Mussels off the coast of Seattle test positive for opioids

[Steve_C]

Note that very trace amounts were detected. They also detected a drug used in conjunction with chemo-therapy. Lots of breast cancer these days. It is something to monitor but with modern labs they can detect stuff at parts per million or even smaller.

 

[RyanT]

Now it all makes sense why I found those mussels so addicting!

@Steve_C is correct. We now have the ability to detect trace amounts of many substances in our foods. Aside from opioids, many other insecticides, pharmaceuticals and hormones (from oral contraceptives) have been showing up in our ecosystems in recent year. There is some evidence that the estrogens are actually having a feminizing effect on male fishes, altering their behaviors.

@flyboy08, unfortunately our terrestrial foods are often just as polluted.

@Storker, I'm voting for the latter.