Brazil: sharks found positive for cocaine

Analysis of 13 Brazilian sharp-nosed sharks caught off the coast of Rio de Janeiro found traces of cocaine in the muscles and liver of all specimens caught. The hypothesis is that the drugs are released into the sea through the discharge of untreated wastewater from the many clandestine refining laboratories in Brazil, or from drugs thrown into the water by drug dealers to escape law enforcement pursuits. The presence of cocaine in sharks is a serious issue that requires further research to assess the impact of this substance on marine ecosystems.