Antidepressant sertraline found in brain tissue of hammerhead sharks off Rio de Janeiro coast
By
Mariana Batha Alonso
Summary
Scientists have discovered sertraline — the active ingredient in Zoloft and other antidepressants — in the brain tissue of hammerhead sharks caught off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study reveals how pharmaceutical pollution from human waste enters the ocean ecosystem and accumulates in marine life. Sertraline, widely prescribed globally with sales projected to reach US$3.13 billion by 2032, is excreted in urine after metabolism, enters sewage systems, and ultimately reaches the ocean. In Brazil, 10.2% of the population has been diagnosed with depression and an estimated 4% use antidepressants, contributing to this environmental contamination pathway.
Source
bskyAntidepressant sertraline found in brain tissue of hammerhead sharks off Rio de Janeiro coasttheconversation.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledSertraline is one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world.
In Brazil, a national survey indicates that 10.2% of Brazilians were diagnosed with depression, and it is estimated that 4% used antidepressants.
But what few people know is that some of these pills take a second path after being metabolized by the body: They are excreted in urine, enter the sewage system, and go straight into the ocean.
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