Sharks in Brazil test positive for cocaine

Scientists have recently revealed that sharks found on the coast of Brazil have tested positive for high levels of cocaine.

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According to BBC, 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks which were taken from the shores of Rio de Janeiro were tested for the drug.

Marine biologists found high levels of cocaine in the sharks' muscles and livers.

This is reportedly 100 times higher than the concentrations that have previously been reported in other sea creatures.

Not only were the concentrations much higher, but this was also the first time researchers have found traces of cocaine in sharks.

The research was conducted by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

Experts suggest the cocaine might be entering the water through illegal drug manufacturing labs or via the excrement of drug users.

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Although less likely, lost or discarded packages of cocaine by traffickers at sea could also be a source.

These findings are "very important and potentially worrying," says Sara Novais, a marine eco-toxicologist from the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre at the Polytechnic University of Leiria.

Another worrying finding is that all females in the study were pregnant, and the impact of the drug on foetuses is unknown.

Research has shown that drugs could likely have the same effect on animals as they do on humans, but further research is needed to see whether cocaine is changing the behaviour of sharks.

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IMAGE: iStock/ mik38