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JaneV2.0
2-14-13, 4:39pm
http://www.livescience.com/27150-psychiatric-drugs-changing-fish-behavior.html

"In the lab, perch were exposed to oxazepam in aquaria meant to mimic the animals' natural conditions. Once exposed, the fish became more antisocial, distancing themselves from fellow fish and likely putting themselves at greater risk of predation, said co-author Tomas Brodin, also of Umea University."

Rogar
2-14-13, 8:07pm
Residual medications found in trace amounts downstream of waste treatment plants are actually a bit of a hot topic these days. Those shy anti-social perch may be self-limiting.

"Washington scientists have found that synthetic estrogen -- a common ingredient in oral contraceptives -- can drastically reduce the fertility of male rainbow trout. The man-made compounds are showing up in waterways around the nation -- pumped into rivers, lakes and Puget Sound with water from sewage-treatment plants."

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Birth-control-may-be-harming-state-s-salmon-1116254.php

ApatheticNoMore
2-14-13, 9:32pm
Shy is seldom anti-social as the term is usually defined (although that term sure seems to be getting degraded), shy might be asocial (avoiding socializing). The fish actually act bold (or so says the article)

"Drug-exposed fish also left the dark enclosures in their lab homes more quickly, venturing out into open areas of the aquaria to feed, Brodin said. Fish not given drugs lingered longer in their refuges, acting more cautiously. "But the exposed fish didn't care," Brodin said."

Those fish don't sound shy to me.

"The authors said the drug in question works by relieving stress (in both humans and animals), but a certain amount of stress is needed to prevent animals from taking unwarranted risks"

Probably used to treat shyness (anxiety anyway), but such might have an evolutionary purpose.

Better drugs than benzos though, in the water supply, planetary bliss ...... (I um followed my bliss, but only ended up rehab - joke ;))

Gregg
2-15-13, 10:38am
"Washington scientists have found that synthetic estrogen -- a common ingredient in oral contraceptives -- can drastically reduce the fertility of male rainbow trout. The man-made compounds are showing up in waterways around the nation -- pumped into rivers, lakes and Puget Sound with water from sewage-treatment plants."
[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial]

There have been several studies that attribute declining fish populations in the large western reservoirs at least partly to the same phenomena. Combine that with the terminator gene in some GMO crops and it gets scary in a hurry.

Spartana
2-15-13, 6:03pm
I use to work for a water/wastewater district and all thru out the 3 million plus population area we had signs posted that said not to put drugs or medications down the sink or toilets. While most cleaning products can be removed in the waste treatment process, and industrial waste products like heavy metals and toxins are removed at the production source before going into domestic (household) water or domestic wastewater, most drugs cannot be removed. Those drugs - especially hormones - effect the marine and wildlife populations (who drink the water, eat the fish, etc..) - as well as human populations who do the same - greatly once the treated water is released back into the ocean or other waterways. So there are actually quite a number of research projects going on in water and wastewater plant labs to test the effects on both marine habitates as well as humans. So if you guys start growing big breasts - you can say it must be something in the water :-)!

JaneV2.0
2-15-13, 6:18pm
We're a drugged society, awash in pharmaceuticals, and we're passing--or pissing--them along to the rest of the planet's inhabitants. Not a good thing.

Spartana
2-15-13, 6:27pm
We're a drugged society, awash in pharmaceuticals, and we're passing--or pissing--them along to the rest of the planet's inhabitants. Not a good thing.
Oh but all those colors we see after we drink a cup of water now a days :-)!