A University of Calgary study hopes to find out whether snails hold the key to discovering the effect of water pollution on humans.
A group of neuroscience students are collecting and examining snails in Kananaskis Country to determine how they are being affected by drugs like Prozac, also known as Fluoxidine.
Fluoxidine does not break down in water treatment plants and ends up in rivers and streams.
Researchers are looking at the snails' feeding behaviour to determine if the drug affects the rate at which they eat.
They are also looking at two other heavy mineral contaminants in the water.
Antibiotics, hormones, and BPA are also common contaminants found in treated water.
