According to new research done by scientists at the University at Buffalo and SUNY Buffalo State, several species of fish in the upper Niagara River were found to have a “pharmaceutical cocktail” in their systems, including chemicals found in Zoloft and those used in anti-depressants Prozac and Sarafem.
A report on the study, published Wednesday in The Buffalo News, said the effects of the anti-depressants can make the fish indifferent to predators, food and reproduction.
The problem seems to trace back to the waste water treatment process. Treatment plants, which are hyper focused on killing harmful bacteria and removing solids from sewage, tend to ignore treatment of emerging chemicals like pharmaceuticals, the study’s authors concluded.
“There are so many other chemicals that are not prioritized that impact our environment,” said chemist Diana S. Aga, a co-author on the study from the University at Buffalo. “As a result, wildlife is exposed to all of these chemicals. Fish are receiving this cocktail of drugs 24-hours-a-day, and we are now finding these drugs in their brains.”
Researchers say the study’s findings are alarming.
“What happens to the population if they’re not interested in mating?” asked Alicia Pérez-Fuentetaja, a research scientist at SUNY Buffalo State’s Great Lakes Center. “Or, if they don’t care if they get eaten?”
To read the complete report, click here.
