PREDICTION OF THE (ECO)TOXICITY OF ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS USED IN THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN AQUATIC ORGANISMS

Abstract

The presence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems can have significant effects on the physiology and behavior of species. In this context, predictive models have been used as a tool to investigate the presence of drugs. The present study aimed to evaluate the ecotoxicity of 10 antidepressant drugs through toxicity prediction models using the ECOSAR v1.11 software. The (eco)toxicity of the compounds was evaluated at two trophic levels: crustaceans and fish. The compounds were then classified according to the European directive 96/67/EEC.

The results obtained in the present study demonstrated a toxic potential for all the drugs analyzed, with some being classified as extremely toxic.

Keywords: Ecotoxicology; Drugs in the environment; Antidepressants; Depression; ECOSAR.