Estrogenic compounds and aquatic life

Typedef · 30-01-2002 11:57pm #1

http://www.som.tulane.edu/ecme/eehome/basics/eeeffects/

These substances can affect the endocrine system in many ways. For example, some compounds, referred to as environmental estrogens, can mimic or act like estrogens, the hormones that control female characteristics.

Estrogenic chemicals are found in human contraceptives and in plastice widly used in packaging ie bottles and cans. These compounds in sufficient quantities conducive with the huge and growing human population can have adverse effect on the reproductive mechanisms of the male of some aquatic lifeforms.

Male fish living near municipal sewage outlets in England had both male and female sex characteristics and their livers produced vitellogenin, a female egg-yolk protein not normally found in males (2). The fish living close to the sewage outlet had severe abnormalities while the fish living farther downstream had less severe symptoms. Several different chemicals, especially the alkylphenols, the breakdown products of chemicals found in detergents and plastics, are suspected of causing the feminizing effects.

Alligators living in Florida's Lake Apopka were exposed to the estrogenic pollutants dicofol, DDT and its metabolites, DDD, DDE and chloro-DDT, when a nearby chemical plant had an extensive spill in 1980. Ten years later, researchers trying to find out why alligator populations were dropping in the Lake, found higher than normal mortality among eggs and newborn alligators. They also found that adolescent females had severe ovarian abnormalities and had blood estrogen levels two times higher than normal.

DadaKopf · 31-01-2002 12:16am

Heh, this is nothing new, typedef. Few years ago, a study was done into male infertility (or reduced fertility). After a hell of a lot of study, they began to examine plastics that you mentioned.

Yup, you guessed it, the estrogen in the plastics has been linked with male infertility. Anyone who drinks milk and coke from bottles and cans are affected for a start :eek:.

Typedef · 31-01-2002 7:10pm

Whats worrying is that these mutagenic agents have been increasing with the growth in human population and most of the world seems to go about their lives thinking that 'someone' has fixed it. What I mean 'somehow' without reducing estrogenic agents present in plastics and sewerage, aquatic sexual hermaphroditic mutations suddenly decreased? I think not.

Related:
Slightly Ot.
Algea is what ostensibly supplies oxygen to water, alarmlingly heightened levels of nutrients can cause algae to grow exponentially, radically more than normal and thus have radical effects on the levels of air in water and consequently the abundance of vertebrates and invertebrates that populate the water.

Excess nutrients flush from the river into the Gulf of Mexico and trigger exponential algae growth. When the algae die and sink to the bottom, their decomposition depletes the water of oxygen, creating a death trap for any fish or shrimp that cannot escape

http://www.earthsave.org/news/fishwhat.htm

Pollution sux.

azezil · 31-01-2002 7:15pm

Originally posted by Typedef
Related:
Slightly Ot.
Algea is what ostensibly supplies oxygen to water, alarmlingly heightened levels of nutrients can cause algae to grow exponentially, radically more than normal and thus have radical effects on the levels of air in water and consequently the abundance of vertebrates and invertebrates that populate the water.

Covered that in my report i did in secondry school on the 'Effects of Farming on the Environment'.
I wonder how many people actually understand that thats the reason its bad to allow effluent into the water supply. Prior to the assignment I knew it was bad and that it was refered to as 'polution' but had no idea what that actually ment.

(must route that essay out n see if there was anything else worth mentioning)

Estrogenic compounds and aquatic life

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