Prozac Alters Shrimp Behavior

Dr. Alex Ford from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Marine Sciences conducted research into the effect of the antidepressant ingredient fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) on shrimp. He found that shrimp exposed to the antidepressant were much more likely to swim toward light, which makes them more vulnerable to predation from fish and birds. Normally they take cover in darker areas such as shadows and between rocks or near plants to protect themselves. The exposed shrimp were also more sensitive to serotonin which effect moods and sleep patterns in humans.

Dr. Ford explains how the man-made chemical is finding its way to shrimp and other sea life. “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.”

As Dr. Ford explains, our waste goes directly to the home of shrimp and other marine life. “Effluent is concentrated in river estuaries and coastal areas, which is where shrimps and other marine life live — this means that the shrimps are taking on the excreted drugs of whole towns.”

The problem with shrimp being much more vulnerable to predation is that their populations are likely to be reduced significantly, and they are an important part of the marine food chain.

Prozac is an SSRI antidepressant that is very popular in the United States, and in the UK where the research took place. According to Wikipedia, it is one of the most prescribed, “22.2 million prescriptions for generic formulations of fluoxetine were filled in the United States in 2007.” In the same year, reportedly 31 million prescriptions were filled in the UK.

Prozac and Sarafem are not the only pharmaceuticals winding up in wastewater. With more people living longer and taking more prescription medication, the problem will likely continue to grow.

Image Credit: southgeist

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Emma S.

1:27PM PST on Dec 4, 2011

Not very heartening news - but interesting that they swam towards the light, which is what you long to do when depressed...

send a green star

Jonathan Y.

7:06PM PDT on Jun 23, 2011

Sea life affected by drugs, well, duh. What I want to know is what doctor prescribed an Serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor for a bad back??

Jon H.

12:12PM PDT on Apr 1, 2011

So now somehow shrimps are related to our body chemistry? Ooooooooook! Thank you for the article.

Neil A.

5:08AM PDT on Mar 25, 2011

I was proscribed prozac 35 years ago for a painful back, but soon had the sense to see it was very dangerous & made me dangerous & very aggressive so had the will to stop taking it (I have a non addictive personality I believe) & am now wary of any medicines feeling we really mostly do not need them, all it does is have a possible placebo effect & doctors know stupid patients feel they must be given something when visiting the surgery, worst it just puts enormous amounts of money from the health services to BIG PHARMA.

Bente S.

7:15AM PDT on Aug 21, 2010

Hm! Not possible to rinse out of the waste water before the rinsed water is sendt further on?

SANDRA R.

5:49AM PDT on Aug 18, 2010

Thank you for the article Jake!!

Tina S.

12:27PM PDT on Aug 16, 2010

Why are you giving Prozak to shrimp?

Georgeta T.

2:31AM PDT on Aug 16, 2010

Why testing on shrimps? I don't aprove animal testing at all!

Tekla D.

12:27AM PDT on Aug 16, 2010

our society eats far to much unnecessary medicines! As for prozac - many people can fix their lifes instaed of eating medicines to stay in a bad situation....

Past Member .

9:06AM PDT on Aug 15, 2010

shrimps on prozac ???