‘As society continues to grapple
with aging wastewater infrastructure and escalating pharmaceutical and illicit
drug use, we need to consider collateral damages to our freshwater resources’
Ian
Johnston Science Correspondent
Researchers tested streams in
Baltimore in the US and discovered “numerous drugs” at six different
sites, even in forested areas nearby.
They then used an artificial
waterway created in a laboratory to test what effect the concentrations of
amphetamines found in the streams were having on plants and aquatic animals.
Their findings, they said, were
"concerning".
The primary production of
biofilm – slime found in most rivers that forms the base of the food
chain – was 85 per cent lower in the artificial stream polluted with amphetamines,
also known as speed.
And the composition of bacteria
also changed and aquatic insects emerged earlier.
Researcher Dr Sylvia Lee, of the
US Environmental Protection Agency, warned similar effects were likely to be
found elsewhere.
“Around the world, treated and
untreated wastewater entering surface waters contains pharmaceuticals and
illicit drugs that originate from human consumption and excretion,
manufacturing processes, or improper disposal,” she said.
“We were interested in revealing
how amphetamine exposure influences the small plants and animals that play a
large role in regulating the health of streams.”
The study, which was detailed
in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, is one
of the first to look into the effects of recreational drugs on nature.
Amphetamine is also used in drugs to treat conditions like attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder.
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