Yes, this sounds like joke or science fiction, but in the fact, it is not! It is real. Recently worldwide news articles appeared that research studies revealed sharks with cocaine in their system are swimming near Rio de Janeiro.
Scientists believe that these sharks did not consume cocaine on purpose, but traces of the drug entered their bodies through contaminated prey or polluted water. The most likely source of cocaine in the sea is drug smuggling. Packets of cocaine thrown into the sea during police chases or accidents can disintegrate and contaminate the water. Also, wastewater from cities can contain traces of cocaine that has passed through the human body. Various laboratories also dump drugs into rivers (which flow into the sea) or into the sea. The cocaine concentrations were as much as 100 times higher than previously reported for other aquatic creatures.
This is a problem for nature and more animals because it just proves how much drugs go into the water. Although the amounts of cocaine found in sharks are not high enough to directly poison them, scientists are concerned about the long-term effects on their behavior and health. Cocaine can affect the nervous system of sharks, which can lead to changes in their feeding, migration and breeding habits. This can have negative consequences for the entire marine ecosystem.
Research on the presence of cocaine in sharks in the waters around Rio de Janeiro was conducted by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a leading scientific research institution in Brazil. This study is another reminder of how much human activity affects the environment, even in places as far away as the ocean. Scientists continue to investigate the impact of pollution on marine life, and these discoveries will contribute to a better understanding and protection of the ocean.
Here are some of links:
https://n1info.rs/svet/ajkule-pozitivne-na-kokain/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/24/science/cocaine-sharks-brazil.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cocaine-sharks-test-positive-drug-brazil-scientists-study/
