A cocktail of prescription drugs — from blood pressure medications to opioids — has found its way into the flesh of South Florida’s population of bonefish, one of the state’s most sought-after game fish, according to a study released this week.
The culprit is a sewage system designed to filter out fecal matter and other pollution, but not pharmaceuticals, researchers at Florida International University and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust say.
“The source of this contamination is human waste and a wastewater infrastructure that has been pressed beyond its technological capability and capacity, at least to meet the demands of today,” Jim McDuffie, president and CEO of the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, said while introducing the study at Florida State University in Tallahassee Wednesday.
