Researches claim they have found cocaine in sharks in the waters off of Brazil.
Concentrations of the drugs were found in the muscles and livers of 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks in the coast waters near Rio de Janeiro.
The findings were published in Science of the Total Environment.
Researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute tested sharks caught by small fishing vessels.
Cocaine concentrations up to 100 times higher than those previously reported in other aquatic species were found in every shark that was tested.
According to the authors, the study findings point to the potential impacts of the presence of illicit drugs in marine environments.
They think cocaine could be pollution in the waters from illegal labs. Another theory is that it is coming from cocaine that has been lost or dumped at sea by traffickers.
"These findings are indicative of potential human health risks, as sharks are highly consumed in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in fact, throughout the entire Brazilian territory and indeed, worldwide," the researchers stated.
There have been rumors for years about sharks off the coast of Florida coming into contact with cocaine.
Last year, Discover looked into the possibility during Shark Week. The results were inconclusive but the experts hoped the show would spur more research.
