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<TITLE>Are sharks, earthworms on drugs?</TITLE>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080227/BLOG28/405397574"><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">Are sharks, earthworms on drugs?</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"><BR>
</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#666666" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota,</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#666666" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT COLOR="#666666" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">FL,</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#666666" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT COLOR="#666666" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">USA</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><BR>
</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us">"Did you know scientists are looking for anti-depressants and Viagra in the bloodstreams of sharks?"</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us">I asked that question over the phone to my editorial-writing colleague Daryl Lease.</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">He quickly replied, "They could go to any bar in Florida and find what they're looking for."</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">An editorial in Sunday's Sarasota Herald-Tribune commented on the search for pharmaceuticals in the bloodstreams of sharks -- the variety that dwells in the Gulf of Mexico and swims up rivers like the Caloosahatchee.<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080224/OPINION/802240663/1030">http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080224/OPINION/802240663/1030</A></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Information on shark research is available at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. <BR>
<A HREF="http://www.mote.org/">http://www.mote.org/</A></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">The editorial mentioned California scientist Steve Bay's investigations. Bay was recently interviewed by the Voice of San Diego.<BR>
<A HREF="http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2008/02/23/news/bay022308.txt">http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2008/02/23/news/bay022308.txt</A></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Bay said, "We have only recently developed the analytical tools needed to measure the concentration and potential effects of the wide variety of other chemicals discharged into the marine environment, like pharmaceuticals, flame retardants and plastic additives. Our understanding of the fate and effects of these types of chemicals is emerging because we have been investigating them for only a short time and many significant data gaps remain."</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Martketplace, a National Public Radio program, recently reported, "Medicine has been found in treated wastewater, which flows into rivers, lakes and oceans, harming fish and other marine life."</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <A HREF="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/02/20/drugs_in_the_water/">http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/02/20/drugs_in_the_water/</A></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Speaking of lower forms of life, earthworms are ingesting beauty products.</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Chemicals caught up in sewage sludge put on farm fields or applied to gardens can end up in earthworms, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geologic Survey. Get the scoop here:</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <A HREF="http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/feb/science/nl_earthworms.html">http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/feb/science/nl_earthworms.html</A></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><BR>
</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><A HREF="http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/earthworms.html">http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/earthworms.html</A></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">"Earthworms studied in agricultural fields have been found to contain organic</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> chemicals from household products and manure, indicating that such</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> substances are entering the food chain," the USGS reports.</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">"Earthworms continuously ingest soils for nourishment and can accumulate the chemicals present in the soil."</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Meanwhile, in Victoria, British Columbia, The Times Colonist recently reported that, "More than 100 people delved into the murky scientific, social and political waters of sewage treatment" at a public forum/</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <A HREF="http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=417683d9-1b16-48a3-91e6-6ad8cc2d2b3a&k=58939">http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=417683d9-1b16-48a3-91e6-6ad8cc2d2b3a&k=58939</A><BR>
</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A NAME=""><SPAN LANG="en-us">Cheryl Minskey</SPAN></A></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Residuals Specialist</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us">Domestic Wastewater Section<BR>
Florida Department of Environmental Protection<BR>
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS#3540<BR>
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400<BR>
850/245-8619<BR>
850/245-8621 Fax<BR>
SC 205-8619<BR>
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