Table 1.
Five of the most heavily prescribed and used human pharmaceuticals in high-income countries that are known or predicted to disperse into the environment. For each pharmaceutical (UK trade name in brackets), the class and intended action of the pharmaceutical in humans are listed. Some of the common side effects in humans of these compounds are described along with suggested potential analogues of behavioural and physiological responses that could be measured in wildlife.
| compound | class | common side effects in humans | analogue traits to measure in non-model animals |
|---|---|---|---|
| fluoxetinea (Prozac) |
SSRI antidepressant | sexual dysfunction | — reproductive success |
| anxiety and suicidal thoughts | — behavioural and hormonal stress responsiveness | ||
| weight loss | — mass and body condition | ||
| feeling restless | — activity levels | ||
| fenofibrateb | lipid regulator (Fibrate) | diarrhoea | — defaecation rate and mass loss |
| muscle pain or weakness | — locomotory performance | ||
| orlistatc (Xenical) |
anti-obesity | infection of the upper respiratory tract | — immune function |
| lowered blood sugar | — blood glucose concentration | ||
| oily discharge from the rectum | — fat scores | ||
| — fur/feather soiling | |||
| irregular menstrual periods | — timing of breeding | ||
| diclofenacd (Voltarol) |
NSAID | gastrointestinal problems | — food intake |
| — body condition | |||
| tiredness | — activity levels | ||
| — escape speed | |||
| skin problems | — colour and quality of sexual ornaments | ||
| loratadinee (Clarityn) |
antihistamine | feeling nervous | — risk-responsiveness |
| appetite gain | — body mass changes | ||
| hair loss | — moult rate and timing |