Walleys, Bass and other fish in the Great Lakes region are suffering contaminated brains. The contamination? Antidepressants that now seem to be contaminating the lakes.
Ten fish species in the Niagara River showed high-levels of antidepressants in their brains.
Researchers are claiming that this is due to wastewater treatment plants releasing antidepressant ingredients into the waters. And worse more, they say it is modifying the fish’s behavior and survival instincts. The study was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, specifically in the Niagara river region. Remember, the Niagara river is connected to the Great Lakes.
Dr Diana Aga, who led the study, says it even effects their feeding activity, per Daily Mail. She also says it means fish may not even act in responsive or defensive manners when their enemies or predators are in the area.
‘These active ingredients from antidepressants, which are coming out from wastewater treatment plants, are accumulating in fish brains,’
‘It is a threat to biodiversity, and we should be very concerned.
‘These drugs could affect fish behavior.
‘We didn’t look at behavior in our study, but other research teams have shown that antidepressants can affect the feeding behavior of fish or their survival instincts.
‘Some fish won’t acknowledge the presence of predators as much.’
This would change the entire species, lead to extinctions and taint food and water supplies for humans.
Absurdly, if you replace “fish” with “humans,” it isn’t a far stretch. Antidepressants have broken down our society for years. Dr Randolph Singh, a co-author of the study, however, disagrees that this poses any threat to humans.
‘The levels of antidepressants found do not pose a danger to humans who eat the fish, especially in the US, where most people do not eat organs like the brain,’ Dr Singh says.
I’m not too sure how I feel about that.