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The anti-depressant Prozac can inhibit sexual activity in fish if it seeps into waterways, according to a study led by two University of Ottawa researchers.
In a study published Tuesday in the journal Aquatic Toxicology, researchers led by Vance Trudeau and Tom Moon in the university’s biology department found male goldfish exposed to Prozac did not respond to sexual advances.
In nature, female goldfish release chemicals called pheromones to indicate to males that they are ready to mate. Male fish detect the chemicals and release their sperm to fertilize the females’ eggs. However, the male goldfish exposed to Prozac did not respond to the pheromone and so did not release their sperm.
“Even when the potent female sex pheromone was in the water, male goldfish exposed to Prozac did not release sperm and therefore could not breed,” Trudeau said in a statement.
Prozac is taken by more than 54 million people worldwide, and Trudeau noted the drug had been detected in sewage effluent in areas where it was sold.
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