Scientists Find Cocaine In UK Shrimp

London: Researchers in the UK have found cocaine, pharmaceuticals and pesticides in all samples of freshwater shrimp in a rural area of eastern England. Scientists from King’s College London and the University of Suffolk tested the exposure of freshwater shrimp to different micropollutants at 15 different sites in the county of Suffolk.

Scientists were surprised to find illicit drugs in the samples in rural England, with ketamine also widespread. The full results of the study were published in the journal Environment International. “Such regular occurrence of illicit drugs in wildlife was surprising,” Leon Barron from King’s College London said in a press release. “We might expect to see these in urban areas such as London, but not in smaller and more rural catchments.” Researchers also found traces of fenuron, a pesticide that has long been banned in the UK, added Barron, who said that the sources of the chemical are not clear. High levels of benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite of cocaine, have previously been detected in wastewater in London. (IANS)

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