Cocaine and ecstasy were some of the drugs and pharmaceutical products found by a group of scientists in marine life in UK coastal waters, namely crabs and oysters.
The discovery was made by scientists from the Universities of Portsmouth and Brunel in London, in a study released last year, but it remains current, with some of those responsible having once again warned about it.
"We found cocaine in marine organisms, we found ecstasy, we found methamphetamine and these substances are in crabs, in oysters, in algae, in worms that live in the sediments," Professor Alex Ford, a marine biologist at the University of Portsmouth, recently told Reuters, according to cite international media.
The study involved volunteers, who collected hundreds of samples at the ports of Chichester and Langstone. Water pollution goes beyond drugs, with high levels of potentially harmful chemicals being found in water and wildlife, as well as high levels of E. coli.
Southern Water, responsible for water and sewage treatment in the region, admitted, in 2021, more than 50 infractions for illegal dumping of sewage between 2010 and 2015. At the time, the company was the target of a record fine, as it verified that the infractions were caused by deliberate failures.
Scientists warn, however, that untreated wastewater is only part of the problem.
"If you give antidepressants to a crab or a fish, its behavior will change in much the same way that our behavior was designed to change if we took that medication," said Professor Ford.
The impact of pollution and detected substances is still unclear on animal behavior. However, fertility problems that could lead to the eventual extinction of some species are one possibility.
