Prozac Alters Prawns' Behavior, Reproduction, Even Their Color
Amphipods on anti-depressants found their lives brightened, right up until they were eaten. Arnold Paul, CC BY-SA The idea that tiny amounts of antidepressants present in our rivers and estuaries may be affecting aquatic life is generally met with surprise, sometimes skepticism, or even a degree of humor. The public were first alerted to pharmaceuticals in the environment in the 1990s through studies which showed that synthetic oestrogens, such as in the contraceptive pill, could feminise male fish, even in incredibly low concentrations of nanograms per liter (ng/L). This led to concerns of a similar effect on male human fertility, although it’s been hard to draw any conclusions. The idea that even tiny amounts of chemicals might dramatically alter the physiology of fish and other aquatic organisms isn’t that new. Back in the 1980s scientists were aware that concentrations even below...