Cocaine in the water makes eels hyperactive and damages muscles

20 June 2018 Cocaine in the water makes eels hyperactive and damages muscles Eels became hyperactive after time in water containing cocaine imageBROKER/Alamy Stock Photo By Michael Marshall

Eels exposed to low levels of cocaine in their water become hyperactive and suffer muscle damage. The eels may struggle to complete their migrations as a result. The finding adds to the growing evidence that drugs in fresh water can cause harm, even if they are only found at extremely low levels.

Rivers and other water bodies often contain low levels of drugs, including both medicines and illegal drugs such as cocaine. These chemicals can make their way into drinking water and there is evidence that they affect wildlife.

Anna Capaldo of the University of Naples Federico II in Italy and her colleagues studied European eels (Anguilla anguilla). They have previously found that cocaine accumulates in the eels’ flesh and that it affects their skin and hormones.

Eels don’t like the drugs The team kept 150 eels in tanks. Some of the tanks contained a low level of cocaine, just 20 nanograms per litre, […]

Full article: Cocaine in the water makes eels hyperactive and damages muscles

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