Dolphins under drugs: Alarming residues in our oceans!

Dolphins under drugs: Alarming residues in our oceans!

An alarming study has demonstrated the presence of medication residues, especially the extremely strong pain reliever fentanyl, in the tissues of dolphins in Mexico. Fentanyl, which is also used as a deadly drug, was a threatening result in 30 out of 89 tissue samples. In addition to Fentanyl, the researchers also found muscle relaxants and sedatives. The study, published in the magazine "ISCience", has for the first time proven medical drugs from human medicine in marine matters, which raises serious concerns for the ecosystems, such as reported.

Scientists believe that these residues are due to poorly cleaned waste water that comes into the oceans. Dolphins are considered the “bioindicators” of the ocean, and their health directly reflects the pollution and the effects of human activities. Although only six animals were already dead during the investigations, tissue samples were also taken from living dolphins, which underlines the urgency of research. Researchers warn that such substances can recover not only for the animals, but also for humans, since the fentanyl can lead to dependencies and even death if the dosage is incorrectly dosed Der SPIEGEL

The results of this study illustrate the growing problem of pharmaceuticalontamination in marine habitats. Medicines reach the waters via wastewater and accumulate in the food chain, which ultimately also affects the people who consume the affected fish. The discovery makes it clear that urgent measures are necessary to improve wastewater treatment and to reduce pollution to protect both the marine dwellers and human health.