Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
American Chemical Society

Prozac Threatens Survival of Freshwater Mussels

Caption: Traces amounts of Prozac (fluoxetine) in rivers and streams endanger freshwater mussels, according to research presented at the 232nd American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco. When exposed to the popular antidepressant drug, female freshwater mussels prematurely release larvae, greatly reducing their chances of survival. About 70 percent of the freshwater mussel species native to North America are extinct, endangered or declining.

Credit: (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

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Related news release: Ingredient in Prozac increases risk of extinction for freshwater mussels