Tiburones are positive for cocaine

MEXICO CITY (apro).- In a new study called “Cocaine Shark,” scientists announced that they had found concentrations of cocaine in a species of shark known as the Brazilian sharpnose shark.

According to scientists, it is important to understand the uptake of drugs and other contaminants in this species of shark, as it offers valuable information on risk assessments for human health and the safety of seafood consumption.

Previous studies have already recorded the presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine – in aquatic ecosystems. However, studies on wild fish are still lacking, so Brazilian scientists took samples from sharks to determine whether they found the illegal substance and, if so, to measure its levels.

The results showed that all samples tested positive for cocaine and 92% for benzoylecgonine. Females had higher concentrations of the drug in their muscles compared to males. In addition, correlations were found indicating systemic transport and metabolism of the illicit substance.

Global cocaine use has increased in recent decades, as highlighted by the United Nations World Drug Report 2023. Around 22% of the estimated 22 million cocaine users worldwide reside in South America. Brazil is considered the second largest consumer market in this region.

Cocaine is considered pseudopersistent due to its continued release into the environment from inadequate wastewater treatment facilities and clandestine refining. Wastewater analyses from 37 countries between 2011 and 2017 have revealed the consistent presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in aquatic environments.

Another source of contamination is the packages of cocaine that drift and are not recovered by traffickers or authorities, so that they can be bitten or swallowed by larger fish, such as sharks. After consumption, cocaine is metabolized and only a small part is excreted unchanged from the body of these animals, mainly through urine.

According to previous studies, environmental levels of the drug are toxic to various aquatic organisms, such as mollusks, microcrustaceans, crustaceans and bony fish, among others. Scientists have observed that cocaine causes effects on these animals, such as reduced cell viability and increased DNA fragmentation, etc.