Commonly used medications may have infected Israeli coral, a new study from the Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History found after detecting traces of 10 common medications in coral samples off the Gulf of Eilat.
Researchers found antibiotics and laxatives in corals at a depth of 40 meters - with Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic used for respiratory and urinary tract infections, being identified across 93% of the sampled corals.
The study was led by Prof. Noa Shenkar of TAU's School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, and her PhD student Gal Navon, in collaboration with the Hydrochemistry laboratory led by Prof. Dror Avisar at TAU's Porter School of Environment and Earth Sciences. The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Pollution.
How did the scientists research this?
"In this first-of-its-kind study, we conducted a large-scale investigation for the detection of pharmaceuticals in corals," said Prof. Shenkar. "We sampled 96 reef-building stony corals representing two types, Acropora sp. and Favites sp., in shallow sites (5-12 meters) as well as deeper sites beyond the limits of recreational diving (30-40 meters). We were surprised to find an extensive presence of medications even in the deep-water corals - which usually escape contaminations affecting corals in shallower areas."
After obtaining data on the most commonly used medications in Israel from Clalit Health Services, researchers tested for the 18 compounds and identified 10 of them. These medications included antibiotics, blood pressure medications, antiplatelet agents, calcium channel blockers, laxatives, proton pump inhibitors, statins, and antidepressants.
The researchers claimed that not a single sample retrieved was drug-free.
"What does the presence of pharmaceuticals in corals actually mean? Clearly, the corals did not receive a prescription for antibiotics from their doctor," remarked Prof. Shenkar. "These medications are taken by humans to affect a certain receptor or biological pathway, and they can also impact other organisms. Previous studies, conducted by both our lab and others, have revealed many examples of this negative impact: estrogen from birth control contraceptive pills induces female features in male fish, impairing reproduction in certain species; Prozac makes some crabs aggressive and reckless; and antidepressants damage the memory and learning abilities of squids.
“There is no reason to believe that corals should be immune to such effects. For instance, if our pharmaceuticals should disrupt the spawning synchrony of coral populations, it would take us a long time to notice the problem, and when we do, it might be too late."
"Stony corals build coral reefs, and the types we studied are very common in the Gulf of Eilat," added Gal Navon. "Coral reefs are a cornerstone of marine biodiversity. They provide food, shelter, and spawning sites to numerous species, and support the human fishing and tourism industries. Today this delicate ecosystem is under pressure as a result of climate change, pollution, and overfishing. The presence of pharmaceuticals in coral tissues adds another layer of concern, indicating that human activities even contaminate faraway marine environments."
"Clearly these medications save lives, and we have no intention of requesting people to reduce their use," stressed Prof. Shenkar. "However, we must develop new sewage treatment methods that can effectively handle pharmaceutical compounds. Also, each of us must dispose of old medications in ways that do not harm the environment. Ultimately these drugs come back to us. I know people who avoid medications, but when they eat a fish, they might unknowingly consume a 'cocktail' of drug residues absorbed by the fish from the marine environment."
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