1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbaum here with another classic episode from 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: our archives. We hear a brain Stuff are huge proponents 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: of managing your mental health. However it works best for you, 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: whether that's through lifestyle changes, some kind of talk, therapy, 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: or medication. But because of the many medications that humans take, 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: we also need to take care of how they may 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: affect the environment. This episode is a study in Prozac 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: and crabs. Hey there, brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbam Here. Forty 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: years have gone by. It's the debut of the popular 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: antidepressant flu oxytine, popularly known by the trade name prozac. 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: It's in a class of antidepressants called s s R 13 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: EYES that's selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They give the brain 14 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: a little boost in serotonin, the chemical in the brain 15 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: thought to affect happiness. After all this time, it's still 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: the most effective and popular antidepressant on the market, and 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: experts say it's not getting replaced anytime soon, and since 18 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: demand for the drug is rising each year, it looks 19 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: like more fluoxetine will be in our medicine cabinets and 20 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: as a result, that means we'll have more fluoxetine in 21 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: our environment, and researchers want to know what it's doing. 22 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: It's not news that we ingest all kinds of chemicals 23 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: oral contraceptives, antibiotics, mood enhancers, and even caffeine that end 24 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,759 Speaker 1: up in our toilets since our bodies can't entirely metabolize them, 25 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: and after they're flushed, chemicals like fluoxetine end up in 26 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: rivers and streams, and after that in the oceans. What 27 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: effect that these chemicals have on ecosystems once they show 28 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: up isn't well understood, but one sixteen study found that 29 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: even small doses of the drug can render the notoriously 30 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: aggressive Siamese fighting fish uncharacteristically chill. A new study published 31 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: in the journal Ecology and Evolution examines the effect of 32 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: fluoxetine on shore crabs on the Oregon Coast and finds 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: exposure to the drug might be making them careless in 34 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: their foraging habits. A Portland State University research team exposed 35 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: shore crabs in a lab to trace amounts of fluoxetine 36 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: at levels that have been detected on the organ shore. 37 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: Over the course of sixty days, they found these crabs 38 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: forged more during times of the day they typically stay hidden, 39 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: exposing them to the threat of predation. These crabs also 40 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: fought more with others in their species, sometimes killing or 41 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: being killed in the process. A researcher, a Lease Grantic, 42 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: a professor in Portland State University's Department of Environmental Sciences 43 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: and Management, sudden to press release the changes we observed 44 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: in their behaviors may mean that crabs living in harbors 45 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,839 Speaker 1: and estuaries contaminated with fluoxetine are at a greater risk 46 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: of predation and mortality. Further research is needed to learn 47 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: how this and other pharmaceutical waste will affect our oceans 48 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: and what we can do about it. But for now, 49 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: you can help a little by contacting your doctor or 50 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: pharmacy to dispose of any unwanted medications instead of throwing 51 00:02:51,080 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: them in the trash or toilet. Today's episode is based 52 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 1: on the article Prozac making its way into oceans might 53 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: be affecting crab behavior on how stuff works dot Com, 54 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 1: written by Jesselyn Shields. Brain Stuff is production of I 55 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,839 Speaker 1: Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff works dot Com, 56 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: and it is produced by Tyler Clang four more podcasts 57 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: from my heart Radio. Visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 58 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.