Fentanyl found inside dolphins in Gulf of Mexico

(NewsNation) — Traces of fentanyl were found inside bottlenose dolphins that were found dead in the Gulf of Mexico, raising concerns that the deadly drug may be affecting other sea life.

Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi studied 89 dolphins from three areas of the Gulf of Mexico – 83 were living and six were found dead. Of the 89 dolphins that were studied, 30 contained trace amounts of drugs in their system, including 24 that had traces of fentanyl. All six dead dolphins had traces of fentanyl.

The research found that the trace of fentanyl detected in the mammals was not necessarily the cause of death.

The university said that the findings indicate that pharmaceuticals have become emerging micropollutants and are a growing global concern. Dara Orbach, the study’s lead author, said that the fatty blubber of dolphins is a good indicator of levels of ocean pollutants because it can store contaminants and be sampled relatively minimally invasively in live animals.

Researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi said they don’t think the dolphins with drugs found inside them are alone. A previous study discovered that sharks were also found to have cocaine in their system.

“What I call it is raising the red flag basically,” Hussain Abdulla, a chemistry professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, told NewsNation. “There is a concern here and we need to look. We need to investigate it further and (see) how big that problem is. Is it only local in the Gulf of Mexico or is it actually worldwide?”

More research is needed, the group said, to determine the source of the contamination.

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