A study by University of Brighton's Dr Wulan Koagouw has revealed high levels of paracetamol in Jakarta Bay, adding to wider concerns around impact on seafood.
11 October 2021
Dr Koagouw is a Research Fellow in the School of Applied Sciences specialising in the impact of pharmaceuticals on marine organisms, and her paper in Marine Pollution Bulletin adds to growing evidence worldwide of pharmaceutical products joining a long list of pollutants that can contaminate seafood.
Dr Koagouw's study marks the first record of paracetamol in Indonesian seawater. A 2020 paper she wrote with University of Brighton colleague Dr Corina Ciocan and Dr George Olivier found even a low concentration of paracetamol exposure could cause serious damage to mussels, including inflammation and adverse effects to their reproduction. Previous researchers have also found damage to shellfish such as clams and oysters linked to paracetamol exposure, alongside damage to the livers, larvae and embryos of fish.
Jakarta Bay pollution courtesy South China Morning Post
Dr Wulan Koagouw
The level of paracetamol detected in the waters of Jakarta Bay is a cause for concern, as the actual contamination is likely to be considerably higher. This is because the study only measured the 5% of an ingested amount that is actually excreted by marine life as paracetamol, as opposed to a range of other compounds (metabolites) which could potentially transform back into paracetamol.
While the amount of paracetamol may be too small on its own to have a direct effect on humans, more research is needed to determine the drug's impact on marine life – and whether or not seafood caught in paracetamol-contaminated water is safe for human consumption.
Further investigation is also needed to identify sources of the contamination. There are three likely routes: human excretions containing the drug entering the water via sewage; waste from hospitals or pharmaceutical producers in the area; or expired drugs being tossed into the sea.
Dr Koagouw said: “When the level of a substance reaches a level that can interact with biological systems of living things besides humans, that is when the substance has the potential to produce harmful effects. Paracetamol has also been detected in the past decade around the Brazilian coastline, the north Portuguese coast, the western Mediterranean, and Aegean Sea.
“We are not aware of any human overdosing of paracetamol due to eating seafood - but one route of potential harm is the accumulation of contaminants in marine animals that enter our food chain. So further investigation is recommended.
“This study will also open the doors to campaigning to better sort and handle unused or expired drugs, and strengthening community and industrial waste management systems and monitoring. It will also strengthen research in the field of environmental toxicology of emerging contaminants to provide a scientific basis for making policies or regulations.”
TEF Silver awarded for the quality of our teaching and student outcomes
We are in the top 4.3% of institutions globally, Center for World University Rankings 2025
Race Equality Charter Silver awarded for our pledge to advance representation, progression and success for minority ethnic staff and students
We are ranked 14th in Stonewall's top 100 employers for commitment to equality for LGBTQ+ staff and students
We were awarded Athena Swan Silver for advancement of gender equality, representation, progression and success for all
We are a Disability Confident employer, committed to ensuring opportunity for progression for all
Signed to the Disabled Student Commitment, an initiative to improve support for disabled students
EcoCampus Platinum accredited for our environmental sustainability, compliance and processes