
Drug Crazed Fish
By Dan DeBaunShare
Wild fish populations are under enormous pressure due to widespread deterioration of water quality in aquatic ecosystems largely as a result of climate change and environmental pollution. And to make matters worse, new research reveals that pharmaceuticals, or 'emerging pollutants' as they're often referred to, can cause genetic mutations in fish that affect brain development and ultimately their behavior.
Antidepressants, such as Prozac, are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the US today. Traces of these drugs are excreted by the body, where they enter the sewer system and ultimately our waterways. Consequently, they are also the most commonly occurring drugs found contaminating US waterways, where they cause neurological changes in fish that cause them to become anxious, anti-social, and in some cases even homicidal.
According to a report published recently in Environmental Health News, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee conducted a laboratory study on young developing fathead minnows exposed to antidepressants at levels equivalent to those typically found in discharged wastewater, documenting their behavior following exposure. The study tested the minnows' response to three different drugs – Prozac, Tegretol and Effexor – individually and in various combinations.
The laboratory observations showed that male minnows exposed to very low levels of Prozac ignored females, preferring to hide under a tile rather than reproducing, and it also took them longer to capture prey. When the level of exposure was increased, but still within the range of levels commonly found in discharged wastewater, egg production in female minnows was reduced while male minnows became more aggressive, even killing females in severe cases.
Ecological Implications
These behavioral changes can have drastic ecological implications. Lead researcher Rebecca Klaper, a professor of freshwater sciences, points out that “any changes in reproduction, eating and avoiding prey can have devastating impacts for fish populations”. According to Klaper, neurological changes within the brain can cause all kinds of affects in fish. Considering that human brains have a similar gene structure to fish, these findings raise questions as to whether traces of these drugs in drinking water could be harmful to human health.
Fish populations downstream from sewage treatment plants are most at risk, as it is in these waterways that pharmaceuticals tend to be found at higher concentrations. Only within the last ten years or so have technological innovations made it possible for wastewater treatment plants to detect drugs in wastewater before it leaves the plant, as well as in downstream water samples, however, many still don't test the water for traces of drugs.
According to the report, a 2008 study conducted by US Geological Surveys across 25 states of waterways that supply drinking water found that 53 of 74 waterways tested had at least one of 36 pharmaceuticals they were testing for. Some sites tested positive for 40% of the pharmaceuticals.
Antidepressants and other pharmaceuticals are a relatively new form of water pollutant, and as such, they are not currently regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, they are increasingly becoming a cause for concern, and according to the EHN report, have been listed as contaminants for possible regulation due to the potential impact of these drugs on wildlife and also as drinking water contaminants.
Of further concern is the fact that pharmaceuticals could bioaccumulate within the tissues of fish and other aquatic organisms. While pharmaceuticals are not likely to persist to the same extent that toxic chemicals such as PCBs do, due to their widespread use, there is a persistent flow of these drugs through the waterways, so they are being constantly replenished and continuously absorbed by fish and other aquatic organisms, ultimately producing a similar result.
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Dan DeBaun
Dan DeBaun is the owner and operator of Big Berkey Water Filters. Prior to Berkey, Dan was an asset manager for a major telecommunications company. He graduated from Rutgers with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering, followed by an MBA in finance from Rutgers as well. Dan enjoys biohacking, exercising, meditation, beach life, and spending time with family and friends.
~ The Owner of Big Berkey Water Filters