Effects of the pharmaceutical fluoxetine in spiked-sediments on feeding activity and growth of the polychaete Capitella teleta

• Effects of fluoxetine on feeding and growth of Capitella teleta were investigated.
• Fluoxetine exposure had not significant effects on feeding and growth.
• Fluoxetine concentrations had significant effects on sex.
• Fluoxetine concentrations can have important developmental implications.
• Fluoxetine may favour the proteroginous process and abnormalities in genital spines of males.

The marine–estuarine polychaete Capitella is an indicator of organic pollution and plays important roles in sewage waste cycling. The antidepressant fluoxetine can be accumulated in streams and sewage effluents and it could pose a hazard to infauna. Effects of fluoxetine on feeding and growth of Capitella teleta were investigated through the exposure to 0, 0.001, 0.03, 0.3 and 3.3 μg/g dry weight sediment-spiked fluoxetine during 18 days. No effects of fluoxetine concentrations were observed on egestion rates, body weight and size-specific egestion rates. Fluoxetine favoured the occurrence of males with abnormal genital spines. This suggests that fluoxetine can have important reproductive implications. Further studies are recommended to assess potential detrimental effects on benthic infauna inhabiting close to sewage treatment plants.