ACTIVISTS in Florida are urging authorities to upgrade wastewater systems, after fish in the Tampa Bay area were found to contain multiple types of prescription medication.
The controversy has erupted in light of a new study from Florida International University, which caught over 110 "redfish" across the course of a year and then analysed the creatures.
On average three pharmaceutical drugs were found in the bloodstream of each fish, with a spokesperson for the Tampa Bay Water Keeper group saying the results mean "our fish are literally on drugs".
"This is essentially yelling at us that we need to reinvest in our water infrastructure, and in this case our wastewater infrastructure," he said.
The most commonly detected medications in the fish included cardiovascular drugs, opioids and psyochoactive substances, with antiarrhythmic drug flecanide and opioid tramadol detected in more than half of the fish tested.
The study's authors noted that pharmaceutical contaminants most often originate from human wastewater, and are not sufficiently removed by conventional treatment systems.
"They remain active at low doses...and exposure can affect all aspects of fish behaviour, with negative consequences for their reproduction & survival."
A significant proportion of the state's economy is based on recreational fishing, which supports over 120,000 jobs.
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