Name of Article: Our Drugs Make Fish Flounder
By: Richard A. Lovett
Published on: Scientific American
You may not think about this often but the medicine we use often ends in waterways and then affects several species. An example of such a fluoxetine (found in Prozac) which reaches waterways through urine as sewage-treatment plants are unable to remove it. When it does reach waters it affects the species of fathead minnows greatly. In fact, it the male fathead minnows are so affected that they start ignoring the females, consequently halting the reproduction process.
Meanwhile, another research indicated that 17-β-estradiol (a chemical found in birth control pills) affects the ability of fathead minnows larvae to escape predators and slows down their reflexes.
Effects such as those put the species in danger. While they do not face immediate extinction, a steady decline is inevitable.
By: Richard A. Lovett
Published on: Scientific American
You may not think about this often but the medicine we use often ends in waterways and then affects several species. An example of such a fluoxetine (found in Prozac) which reaches waterways through urine as sewage-treatment plants are unable to remove it. When it does reach waters it affects the species of fathead minnows greatly. In fact, it the male fathead minnows are so affected that they start ignoring the females, consequently halting the reproduction process.
Meanwhile, another research indicated that 17-β-estradiol (a chemical found in birth control pills) affects the ability of fathead minnows larvae to escape predators and slows down their reflexes.
Effects such as those put the species in danger. While they do not face immediate extinction, a steady decline is inevitable.
No comments:
Post a Comment