A new study by Alex Ford and Yasmin Guler, marine biologists at the University of Portsmouth in the UK
found that shrimp exposed to the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) were five times more likely to swim towards light, which is normally associated with predators such as birds and fishermen.
The change in behavior puts shrimp in danger and could have wider implications for the entire ocean ecosystem, the article stated.
“Crustaceans are crucial to the food chain and if shrimps’ natural behavior is being changed because of antidepressant levels in the sea this could seriously upset the natural balance of the ecosystem,” said Ford. “Much of what humans consume you can detect in the water in some concentration. We’re a nation of coffee drinkers and there is a huge amount of caffeine found in waste water, for example. It’s no surprise that what we get from the pharmacy will also be contaminating the country’s waterways.”
Here's the study
When you look at the next article, you'll begin to see a common theme. Mixing modern personal care or pharmaceuticals with our drinking water, whether we are a prawn or a human, is rapidly being revealed as serious health risk.
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