(NewsNation) — Traces of fentanyl were recovered wrong bottlenose dolphins who were recovered dormant successful the Gulf of Mexico, raising concerns that the deadly cause whitethorn beryllium affecting different oversea life.

Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi recovered traces of fentanyl and different amerciable substances were recovered successful the six dolphins that were recovered dead.

Fentanyl recovered successful dormant dolphins

The probe squad studied 89 dolphins, from 3 areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Of the 89 dolphins that were studied, 30 contained traces of having drugs successful their system, including 24 that had traces of fentanyl. The probe recovered that the hint of fentanyl detected successful the mammals was not needfully the origin of death.

Researchers accidental they don’t cognize wherever the fentanyl is coming from but fixed the proximity of the Mexican borderline to wherever the dolphins were found, cause smuggling via the waterway could beryllium 1 imaginable source. Authorities accidental that drug smugglers person been utilizing the unfastened waters of the Gulf of Mexico for years.

This summer, the Mexican Navy pulled 1.6 tons of suspected cocaine from the water.

Researchers deliberation different animals could person drugs successful their systems

The assemblage said that the findings bespeak that pharmaceuticals person go emerging micropollutants and are a increasing planetary concern. Dara Orbach, the study’s pb writer said that the fatty blubber of dolphins is simply a bully indicator of levels of water pollutants due to the fact that it tin store contaminants and beryllium sampled comparatively minimally invasively successful unrecorded animals.

Researchers astatine Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi said they don’t deliberation the dolphins with drugs recovered wrong them are alone. A erstwhile survey discovered that sharks were besides recovered to person cocaine successful their system.

“What I telephone it is raising the reddish emblem basically,” Hussain Abdulla, a chemistry prof astatine Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, told NewsNation. “There is simply a interest present and we request to look. We request to analyse it further and (see) however large that occupation is. Is it lone section successful the Gulf of Mexico oregon is it really worldwide?”