UF Toxicology Lab To Assess Effects Of Pollutants On Sharks

Sending commonly prescribed medications down the drain may be taking a bite out of the environment u" at least when it comes to shark habitat, University of Florida veterinary scientists say. In fact, the combination of flushing unused medications and the natural excretion of drug residue from antidepressants, cholesterol-regulating drugs and contraceptives into wastewater systems could be having repercussions on aquatic animal life in general. Researchers at UFus College of Veterinary Medicineus Analytical Toxicology Core Laboratory, in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, are studying the bull sharkus exposure to pharmaceutical drug residue found in the waters of the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers. Bull sharks leave the ocean to spend time in brackish rivers and estuaries, and the river serves as a nursery for their young. uA…aˆ?Because bull sharks have the unique ability to survive in both saltwater and freshwater environments, they are in close, frequent contact with people u" and, as a result, are frequently exposed to wastewater pollutants found in freshwater basins,uA‚A? said Jim Gelsleichter, senior scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory...