iStockphoto / TRADOL LIMYINGCHAROEN
Researchers from King’s College London wanted to test the environmental impact of ‘invisible’ chemical pollution in England. In recent years, there has been a worldwide focus on microplastics pollution in water and not nearly enough focus on the pollution we can’t see with the naked eye.
So they pulled water samples from 15 locations around Suffolk and what they found is the freshwater shrimp are loaded up on drugs. They found cocaine, ketamine, and other ‘illicit’ drugs that you’d likely find at any Disco Biscuits concert this summer.
How did these drugs get into the river? How did they get into the shrimp? Is there a vigilante out there taking down drug cartels and dumping their drugs into the rivers? Are people flushing their drugs down the toilet and those drugs are getting flushed into the rivers with waste water? Why would anyone flush drugs down the toilet? I have so many questions.
Here’s the report from the BBC:
Their report said cocaine was found in all samples tested. Other illicit drugs, such as ketamine, were also widespread in the shrimp.
The researchers said it was a “surprising” finding.Professor Nic Bury, from the University of Suffolk, said: “Whether the presence of cocaine in aquatic animals is an issue for Suffolk, or more widespread an occurrence in the UK and abroad, awaits further research.
The study, published in Environment International, looked at the exposure of wildlife, such as the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex, to different micropollutants.Researchers collected the samples from the rivers Alde, Box, Deben, Gipping and Waveney.
They said in addition to the drugs, banned pesticides and pharmaceuticals were also widespread in the shrimp that were collected.Dr Leon Barron, from King’s College London, said: “Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising.
“We might expect to see these in urban areas such as London, but not in smaller and more rural catchments. (via)
According to CNN, trace amounts of cocaine have previously been found in wastewater in London but not in Suffolk (until now).
Suffolk is northeast of London and relatively rural compared to the cities of England so it had to come as a surprise that their rivers are flowing with illicit drugs. As for how much of an impact these drugs found in the river creatures are they said the potential of impact was ‘likely to be low’ which to me sounds like they haven’t done research on this yet and don’t have a clue but the amounts found in the shrimp was probably so small they’re willing to bet that nothing will happen.
Are there drug farms out there hiding in plain sight that are just leaking drugs into the ground and the groundwater gets leaked into the rivers? Was there a cheeky scientist who dropped some drugs into the samples to prank his colleagues but when they found the drugs everyone shit their pants and now that person’s too afraid to come forward? Or were these ‘trace amounts’ so small that they likely exist on anything that has come in contact with the outside world?
I want some answers. And I want to know if eating drug-laced shrimp is the next fad for taking drugs because that sounds like some futuristic shit right there.
(h/t BBC)