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Effects Of Antidepressant Metabolites On The Fresh Water Algae, Pseudokirchneriella Subcapitata, Adam Curlin

Honors Theses

Quantities of antidepressant metabolites are known to be released through our wastewater facilities into the environment. The effects of many of these metabolites on the environment are unknown. To understand more fully the effect of these metabolites, an assay was conducted using the green alga, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. Antidepressants are the number one prescribed pharmaceutical in the United States. For this work, Zoloft was utilized as representative antidepressant in the aquatic environment. It was found that Zoloft significantly impacted the growth of the algae in controlled laboratory experiments.