon and alter their movement patterns.
- Salmon exposed to cocaine and its metabolite swam significantly farther and remained more active than control fish, with those exposed to the metabolite traveling nearly 8.7 miles more and moving farther north in Lake Vattern.
- The metabolite benzoylecgonine, commonly found in real-world waterways, had the strongest impact, raising concerns that current pollution risk assessments may overlook important compounds.
- Researchers emphasize the need for further studies on wild fish and advocate for improved sewage management and reduced raw discharges to mitigate potential ecological consequences.
- The study highlights broader pharmaceutical pollution issues, as other drugs like ibuprofen and Prozac have been detected in juvenile salmon species in various regions.
