Sharks off the coast of Brazil tested positive for cocaine, a sign of how the illegal drug has become an emerging environmental contaminant, scientists say in a new study.
Thirteen Brazilian sharpnose sharks tested positive for cocaine and benzoylecgonine, a compound produced when cocaine is broken down in the body and then found in liver and muscle tissues, according to a study published in Science of The Total Environment.
Scientists believe fish in the area off the coast of Rio de Janeiro were exposed because of inadequate sewage systems and “clandestine” cocaine-refining laboratories.
The sharks, selected because of their small size and coastal habits, are a good research candidate as they both are likely to be exposed to contaminants and reflect the surrounding environmental conditions, the study said.
