Our medications are making fish more angry and… less keen on sex.
Yep, you read that right. Studies are showing pharmaceuticals in wastewater are changing the behaviour of fish.
Listen to today’s episode of The Briefing here:
It’s been discovered traces of anti-depressants, and the anti-inflammatory ibuprofen are causing fish to become more aggressive and lower their sex drives.
On today’s episode of The Briefing, Katrina Blowers is joined by Ian Wright, an Associate professor in environmental science to explain what’s happening in out wastewater.
Mr Wright said pharmaceuticals in wastewater was an “enormous issue” but one we knew little about.
“We don’t have an incredible amount of knowledge and that is a concern,” he said.
“So, humanity, broad society is using and excreting all kinds of pharmaceutical substances and in the wastewater when that’s discharged, which is usually to rivers, to streams, to the ocean, to estuaries these trace chemicals from our pharmaceuticals are having all kinds of impacts.
“Really the biggest issue is the lack of information. And without that information, how do we manage or reduce or address those impacts?”
In his chat with Katrina, Mr Wright goes on to explain the behaviours being documented in fish and provides ways to address the problem.