How Is Prozac Getting Into Our Drinking Water - 950 Words

You could be on antidepressants and not even know it. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. The idea that we’re unwittingly ingesting Prozac each time we drink a glass of tap water sounds like a conspiracy theory. But it’s not. Within the last decade, traces of pharmaceuticals have been reported in the water cycle, including surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and to a lesser extent, drinking water, according to the World Health Organization. How is Prozac getting into our drinking water? Barring conspiracy theories, it’s really no surprise how Prozac gets in our drinking water. Antidepressants such as Prozac are the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. With approximately 250 million prescriptions filled†¦show more content†¦Apparently, when fish swim in waters contaminated with antidepressant drugs like Prozac, they become anxious, anti-social and sometimes even homicidal. Male minnows exposed to very small doses of Prozac, in controlled lab, ignored females. Additionally, they spent more time hiding, which decreased reproduction and longer to catch prey. When the doses were increased, females produced fewer eggs, and the males became aggressive, killing females. Obviously, changes in reproduction, plus avoiding prey can have a devastating impact on fish population. The most vulnerable fish populations seem to be those downstream of sewage treatment plants. Prescription drugs consistently show up in higher levels in these areas compared to other waterways reports Scientific America. So what does this mean for us. Assessing human health risks In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) brought together experts in toxicology, water chemistry, water quality and health, water treatment and pharmacology to form a â€Å"Drinking–water† directive and policy. The quality Committee along with additional experts examined pharmaceuticals in drinking water, and the human health risk associated with pharmaceuticals in drinking water. Many surveys and studies confirm the presence of pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater and effluents, reports WHO. However, according to WHO, studies in the US have detected very low levels