Male fish are changing sex - rubbish!

Waterways News Snippets

 Health alert over chemicals in rivers

Following my blog about rubbish in the rivers the other day ….. an interesting study published yesterday!

THE cocktail of chemicals entering British waterways may be causing far more damage to humans and wildlife than previously thought.

Well now, a research program has been carried out by scientists, led by Professor John Sumpter of the institute for the environment at Brunel University… but the amazing thing is that no tests have actually been carried out in rivers or other waterways!

They seem to be very worried about the dumping of contraceptive pills .!

However the study did find that animals suffered more serious adverse effects..  

These effects include reduced fertility, low sperm counts and changes in gender. Oestrogenic chemicals – which imitate oestrogen, the female sex hormone – are also associated with breast cancer and testicular cancer in humans.

Yet another study from  the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs found that ….

Male fish in the Clyde and Forth rivers were taking on female characteristics as a result of hormones and pollutants in the water

I wondered if anyone had done a study on how many male fish there are to female fish.. maybe the dumping of all these pills will even things up!.. I think another study is needed.  

A bit of a ‘tongue in cheek’ blog from me this evening, but I am sure all these studies will still not force the environment agency to clear the rubbish from the rivers… !