It makes for a compelling headline, but the reality is that the cocaine found in shrimp was trace amounts in a limited area. It’s one of the crazier headlines out there. Social media posts and news headlines claiming that researchers have found cocaine in shrimp. Headlines like these are accurate, but a bit misleading. There's no reason at this point for shrimp lovers in the U.S. to be alarmed. THE QUESTION: Was cocaine found in shrimp? If so, where? And does it pose any risks to consumers? THE ANSWER: Researchers in the United Kingdom did find cocaine in multiple samplings of shrimp across their country. The tests were limited to water sources in the U.K. and found trace amounts of cocaine along with ketamine, lidocaine, and pesticides. The same researchers who published the study said that they were in small quantities and were unlikely to cause harm to people. WHAT WE FOUND: Researchers from King's College in London and the University of Suffolk took shrimp samples from five rivers and 15 smaller water sources across the United Kingdom. In every location, the shrimp tested positive for cocaine. They also found lidocaine, ketamine and a number of pesticides. It’s important to emphasize these were tests in the United Kingdom. Which leads to an important follow-up question: Do we import shrimp from the U.K? No. NOAA documents show that we don’t import any from the U.K. They’re not even on the list. Our primary imports come from India and Indonesia, where they haven’t tested for cocaine. If you’re worried about eating shrimp, the researchers who did this study said the concentrations were small and the "potential for any effect is likely to be low."<doc-sep>Scientists investigating the contamination of wildlife with drugs have found cocaine in every shrimp they studied, as well as other chemicals such as banned pesticides. To carry out their study published in the journal Environment International, scientists collected shrimp samples in July 2018 from 15 sites across five river catchments in the non-metropolitan county of Suffolk on the east coast of England, U.K.. These included Gipping, Alde, Deben, Stour and Waveney. Cocaine was the most commonly found drug and identified in every sample, as well as the anesthetic lidocaine. This is often used by dealers to bulk up the cocaine, according to the study authors. The scientists believe cocaine could have entered the water because of leakages or overflows from sewers. Pesticides banned in the U.K. were also discovered, including fenuron. Ketamine, the animal tranquilizer which is used as a party drug, was also identified, as well as the opioid medication Tramadol and an antidepressant. Dr. Leon Barron, senior lecturer in forensic science at King's College London and co-author of the study said: "Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising." The team might have expected to find drugs in urban areas like the UK capital London, he said, but not in rural areas. Pinpointing the source of banned pesticides remains unclear and poses a challenge to experts, he said. Dr. Thomas Miller lead author of the study at King's College London commented: "Although concentrations were low, we were able to identify compounds that might be of concern to the environment and crucially, which might pose a risk to wildlife. "As part of our ongoing work, we found that the most frequently detected compounds were illicit drugs, including cocaine and ketamine and a banned pesticide, fenuron. Although for many of these, the potential for any effect is likely to be low." Study co-author professor Nic Bury from the University of Suffolk said: "Whether the presence of cocaine in aquatic animals is an issue for Suffolk, or more widespread an occurrence in the UK and abroad, awaits further research. "Environmental health has attracted much attention from the public due to challenges associated with climate change and microplastic pollution. However, the impact of 'invisible' chemical pollution (such as drugs) on wildlife health needs more focus in the UK as policy can often be informed by studies such as these." The contamination of wildlife with illicit substances is not isolated to rural England. Last year, separate research by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife discovered the opioid oxycodone in shellfish off the coast of the state for the first time.<doc-sep>Traces of cocaine and other illicit drugs have been found in freshwater shrimps in the UK, a study released on Thursday has revealed. Scientists from King's College London and the University of Suffolk tested freshwater shrimps from 15 different sites across Suffolk, a largely rural area north-east of the UK capital. Cocaine was found in all samples tested. Other illicit drugs such as ketamine, pesticides and pharmaceuticals were also widespread. "Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising. We might expect to see these in urban areas such as London, but not in smaller and more rural catchments," Leon Barron from King's College London, said. Among the pesticides found was fenuron, which is banned in the UK. "The presence of pesticides which have long been banned in the UK also poses a particular challenge as the sources of these remain unclear,” Barron added. Thomas Miller, the lead author of the study — published in the Environment International journal — said, however, that "the potential for any effect is likely to be low". Traces of cocaine and other drugs including amphetamine, methamphetamine and MDMA (ecstasy) were found in wastewater from approximately 46 million people across Europe earlier this year. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction tested wastewater from 73 cities across the continent and detected higher levels of four illicit drugs than in 2017. Cocaine residues were highest in western and southern European cities, particularly in cities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.<doc-sep>Professor Nic Bury, from the University of Suffolk, said: "Whether the presence of cocaine in aquatic animals is an issue for Suffolk, or more widespread an occurrence in the UK and abroad, awaits further research.<doc-sep>
LONDON, England (WKRG) – Researchers at King’s College in the UK have make a stimulating discovery…and it’s not stimulating in a good way. They found cocaine, other illicit drugs and pesticides in UK river wildlife…including shrimp. “The presence of cocaine isn’t the shrimp’s fault,” according to their study. According to a press release, “the study published today in Environment International, looked at the exposure of wildlife, such as the freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex, to different micropollutants (chemicals found at exceptionally low levels) and the levels of these compounds in the animals. “ The study says medicines, drugs and other chemicals end up in rivers after use, that thousands of chemicals end up in waterways saying, “surprisingly, cocaine was found in all samples tested, and other illicit drugs such as ketamine, pesticides and pharmaceuticals were also widespread in the shrimp that were collected.” Researchers say the concentrations were low, but still a concern. It’s unclear however if this is is just a local problem for that area, or a global problem. Researchers would not suggest that the problem would necessarily extent do places like the U.S. Gulf Coast. Professor Nic Bury from the University of Suffolk said: “Whether the presence of cocaine in aquatic animals is an issue for Suffolk, or more widespread an occurrence in the UK and abroad, awaits further research. Environmental health has attracted much attention from the public due to challenges associated with climate change and microplastic pollution. However, the impact of ‘invisible’ chemical pollution (such as drugs) on wildlife health needs more focus in the UK as policy can often be informed by studies such as these.”