The five-year investigation, focusing on wild-caught guppies exposed to the widely prescribed antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac), highlights the profound and interconnected effects of this pollutant on aquatic ecosystems. The study, led by Dr Upama Aich from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences and Assistant Professor Giovanni Polverino from the University of Tuscia, has been published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.
Pharmaceutical pollutants, especially antidepressants like fluoxetine, have become a pervasive issue in water bodies worldwide. These pollutants, often introduced through wastewater discharge, persist at low levels in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Despite their widespread presence, the full impact of these chemicals on aquatic wildlife, particularly on behaviour and reproductive success, has remained unclear. “Even at low concentrations, fluoxetine altered the body condition of guppies and increased the size of…