Male fish now exhibiting female traits due to toxic chemicals & pharma runoff

Male fish now exhibiting female traits due to toxic chemicals and pharma runoff
Sunday, September 12, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer


Email this article to a friend Printable Version FREE Email Newsletter

5diggsdigg 1488Share
Share/Save/Bookmark
It's free! Get the Health Ranger's email newsletter

Your email privacy is 100% protected.


(NaturalNews) More than 80 percent of male bass in the Potomac River on the U.S. Atlantic coast are producing eggs or showing other female traits, the nonprofit Potomac Conservancy has warned, in a call for more research into the causes of intersex fish.

In a recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report, intersex fish were found in a third of all 111 sites tested across the United States, including in major waterways such as the Mississippi River and the Rio Grande. The phenomenon occurred in 16 different species, but was most common in male smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Researchers agree that the phenomenon is almost certainly caused by the presence of pollutants in the water, including endocrine- (hormone) disrupting chemicals and the residue of pharmaceutical products.

"We have not been able to identify one particular chemical or one particular source," said USGS biologist Vicki Blazer. "We are still trying to get a handle on what chemicals are important."

Among the chemicals likely to be contributing to the problem, Blazer cited birth control pills and other hormone-containing drugs, antibacterial products including tissues, personal care products (especially those containing fragrances), flame retardants, pesticides and fertilizers.

"In fertilizer [and pesticides] there's natural estrogen and testosterone and other things ... so if we can hopefully pinpoint some of those mixtures or individual chemicals that then perhaps we could manage better," Blazer said.

It has been hard to narrow down the list of major contributors, however. For example, Blazer tested fish up- and downstream of sewage treatment plants to see if the factories might be major sources of endocrine-disrupting pollutants. She found no difference in rates of sexual abnormalities.

The Potomac Conservancy has called for more research into the problem.

"We've got to figure out what the heck is going on here," said the group's president, Hedrick Belin. "And we've got to figure it out sooner rather than later because it's clear the longer this mystery continues it's only going to lead to bad things yet to be discovered."

Because the hormonal systems of all vertebrates are strikingly similar, anything that has an impact on fish living in water is likely to have an effect on humans drinking it, as well. Yet figuring out the specific effects of tainted water on people may prove difficult.

"Because fish, of course, are in the water all the time," Blazer said. "But what's in your drinking water, what you might be exposed to through skin and food and everything else, is another issue for people."

Even if researchers eventually figure out which chemicals are the major contributors to sexual deformity in fish, that may shed little light on the question.

"It's going to be a lot harder to get to how these chemicals affect people because of course you can't experiment on people," Blazer said.

Approximately 4.5 million residents of the Washington D.C. area get their drinking water from the Potomac.

According to the Potomac Conservancy, individuals can help reduce watershed pollution in part by making more careful purchasing decisions. Consumers should reduce their use of toxic chemicals such as pesticides, and look for more natural cosmetics and other products.

"The chemicals that are in personal care products such as some of the antimicrobials, fragrances, are endocrine disruptors," said Blazer. "So being smart about the kinds of products you're buying -- because they are available in things that are fragrance-free, antimicrobial-free, things like that -- are things that individuals can do."

Conservancy supporter Rep. James P. Moran of Virginia has urged people to always take old or unused drugs back to a pharmacy for disposal.

"Don't flush pharmaceuticals down the toilet," he said. "They don't disappear when you flush them."

The Potomac Conservancy is also working on a campaign to get pharmaceutical technologies to dispose of drugs more safely, and calling for better water filtration technology.

"We need to get these toxins out of our river water," Belin said.

Sources for this story include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environme... http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticl... http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/l... http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/2....

Articles Related to This Article:
• Interview with Randall Fitzgerald, author of The Hundred-Year Lie, on the prevalence of toxic chemicals

• Plan To Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco Announced

• Cut the Chemicals and Enjoy More Energy

• Consumer alert: Popular air fresheners found to contain toxic chemical

• $74.5 Million Set for the Spraying of Toxic Chemicals Over San Francisco

• Highly toxic chemicals are found in laundry detergents, dryer sheets, deodorants, perfumes, soaps and other household products.

Views: 56

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Is this proof that the story about Charlie Kirk's assassination is false?
"Less Prone as usual the official version of the truth does not match the evidence and is labeled…"
yesterday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post This Memorable Anthem Given by Nick Freitas Hit the Nail on the Head Please Listen!
"Charlie Kirk was getting very critical against Israel and had turned down a lucrative deal from the…"
yesterday
Doc Vega's blog post was featured

The Army of Government Launched Psychopaths

They walk among us in most college towns. They seem relatively reasonable until political…See More
yesterday
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post Is this proof that the story about Charlie Kirk's assassination is false?
yesterday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Is this proof that the story about Charlie Kirk's assassination is false?
"Have to sign in to YT for this. So. What I do is to go to https://ytdown.io/en/ and download…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Was a Planned Civil War Averted?
"cheeki kea, you are spot on. The old guard is about to collapse! "
Thursday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Alligator Creek and a Japanese Massacre
"cheeki kea, the Japanese thought they could expand their empire and exact enough damage on the US…"
Thursday
Michelle Reichert favorited Burbia's video
Wednesday
cheeki kea posted a video

NEW DOCUMENTARY - Dissent Into Madness

TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES: https://www.corbettreport.com/dissent-into-madness/What if the delusions of the dissidents are in fact real? What if their paranoid f...
Wednesday
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post Alligator Creek and a Japanese Massacre
"Japan served themselves up no favours by inching out into the South Pacific as they soon found out.…"
Wednesday
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post Was a Planned Civil War Averted?
"Their plans did not work out because we are the news now, and the old news is the enemy. "
Wednesday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Alligator Creek and a Japanese Massacre

The year is 1942 just a few months after the Pearl Harbor disaster. Despite losses suffered by the…See More
Tuesday
Doc Vega commented on Burbia's video
Thumbnail

CHARLIE KIRK WAS CNP! JOSH REEVES 9-11-25

"With all due respect this guy comes off as a drunken asshole and he didn't even  know who…"
Sep 29
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Was a Planned Civil War Averted?

We are living in sadly historic times where good and evil are in battle all the time. Not that this…See More
Sep 28
Sandy posted a photo
Sep 28
Less Prone posted a video

President Trump addresses U.N. General Assembly - FULL SPEECH

President Donald Trump speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.Full video here: https://www.c-span.org/event/white-house-event/preside...
Sep 28
Burbia posted a video

2 MIN AGO: Western Provinces MAJOR New WEXIT Announcement - Canada EXPLODES!

In a stunning turn of events, Western provinces just made a major new WEXIT announcement — and it’s shaking the foundations of Canadian unity. Is Western sep...
Sep 27
Doc Vega posted a blog post

How You Provoke a Civil War

In the world of counter intelligence which is simply one aspect of many pertaining to asymmetrical…See More
Sep 26
Burbia commented on Burbia's video
Thumbnail

CHARLIE KIRK WAS CNP! JOSH REEVES 9-11-25

"I don't follow as much with Josh Reeves than I use to. He seems to be a documentary producing…"
Sep 25
Burbia posted a video

CHARLIE KIRK WAS CNP! JOSH REEVES 9-11-25

DONATE-paypal-dayglow76@yahoo.comCashapp-reevesradioVenmo-Josh-Reeves-61FILMS AND AUDIOBOOKS DOWNLOAD STORE-https://store.payloadz.com/results/242828-josh-re...
Sep 25

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted