Salmon exposed to cocaine in water swim longer distances than those not exposed, according to a recent study. The U.N. reports an estimated 25 million people used cocaine globally in 2023, with the drug increasingly found in waterways. Scientists from Australia’s Griffith University and Sweden’s Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences studied wild Atlantic salmon in Lake Vattern, exposing them to both cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine.
The study found that those exposed traveled 1.9 times farther per week than their unexposed counterparts. Researchers warn that pollution by common drugs poses a major risk to biodiversity. Associate professor Michael Bertram emphasizes the need for improved wastewater treatment and monitoring. A separate study last month found sharks in the Bahamas consuming caffeine, painkillers, and cocaine. Lead author Natascha Wosnick noted that while illicit substances like cocaine draw immediate attention, legal substances such as caffeine are equally concerning due to their widespread presence in shark blood.