Contaminated sewage discharge responsible for fish gender changes

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Contaminated sewage discharge responsible for gender

changes -- survey

Provided by Greenwire on 7/12/2004

 

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Traces of female contraceptive pills in sewage

discharge are changing the gender of more than a third

of male fish in English rivers, according to a United

Kingdom Environment Agency survey issued last week.

The finding reveals a serious threat to fish stocks

because the gender changes are more widespread than

previously thought, experts said.

 

More than a third of 1,500 male fish samples in 42

English rivers showed female characteristics,

according to the 20-year survey. The Environment

Agency asked sewage treatment plants last week to

study ways to remove traces of estrogen hormones from

contraceptive pills before releasing treated

wastewater (Charles Clover, London Telegraph, July

10).

 

At issue is the synthetic hormone ethinyloestradiol,

which is found in contraceptive pills and acts as an

endocrine disrupter in male fish, particularly young

fish. The synthetic hormone is about 1,000 times

stronger than natural estrogen and lasts up to 90 days

in water, or 20 times longer than natural estrogen.

The Environment Agency has proposed two pilot plants

to study ways to remove traces of the hormone from

sewage discharge (Steve Connor, London Independent,

July 10).

 

" This latest survey reinforces the need to look at

cost-effective ways of minimizing endocrine-disrupting

substances, " said Andrew Skinner, director of

environmental protection at the Environment Agency.

" There is sufficient evidence of harm to fish caused

by sewage effluent that action needs to be taken now

to find out how to control this " (Paul Brown, London

Guardian, July 10).

 

Click here to download a copy of the survey. -- HJ