Shrimps affected by anti depressants

Antidepressants taking toll on marine life


Scientists in Britain have found antidepressant drugs are affecting the behaviour of marine animals such as shrimps.

In 2001, approximately 4 million people around the world were prescribed antidepressants containing the pharmaceutical fluoxetine.

Much of the active compound is excreted from the human body and is transported in sewerage to many estuaries and coastal waters.

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth say these antidepressants can change the behaviour of shrimps and potentially damage the food chain.

The researchers found that crustaceans exposed to fluoxetine were five times more likely to swim towards a light source than to swim away from it, making them more vulnerable to attack from fish and birds.

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