Antidepressants found in fish brains in Great Lakes region

A rock bass. Researchers have detected build-ups of human antidepressants in the brains of this fish species, among others, in the Niagara River, which links Lake Erie with Lake Ontario. Image is a stock image and may not be republished.

The drugs enter rivers and lakes from treatment plants and sewage overflows, threatening aquatic life, scientists say

“Fish are receiving this cocktail of drugs 24 hours a day, and we are now finding these drugs in their brains. ”

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Human antidepressants are building up in the brains of bass, walleye and several other fish common to the Great Lakes region, scientists say.

In a new study, researchers detected high concentrations of these drugs and their metabolized remnants in the brain tissue of 10 fish species found in the Niagara River.

This vital conduit connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, via Niagara Falls. The discovery of antidepressants in aquatic life in the river raises serious environmental concerns, says lead scientist Diana Aga, PhD, the Henry M. Woodburn Professor of Chemistry in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences.

“These active ingredients from antidepressants, which are coming out from wastewater treatment plants, are accumulating in fish brains,” Aga says. “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.”

If changes like these occur in the wild, they have the potential to disrupt the delicate balance between species that helps to keep the ecosystem stable, says study co-author Randolph Singh, PhD, a recent UB graduate from Aga’s lab.

"The levels of antidepressants found do not pose a danger to humans who eat the fish, especially in the U.S., where most people do not eat organs like the brain," Singh says. "However, the risk that the drugs pose to biodiversity is real, and scientists are just beginning to understand what the consequences might be."

The research team also included Alicia Pérez-Fuentetaja, PhD, a professor in the biology department and Great Lakes Center at SUNY Buffalo State; Prapha Arnnok, PhD, of Ramkhamhaeng University in Thailand; and Rodjana Burakham, PhD, of Khon Kaen University in Thailand. The study was published on Aug. 16 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.