Antidepressants finding their way into our waterways are causing shrimp to become more attracted to light – increasing their chances of being eaten or caught.
Image credit: Tom Varco
Transcript of the Audio Podcast:
How the meds that heal humans hurt marine life… on this CurrentCast.
Medications are entering our water through runoff and sewage, and upsetting the balance of ecosystems.
Alex Ford of the University of Portsmouth in the UK studied what happens when a shrimp is exposed to antidepressants.
Ford: “It will become more attracted to light.”
Shrimp in the light are more likely to be eaten or caught, and less likely to find food or places to reproduce, so antidepressants in water could reduce the population.
Current sewage treatment methods do not fully remove these chemicals. So policy and infrastructure changes are needed to protect water resources from this unique form of pollution. We can help by properly disposing of unused medications.
Support for CurrentCast comes from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas. Learn more online at http://www.currentcast.org.
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