Pharmaceutical Pollutants Alters the Natural Traits of Atlantic Salmon: Says Study

Studies reveal that Salmon are swimming faster than usual. It might sound to you what’s the problem in that? Yes, there is. It is swimming fast, not out of instinct. It is happening due to the pharmaceutical pollutants that are dumped into the ocean and rivers by humans regularly. Well, you might be convinced it’s obvious now! It’s us again. The recent study carried out by the international team from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences revealed that the pollution caused by the pharmaceutical wastes are affecting  both the behavior and migration of Atlantic Salmon.

The painkillers and the anti-anxiety drugs that are flushed into the rivers and ocean are making a huge difference in their swimming pattern which has become faster than usual. Their altered arrival would affect the marine species that rely on their presence for food. Such changes disrupts the flow of nutrients and the productivity of the ocean, also the altered conditions can lead to a gene pool shift causing a long-term alteration in the ecosystem function of salmon on river & ocean.

“Pharmaceutical pollutants are an emerging global issue, with over 900 different substances having now been detected in waterways around the world. Of particular concern are psychoactive substances like antidepressants and pain medications, which can significantly interfere with wildlife brain function and behavior” – Said, Dr.Marcus Michelangeli, Griffith University’s Australian Rivers Institute.