Ecological effects of pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems - impacts through behavioural alterations

Brodin, T. and Piovano, Susanna and Fick, J. and Klaminder, J. and Heynen, M. and Jonsson, M. (2014) Ecological effects of pharmaceuticals in aquatic systems - impacts through behavioural alterations. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 369 (1656). pp. 1-10. ISSN 0962-8436

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Abstract

The study of animal behaviour is important for both ecology and ecotoxicology, yet research in these two fields is currently developing independently. Here, we synthesize the available knowledge on drug-induced behavioural alterations in fish, discuss potential ecological consequences and report results from an experiment in which we quantify both uptake and behavioural impact of a psychiatric drug on a predatory fish (Perca fluviatilis) and its invertebrate prey (Coenagrion hastulatum). We show that perch became more active while damselfly behaviour was unaffected, illustrating that behavioural effects of pharmaceuticals can differ between species. Furthermore, we demonstrate that prey consumption can be an important exposure route as on average 46 of the pharmaceutical in ingested prey accumulated in the predator. This suggests that investigations of exposure through bioconcentration, where trophic interactions and subsequent bioaccumulation of exposed individuals are ignored, underestimate exposure. Wildlife may therefore be exposed to higher levels of behaviourally altering pharmaceuticals than predictions based on commonly used exposure assays and pharmaceutical concentrations found in environmental monitoring programmes.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Depositing User:	Susanna Piovano
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2015 23:35
Last Modified:	21 Sep 2016 00:09
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/7819

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