It turns out that most of Florida’s redfish population have pharmaceutical medication in their system.
A year-long study by Florida International University and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust found cardiovascular medications, opioid pain relievers, and psychoactive medications in redfish around the state.
The antiarrhythmic medication flecainide and the opioid pain reliever tramadol were detected in more than 50 percent of the redfish.
The antipsychotic medication flupentixol was detected above safe levels in one in five of the redfish samples.
This research shows these waterborne contaminants are a statewide concern.
Scientists and volunteer guides and anglers sampled redfish in nine of Florida’s most important estuaries including Apalachicola.
Pharmaceuticals were found in all of the estuaries sampled, with an average of two drugs per fish and a maximum of five.
Only seven out of the 113 sampled fish had zero drugs in their system.
Bonefish and Tarpon Trust CEO Jim McDuffie said the results of the study underscore the urgent need to modernize Florida’s wastewater treatment systems adding that human-based contaminants like these pose a significant threat to Florida’s recreational fishery, which has an annual economic impact of $13.9 billion and directly supports more than 120,000 jobs.
A year-long study by Florida International University and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust found cardiovascular medications, opioid pain relievers, and psychoactive medications in redfish around the state.
The antiarrhythmic medication flecainide and the opioid pain reliever tramadol were detected in more than 50 percent of the redfish.
The antipsychotic medication flupentixol was detected above safe levels in one in five of the redfish samples.
This research shows these waterborne contaminants are a statewide concern.
Scientists and volunteer guides and anglers sampled redfish in nine of Florida’s most important estuaries including Apalachicola.
Pharmaceuticals were found in all of the estuaries sampled, with an average of two drugs per fish and a maximum of five.
Only seven out of the 113 sampled fish had zero drugs in their system.
Bonefish and Tarpon Trust CEO Jim McDuffie said the results of the study underscore the urgent need to modernize Florida’s wastewater treatment systems adding that human-based contaminants like these pose a significant threat to Florida’s recreational fishery, which has an annual economic impact of $13.9 billion and directly supports more than 120,000 jobs.
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