He said previous studies in Florida have documented human antibiotics and some endocrine disruptors in wildlife. “When you look at the research over the last couple of decades,” he said, “whether it’s on Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, manatees and other species in Florida, what it’s building is a really strong case that we have toxicants and other emerging contaminants of concern that are getting through our wastewater systems.” Duane De Freeze, a marine biologist and executive director of Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, called the study an original contribution to existing research because it looked at the presence of contaminants in bonefish, an “incredibly important recreational sport fish with very high economic value.” Most of these investments will go to the states, which will determine which sectors would benefit.ĭr. It provides more than $500 billion in federal funding for improving roads, bridges, water and energy systems over five years. She said they decided to share the research findings before publication because the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021 offered an opportunity to bring attention to key areas for investment, like the flaws in water treatment and regulation that allow pharmaceutical contamination.Ĭongress approved President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in November 2021. Jennifer Rehage, lead researcher for the study and associate professor at the Institute of Water and Environment at Florida International University in Miami, said she and her co-authors planned to submit it to a peer-reviewed journal. The study has not yet been published, but Dr. In one case, the researchers found 16 different drugs in a single fish. Results from a study by researchers at Florida International University’s Coastal Fisheries Research Lab have identified 58 different pharmaceuticals in 93 bonefish, sampled along a 200-mile stretch of South Florida’s coastline over a three-year period. Fish and marine life off South Florida’s coast are ingesting high amounts of pharmaceuticals flushed down the drain or excreted in wastewater, because outdated treatment facilities are unable to detect and filter out the contaminants.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |