A recent study has found the existence of the antidepressant drugs in the fishes of Niagara River. This important revelation indicates the increasing use of the antidepressants among the Americans.
The researchers have traced the antidepressant drugs in the brains of the fishes that are flogging in the famous Niagara River. Scientists from the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State, Khon Kaen University, and the Ramkhamhaeng University conducted the research study. The study is available in the Environmental Science & Technology.
During the study, the researchers found the concentration of the metabolized remnants and active ingredients of some antidepressant drugs in ten fish species. These drugs include Sarafem, Prozac, Celexa, and Zoloft. The important fact is these drugs are mainly visible in the prescriptions in North America.
The Chemistry professor at the University at Buffalo, Diana Aga, states that the said drugs are traced in the human urine. The wastewater treatment facilities in the U.S. focus on destroying the bacteria but don't remove the drugs. According to Diana Aga, the antidepressant drugs could hurt the fish behavior. Several research teams have already reported that the antidepressants could affect the survival instincts and feeding behavior of the fishes.
According to CBC News, the famous Niagara River that carries water from the Lake Erie to the Lake Ontario is under stress. The key cause behind it is the release of the untreated wastewater into the Niagara River. The recent research study revealed that the levels of the antidepressants in the fish brains were higher compared to the levels present in the river. It clearly indicates the major accumulation of chemicals.
Professor Aga opines that people generally don't eat the fish brains and so the chemicals must not be a major threat to humans. But, continuous exposure of the fish species to these chemicals must bring major impacts and simultaneously hamper the proper balance that exists among the species. The National Center for Health Statistics reports the increment in the number of U.S. residents using the antidepressants from 1999-2002 to 2011-2014 by sixty-five percent.
