Results have been circulating online for a few days: scientists from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil have detected high concentrations of cocaine in the muscle and liver tissue of Brazilian sharpnose sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii). The exact origin of the drugs remains unclear, with smuggling and wastewater from illicit drug laboratories currently under discussion.
While most reports may seem bizarre, they reflect the symptom of a global issue: excessive waste of all kinds enters the marine environment. Sharks are generally particularly vulnerable – due to their long lifespans, they have significant time to accumulate drug residues, heavy metals, and microplastics, a process known as bioaccumulation. Positioned at the top of the food chain, they also ingest the toxins accumulated by their prey – a phenomenon referred to as biomagnification.
For consumers, these findings underscore one key point: avoiding the consumption of shark (and other long-lived predatory fish) is beneficial not only for marine conservation but also for human health, specifically liver function.
Article: de Farias Araujo et al. (2024): “Cocaine Shark”: First report on cocaine and benzoylecgonine detection in sharks. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724049477
