Festival goers relax at Worthy Farm in Somerset as the sun sets on the first day of the Glastonbury music festival June 25, 2014. Picture taken June 25, 2014.
Festival goers relax at Worthy Farm in Somerset as the sun sets on the first day of the Glastonbury music festival June 25, 2014. Picture taken June 25, 2014. REUTERS

A major music festival in Taiwan coincides with a spike in ecstasy levels in a nearby river, a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology shows.

This highlights drug abuse at the concert and also draws attention to the effects of the drug on aquatic life. This is part of a study of a class of substances called emerging contaminants, which include recreational drugs, personal care products and pharmaceutical products that end up in the drain. These substances are not treated properly by waste water treatment plants and therefore seep into the soil and water.

Scientists have been trying to see if spikes in the level of some of these contaminants coincide with major events such as the Super Bowl weekend in the United States. Spring Scream, the music festival in Taiwan, attracts 600,000 fans to a beach town. A large number of people zeroing in on a location and doing the same thing would likely cause a change in the chemicals in the water nearby. This is what the scientists who did this study tried to test.

Aside from ecstasy or Molly as it is popularly called, there was a spike in the level of ketamine, caffeine, acetaminophen and other contaminants in the rivers near the festival. Drug abuse and its environmental effects are a concern because these substances are known to pose a moderate to high risk to aquatic life. Levels of pharmaceutical drugs like ibuprofen were consistent, before, after and during the concert.

Earlier studies have shown a spike in the level of amphetamine in the sewage at universities during exam time when students take these drugs to help them study. Other studies have found a spike in cocaine levels and similar party drugs around London during the weekends.

It's very hard to determine the long-term effects of these pollutants on aquatic life.

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