Change their ecosystem and limit their reproduction

Fish addicted to drugs that people get rid of in the rivers of the Czech Republic

• Fish addicted to methamphetamine.

  From the source

• Trout fish are more susceptible to drug addiction.

  From the source

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A new investigation has revealed how the "brown trout" fish found in the rivers of the Czech Republic became addicted to the drug methamphetamine that humans dispose of in rivers, as these substances find their way into rivers through sewage, explains a professor of zoology at Prague University of Life Sciences. and Pavel Horko, that people who abuse these illegal drugs can inadvertently cause fish addiction, thus altering the ecosystem.

According to the results of the research, which was published on July 6 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, acute and immediate consumption of methamphetamine caused fish to increase brain activity for a short period of time, while brain activity decreased in the absence of this substance. Among fish, drug cravings can replace natural rewards such as foraging or mating.”

The scientist notes that the direct effect of methamphetamine on the behavior of “trout” can vary from fish to fish for reasons, such as the length of exposure to the drug and its concentration, and he says: “The most dangerous result is that the drug changes the natural behavioral patterns of animals, and the pollution of rivers with these substances can change the performance of systems. environment for all living things.

Experiment

To reach these conclusions, the team led by Horko, and in coordination with colleagues from the University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, designed an experiment to measure the level of addiction among fish. Scientists divided 120 brown trout into two parts and placed them in two tanks filled with 350 liters of water for eight For weeks, one tank contained hundreds of nanograms of amphetamine per liter, the same concentration of the drug found in Czech Republic rivers, and the other in fresh water.

At the end of the eight weeks, the researchers removed amphetamines from the experimental tank, and randomly analyzed the fish’s behavior over 10 days, to detect signs of addiction and abstinence. Contaminated with the same level of amphetamine that it was previously exposed to, on the other hand the water was pure.

The study concluded that “the comparison fish did not show any preference for one side of the tank or the other, but the fish that were repeatedly exposed to the drug chose to stay in the water containing methamphetamine.” The research also revealed the presence of high levels of this psychoactive substance in brain tissue. After several days of abstinence, the infected fish were less active than the other fish, and the research team believes this could "reduce their likelihood of survival and reproduction."

The findings of the study are troubling. "Our results indicate that illicit drugs that enter freshwater ecosystems are addictive to fish and modify habitat preferences with potentially negative consequences that are relevant to the individual and population levels," Horko says. Another example, the team says, is the transmission of human societal problems into aquatic ecosystems.

Rivers are polluted with drugs

Although there have been few similar experiments conducted, Horko and colleagues agree that pollution of rivers with this drug is a common problem globally, and methamphetamine addiction is one of the most difficult threats to human health worldwide.

A 2018 report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime revealed that methamphetamine is the most widely used synthetic drug in the world, and its consumption has increased significantly over the past few years.

The report stated that "in 2005, 25 tons of this drug were seized, and in 2016, 159 tons were seized."

Horko and his team's findings are similar to those of a US research group, which finally showed how amphetamines alter the foundations of life in North American rivers. According to this study, published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, sewage carries narcotic substances that affect algae, bacteria and river insects.

"When rivers were exposed to amphetamines, we saw that algae production stopped, photosynthesis was reduced in the primary producers of the biofilm, and as a result there was less growth, and this is bad news for the organisms that It depends on biofilms for nourishment.

The Czech team reached a conclusion from the study: “Human pollution is often evident in oil spills and plastic waste on beaches, but many of the medicines we consume also end up in the water unnoticed, and current treatment technologies for sewage plants and rivers are not enough to eliminate it.” In light of this, many governments analyze river water to measure the level of drug consumption among the population, and in the European Union alone, 67 cities conduct periodic sewage checks as part of their anti-drug programs.

Horki acknowledges that while the study results appear conclusive, further field investigations will be necessary to determine the effects of methamphetamine addiction and abstinence observed in his team's experimental research among natural ecosystems. It is an illegal drug commonly known as pervitin.” Its boom in popularity dates back to the 1970s when it became part of the underground scene, consumed by many people who opposed the communist regime to relieve their pain and anxieties.

• Research findings indicate that illegal drugs that make their way into freshwater ecosystems are addictive to fish.

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