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COVID-19

Environmental Risks of SSRIs After COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

New research from the Silesian University of Technology in Poland has found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly prescribed for depression, pose significant environmental risks after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study assessed the environmental occurrence and ecological risks of SSRIs, including citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline, and found that all except citalopram pose high risks to aquatic ecosystems. The researchers recommend upgrading wastewater treatment technologies and introducing systematic micropollutant monitoring programs to mitigate these risks.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in individuals suffering from depression, with nearly 4% of the global population affected.
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed for depression, but their environmental presence poses significant risks to aquatic ecosystems.
  • Fluoxetine was detected in drinking water at 0.0592 mg/L and surface waters at up to 1.92 mg/L.
  • Citalopram was the only SSRI assessed to pose a moderate risk to algae, with a Risk Quotient (RQ) of 0.50.
  • Other SSRIs, including fluoxetine, posed high risks to algae, crustaceans, and fish, with RQ ranges of 1.65-83.00.
  • The researchers recommend implementing preventive measures to limit the environmental concentrations of SSRIs, including upgrades to wastewater treatment technologies and systematic micropollutant monitoring programs.

Statistics:

  • Nearly 4% of the global population struggles with depression.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in individuals suffering from depression.
  • Fluoxetine was detected in drinking water at 0.0592 mg/L.
  • Surface waters contained up to 1.92 mg/L of fluoxide.
  • Citalopram posed a moderate risk to algae, with an RQ of 0.50.
  • Other SSRIs posed high risks to algae, crustaceans, and fish, with RQ ranges of 1.65-83.00.

Sources:

  • Chemosphere, Environmental risk assessment of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) after COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review, 2025;385:144545.
  • Silesian University of Technology, Biotechnology Center, Gliwice, Poland.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England (Chemosphere publisher).

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