Fish Hurt by Drug Waste

Waste from pharmaceutical factories is finding its way to the world’s waterways, and affecting the sexual attributes of local fish.

Written byJef Akst

| 2 min read

Save for Later

Listen with Speechify

0:00

2:00

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, MARK ASHMANN

A series of recent studies suggests that pharmaceutical factories are not as careful with their waste as they should be, Nature reports. First, a 2009 study found high levels of bioactive ingredients in treated waste being released from a wastewater-treatment plant in India. Last year, investigations of two water-processing plants in New York revealed similar events. And now, new evidence published in Environment International suggests bioactive drugs are also making it into the waterways in France, and that they are affecting the fish populations in the local rivers.

Specifically, the new study, commissioned by the French environment ministry after the sighting of some abnormal fish, examined wild gudgeons (Gobio gobio) in a river near a Sanofi-owned facility that manufactures steroid compounds. The researchers found that ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member?

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Go to The Scientist's LinkedIn Page
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
View Full Profile