Pharmacy Daily | Dispensary Corner
31 May 18

THE opioid crisis in the USA is reaching into the ocean, according to a new study by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Scientists have made the disturbing discovery that mussels in the Puget Sound, off the coast of Seattle, are now testing positive for oxycodone.

The researchers use the filter-feeding shellfish as barometers of pollution because they absorb contaminants from their environment.

Biologist Jennifer Lanksbury explained the phenomenon, saying "what we eat and what we excrete goes into the Puget Sound.

"It's telling me there's a lot of people taking oxycodone in the Puget Sound area," she added.

Here's a way to well and truly get food poisoning.

Officials from the US Geological Survey (USGS) who are monitoring the ongoing eruption of Hawaii's Mount Kilauea have confirmed that it is not a good idea to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents in the earth.

A Twitter user asked whether it would be safe to do so (given a long-enough fire-proof stick), "or would the resulting marshmallows be poisonous?"

The agency responded on social media by confirming the roasted sweets would probably taste pretty bad due to sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide emissions.

Currently the USGS warning for the remote volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is at the highest level, indicating "a hazardous eruption is imminent, underway or suspected".