Psychiatric drugs probably affecting fish behaviour.
- Thread starter Bluenose
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B
binka
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I remember a piece from some years ago mentioned further on in the article referring to the estrogenic from contraceptive pills that was causing changes to male fish, I think that this was where they were apparently changing sex.
I thought our waters were supposed to be cleaner than ever... or do they just look cleaner?
Either way it's a bit too late for this poor fella...
I thought our waters were supposed to be cleaner than ever... or do they just look cleaner?
Either way it's a bit too late for this poor fella...
Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)
Senior Member
Lord Paul of Sheffield
Well-known member
Does it make them easier to catch - the report said it made fish eat faster and act bolder
chav professor
Well-known member
What really concerns me is the introduction of Viagra into our water systems.... It definitely seems to make them 'harder' to catch....
B
binka
Guest
The bad one
Well-known member
This I suspect will mirror the effects of Endocrine disruptors. The Pill being only one of the 250 + known substances (endocrine disruptors) that enter the rivers. Ergo rivers that run through centers of population will be where the fish will be affected most.
And again only the effects on fish have been looked at and not the upper and lower life zooplankton and the impacts on them.
Take all upper life, fish predators, if the same effects are mirrored in them, and there's no reason to think they are not, then the same effects as is being suggested for fish will be happening to them.
Supercharged Predators perhaps???????
If the same effects happen with the zooplankton, then you'd perhaps have supercharge zooplankton.
It could then be argued little would change, other than a stepchange to superchargedness in aquatic life. Most unlikely I'll grant you, but watch the manufactures of the drugs try to advance this arguementmg:
It's big, big money for them so they'll kick and scream all the way to regulation on the products.
And again only the effects on fish have been looked at and not the upper and lower life zooplankton and the impacts on them.
Take all upper life, fish predators, if the same effects are mirrored in them, and there's no reason to think they are not, then the same effects as is being suggested for fish will be happening to them.
Supercharged Predators perhaps???????
If the same effects happen with the zooplankton, then you'd perhaps have supercharge zooplankton.
It could then be argued little would change, other than a stepchange to superchargedness in aquatic life. Most unlikely I'll grant you, but watch the manufactures of the drugs try to advance this arguement
mg:It's big, big money for them so they'll kick and scream all the way to regulation on the products.
andreagrispi
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Excellent!!
But seriously, a significant percentage of the drug will be absorbed and metabolised by the individual who has taken it.
It will then subsequently be massively diluted and treated by the local water company.
I would be extremely surprised if there was sufficient to impact on a fishes cognition or evoke behavioural change.
geoffmaynard
Content Editor
I'm not sure that's correct Shaun. I'm told there are some drugs which can go though a human body and are as efficacious after exiting as they were upon entry. Water company treatments I also view with suspicion - I'm sure Phil can clarify - so in summary, I wouldn't be surprised if the end result was the opposite of that which you suggest.
The bad one
Well-known member
Re the original report, it's a new discovery, the effects are only just beginning to be uncovered and understood. It needs much more research to find out the levels of the drugs fish and other creatures are susceptible to.
It may well be that they are susceptible to very low traces doses of pecograms or below.
That stated, and as I allude to above the only comparable understanding we have is endocrine disrupters and the levels fish and other wildlife become susceptible to them, which are as above pecograms and below. With the rider some are bioaccumulations.
As to WA taking such substances out of the effluent before it's discharged to the river. Well it's not happening as yet with endocrine disruptors going through the system even though the Cause and Effect has been known about for 20+ years and the solution to it, strip them out by active carbon filtration, for over ten years.
So don't hold your breath for anything happening soon over this emerging problem from the powers that be in the UK. Most likely we'll have to wait for the EU to bring forward a Directive on it before anything is done from a UK standpoint. And then there's the usual 10-15 years lead in time for member states to get ready for the changes. And that assumes the UK is still a member when the Directive is brought forward.
stu_the_blank
Well-known member
I nearly posted about Endocrine Disruptors before Bad One, glad I didn't as he obviously knows a great deal more about it than I do. My sister is a chemist working with Environmental Control in California. Over years ago she was amazed how far behind we were on this subject. Our Govt. (EA) were in complete denial on the subject while the Yanks, who we like to think are environmental terrorists, had accepted the problem and were putting in place programs for dealing with the problem (which I believe acts as synthetic eostrogen).
Not much hope for any action any time soon on this problem either.
Stu
Not much hope for any action any time soon on this problem either.
Stu