Limpets under threat due to rise in antidepressant use, scientists warn

Henry Bodkin 

8 OCTOBER 2018 • 6:02PM

Limpets are being killed due to the rise in antidepressant use which means they struggle to cling onto rocks, scientists have warned.

A new study argues that aquatic creatures in and around the UK are now “bathing in a soup” of the drugs after prescription rates doubled in the last ten years.

Experts have called for doctors to consider the effect on the environment before offering medication such as Prozac, saying its presence in the ecosystem can affect everything from a creatures’ growth and shape to its movement and feeding habits.

They also point to research indicating that antidepressants in waste water have caused shrimps to swim towards light, making them more likely to be eaten by predators.

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