BLUE PLANET: Florida fish test positive for antidepressants and antibiotics due to human waste in sea
A three-year study conducted by researchers at the FIU aka Florida International University and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust found out that the fish off the coast of Florida are testing positive for pharmaceutical contaminants because of human wastewater making its way out into the sea.
In a statement, Jim McDuffie, President of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, said, "Coastal fisheries face increasing threats associated with human-based contaminants. Pharmaceuticals are an often overlooked dimension of water quality and their presence in South Florida bonefish is cause for concern." He added, "These contaminants pose a significant threat to the flats fishery, an important part of Florida's recreational saltwater fishery, which has an annual economic impact of $9.2 billion and directly supports over 88,500 jobs."
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Recent findings from the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and Florida International University discovered blood pressure medicine, antidepressants and opioids have all been found in bonefish.
— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) February 11, 2022
FIU scientists and BTT research associates sampled 93 fish in South Florida, finding an average of seven pharmaceuticals per bonefish, and a whopping 17 pharmaceuticals in a single fish. The list includes blood pressure medications, antidepressants, prostate treatment medications, antibiotics, and pain relievers. Researchers also found pharmaceuticals in bonefish prey aka crabs, shrimp, and fish.
Lead researcher Jennifer Rehage, a coastal and fish ecologist and associate professor at the FIU Institute of Environment, presented the study's findings at a panel event. "These findings are truly alarming. Pharmaceuticals are an invisible threat, unlike algal blooms or turbid waters. Yet these results tell us that they are a formidable threat to our fisheries, and highlight the pressing need to address our longstanding wastewater infrastructure issues," she said.
Bonefish, by the way, are one of Florida's premier gamefish.
— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) February 11, 2022
They are known as "grey ghosts," according to the FWC because they are "stealthy, fast-swimming fish that are exciting and challenging to catch."
McDuffie added, "These troubling findings underscore the urgent need for Florida to expand and modernize wastewater treatment facilities and sewage infrastructure statewide. Governor DeSantis' leadership and historic funding for water quality improvements, along with legislative support and funding, have set us on the right path."
"Now we must expedite those efforts, increase investment over the long term, and pursue innovative solutions. We must accelerate septic to sewer conversion, and in those places where sewage is not available, require the use of advanced septic technology. The health of our citizens and the coastal resources that support Florida's economy depend on it," he concluded.
More on them and the findings of the study here: https://t.co/N2kiRUQO6L
— WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) February 11, 2022
The report states, "Approximately 5 billion prescriptions are filled each year in the US, yet there are no environmental regulations for the disposal of pharmaceuticals worldwide. Pharmaceutical contaminants originate most often from human wastewater and are not sufficiently removed by conventional water treatment. They remain active at low doses, can be released constantly, and exposure can affect all aspects of fish behavior, with negative consequences for their reproduction and survival. Pharmaceutical contaminants have been shown to affect all aspects of the life of fish, including their feeding, activity, sociability, and migratory behavior."
As per Daily Mail, a similar study in Australia found that fluoxetine, the main ingredient in the antidepressant Prozac, disrupts the foraging behavior of a freshwater species of mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, which is found in waterways in both the United States and Australia.