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Fish Get High on Cocaine in Swedish Study
6 May
Summary
- Cocaine exposure caused salmon to swim farther, increasing risks and opportunities.
- Metabolites of cocaine had a stronger impact on fish behavior than cocaine itself.
- Drugs and their metabolites are increasingly detected in global waterways.
A recent study in Sweden has revealed that juvenile Atlantic salmon exposed to cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine, displayed altered swimming patterns. The fish ingested the substances through slow-release implants and were tracked for eight weeks. Those exposed to benzoylecgonine swam nearly twice as far weekly and dispersed over 12 kilometers further across Lake Vättern. Researchers note that increased swimming could offer more opportunities for food but also elevate risks from predators or suboptimal habitats.
This research is significant because cocaine and other illicit substances, along with their metabolites, are increasingly found in waterways globally, including Canada and Brazil. Wastewater treatment plants often fail to filter these compounds entirely, leading to their presence in surface waters. While direct risk to humans is minimal, the impact on aquatic ecosystems, particularly fish behavior and potentially reproduction, is a growing concern for scientists studying environmental contaminants.
