A team of faculty and student researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Precision Toxicological Consultancy, have detected traces of human pharmaceuticals in the blubber of live, free-swimming common bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Dolphins, like humans, consume fish and shrimp, suggesting potential human health impacts.
“Pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic substances used in human and veterinary medicine to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease,” said Dr. Dara Orbach, Assistant Professor of Marine Biology at TAMU-CC and Principal Investigator on the project. “Yet, improper use of pharmaceuticals can cause harmful effects including antibiotic resistance, addiction, overdose, and mortality. Furthermore, pharmaceuticals have become emerging micropollutants and are a growing global concern as their presence has been reported in freshwater ecosystems, rivers, and oceans worldwide.” READ FULL ARTICLE