Pharmaceutical Pollution in Florida Waters: A Hidden Threat to Fish and Humans
High levels of pharmaceutical contaminants were found in the blood & tissues of Redfish in Florida waters by a year-long study conducted by the FIU Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
Cardiovascular medications, opioid pain relievers, & psychoactive medications were the most commonly detected contaminants.
More than half of the Redfish tested had the opioid tramadol & the antiarrhythmic medication flecainide in their systems.
About 20% of the red fish samples contained the antipsychotic medication flupentixol above safe levels.
Findings of the study show that waterborne pharmaceutical contaminants are a statewide concern in Florida.
It was also revealed by the bonefish study conducted in the Florida Keys that high levels of pharmaceutical contamination were found in the samples.
All estuaries sampled had pharmaceuticals, with an average of two drugs per fish & a maximum of five.
No drugs were found in 7 out of 113 sampled fish in their system.
On average, 25.7% of the fish exceeded safe levels of pharmaceuticals, equivalent to one third of the therapeutic levels in humans.
Redfish were sampled in nine of Florida’s most important estuaries by scientists & volunteers, who found evidence of contamination in every one of them. The most common origin of pharmaceutical contamination is human wastewater, & conventional water treatment doesn’t sufficiently remove them.
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