US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Salmon exposed to cocaine swim almost twice as far as those without, study shows
Researchers found exposed juvenile salmon swam 1.9 times farther each week, raising concerns about wastewater drugs altering wildlife movement.
- On Monday, researchers from Griffith University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences released findings showing Atlantic salmon exposed to benzoylecgonine swam 1.9 times farther than unexposed fish, dispersing 12.3 kilometers beyond control groups.
- Cocaine and similar compounds permeate global waterways through wastewater systems never designed to remove drugs, prompting scientists to move beyond previous laboratory experiments to study wild fish behavior in natural habitats.
- Researchers surgically implanted slow-release devices into 105 juvenile Atlantic salmon in Sweden's Lake Vattern and tracked movements over eight weeks using acoustic telemetry, finding benzoylecgonine produced stronger behavioral effects than cocaine itself.
- "The unusual part is not the experiment, it's what's already happening in our waterways," said Associate Professor Michael Bertram of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, calling for improved wastewater treatment and monitoring.
- Future research will determine how behavioral changes affect salmon survival and reproduction, as similar studies show sharks in Brazil and the Bahamas are exposed to cocaine, caffeine, and pharmaceutical substances.
Insights by Ground AI
11 Articles
11 Articles
A scientific study raises new concerns about chemical pollution in aquatic ecosystems. Traces of cocaine and its metabolites may be directly affecting the behavior of fish such as salmon, with consequences...
·Portugal
Read Full Article
Salmon exposed to cocaine in water travel longer distances than those not exposed to cocaine, according to a joint study by Australian and Swedish universities.
·Montreal, Canada
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Center
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 30%
C 40%
R 30%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
