Posted on 06/17/2015 3:50:02 PM PDT by NYer
WASHINGTON — A recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) found that birth-control hormones excreted by women, flushed into waterways and eventually into drinking water can also impact fish fertility up to three generations after exposure — raising questions about their effects on humans, who are consuming the drugs without even knowing it in each glass of water they drink.
The survey, published in March in the journal Scientific Reports, looked at the impact of the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), an ingredient of most contraceptive pills, in the water of Japanese medaka fish during the first week of their development.
While the exposed fish and their immediate offspring appeared unaffected, the second generation of fish struggled to fertilize eggs — with a 30% reduction in fertilization rates — and their embryos were less likely to survive. Even the third generation of fish had 20% impaired fertility and survival rates, though they were never directly exposed to the hormone.
“This study shows that even though endocrine disruptors may not affect the life of the exposed fish, it may negatively affect future generations,” said lead author of the study Ramji Bhandari, a USGS visiting scientist and University of Missouri assistant research professor. “If similar trends were observed in subsequent generations, a severe decline in overall population numbers might be expected by the F4 generation.”
Conducted by scientists at the USGS and the University of Missouri, the research also examined the effect of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in plastics that has been implicated in breast cancer, which was similar to the contraceptive hormone.
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
But scientists are particularly concerned about the contraceptive chemical EE2 because of its ability to “feminize” male fishes and its association with plummeting fish fertility. A landmark 2007 study, for example, described a seven-year whole-lake experiment in northern Ontario, Canada, in which tiny amounts of EE2 induced “intersex” male minnows whose testicles contained eggs, as well as altered egg production in female fishes; this ultimately resulted in the “near extinction” of the species from the lake, as well as a threat to larger fish populations.
Ping!
So does this mean Birth Control will be banned? I mean liberals are so into environmental crap like banning plastic bags and such. Now poor fish they can’t have fishies.
If liberals did what was logical to them in all other cases, we would see them pushing for such a ban.
But in this case it is a question about which ox to gore.
Use this in heavily liberal populated areas. Think of the social and economic impact it would have. More producers, less takers, less racial problems, less paying out to takers, less whining and complaining, , less lawsuits, etc... America could be healed in one generation...: )
Isn’t this contributing to Global Warming? Any FReepers want to join me to petition the EPA to do a scientific study of this and get Millions of Dollars in grant money to “prove that this is contributing to Global Warming”? LOL
I don’t like lies even if they are useful. They will blow up on us later.
Glad I have my own well.
Which might or might not be liable to such exposure.
It was parody. Taking grant money for any “fabricated purpose” I find repugnant. I am sorry you took me seriously. I should have added the /SARC tag
Ugh your right. Now I see the positive side to all this =)
At least it isn’t Soylent Green in the water..
They’ve known about this for well over 30 years.
True, my facetiousness meter was out to lunch there. Accepted as facetious.
Human sperm count has been dropping since the early 20th century. One can’take blame synthetic estrogen since it wasn’t widely available, if at all, before 1960 or so. Something is going on though
Sounds like they've found a solution to the asian carp problem.
Could it be something as mundane as more occasions of use of the function (regardless of what used to be viewed as moral aspects of it).
Holy cow! Maybe there actually is a scientific reason for the epidemic of male homosexuality. To date absolutely not even one study has shown anything tangible as a cause or connection. Maybe the water is subtly feminizing us all, the men coming to feel they are women and the women feeling so female they get fed up with those feminized males.
A larger number than ever are being Lesbians, perhaps because their own hormones have been overdosed and out of whack, too. Maybe our species is being hyperestrogenized This study is interesting. Something new under the sun might be affecting gender identity of both genders.
I have until now not believed that people’s biology predisposed them to homosexuality and to gender dysphoria. This study, if valid, might be a game changer.
The question is whether the number taking male hormones and excreting that into the waster supply is as great as those taking female hormones. If so, would the two hormones cancel each other out, or just make the person that much more bizarre in behavior?
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