All US Freshwater Has Endocrine Disruptors
What are Endocrine Disruptors?
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with the way hormones work in the bodies of animals, including humans. Hormones are like messengers that tell our body how to grow, develop, and function properly. When endocrine disruptors enter the body, they can mimic or block these hormones, causing problems like growth issues, reproductive problems, and other health effects. These chemicals can be found in some plastics, pesticides, and even in the environment, such as in polluted water.
Fish Are Indicators for Pollution
Fish are often used as indicators of endocrine disruption in aquatic environments due to their sensitivity to hormonal changes caused by contaminants. There is evidence of intersex fish—those displaying both male and female characteristics—across many freshwater streams in the continental United States. This widespread occurrence highlights the pervasive impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in aquatic ecosystems nationwide.
85% of Male Bass Tested Are Now Intersex / Trans
85% of male smallmouth bass and 27% of male largemouth bass tested in waters in or near 19 National Wildlife Refuges in the Northeast U.S. were intersex.
Intersex in smallmouth and largemouth basses is widespread in numerous river basins throughout the United States is the major finding of the most comprehensive and large-scale evaluation of the condition, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research published online in Aquatic Toxicology.
Scientists found intersex fish in about a third of all sites examined from the Apalachicola, Colorado, Columbia, Mobile, Mississippi, Pee Dee, Rio Grande, Savannah, and Yukon River basins.
Intersex is when one sex develops characteristics of the opposite sex. It is tied to the exposure of fish to endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can affect the reproductive system and cause the development of characteristics of the opposite sex, such as immature eggs in the testes of male fish.
Intersex is a global issue, as wild-caught fish affected by endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been found in locations across the world. Estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals are derived from a variety of sources, from natural estrogens to synthetic pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals that enter the waterways. Examples include some types of birth control pills, natural sex hormones in livestock manures, herbicides and pesticides.
"Although the USGS has already documented the severity of intersex in individual basins such as the Potomac, this study reveals the prevalence of intersex is more widespread than anyone anticipated, said Sue Haseltine, associate director for biology at the U.S. Geological Survey. "This research sends the clear message that we need to learn more about the hormonal and environmental factors that cause this condition in fish, as well as the number of fish afflicted with this condition."
Endocrine Disruptors Cause Fish to Change Genders
A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has documented increasing cases of intersex fish—fish with both male and female characteristics—across the U.S., which is a sign of endocrine disruption. Endocrine disruption can adversely affect fish development, reproduction, and stress responses. Studies revealed that contaminants in wastewater, such as nonylphenol from detergents, contribute to this issue. For example, fish populations downstream of sewage treatment plants showed a high incidence of intersex and skewed gender ratios. In the Potomac River and Shenandoah River, higher intersex rates were linked to agricultural runoff and densely populated areas. These findings underscore the widespread impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on fish health and populations.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a long-term study from 1999 to 2009, which found that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were present in wastewater, water, and fish tissue in urban waterways in the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi River regions. The study focused on wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and found that these EDCs persist even after treatment, affecting the waterways and aquatic life downstream. Despite the reduction of EDCs during wastewater treatment, they are not entirely removed, with some even produced during the treatment process. The study highlights the need for resource managers to consider the impact of these contaminants on water quality, aquatic health, and other environmental factors. The research was funded by the USGS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
A study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Missouri found that fish exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA) and 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in a laboratory passed adverse reproductive effects onto their offspring for up to 3 generations.
EPA Reports Pollution in Freshwater Streams 280X More than Commercial Farms
PFAS are widely detected in freshwater fish across the United States.
U.S. EPA fish testing in 2013–2015 had a median PFAS concentration of 11,800 ng/kg.
Even infrequent freshwater fish consumption can increase serum PFOS levels.
One fish serving can be equivalent to drinking water for a month at 48 ppt PFOS.
Fish consumption advice regarding PFAS is inconsistent or absent in the U.S. states.
PFAS are harmful chemicals found in many freshwater fish in the U.S., especially in rivers, streams, and the Great Lakes. These chemicals can be dangerous for people who eat fish often, especially those who rely on fishing for food or cultural reasons. The chemicals, especially one called PFOS, are found in much higher amounts in wild fish compared to seafood bought from stores. This is a big concern because eating these fish can increase the amount of PFOS in a person's blood, which can be harmful to their health. Scientists believe that we need to create national guidelines to help people understand the risks and possibly reduce how much of these fish people eat.
Microplastics are Endocrine Disrupotrs
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can be found in our environment, including in the air, water, and food. These small particles can act as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with the hormones in our bodies. Hormones are important because they regulate many of our bodily functions, like growth, metabolism, and reproduction. When microplastics enter the body, they can release chemicals that mimic or block natural hormones, potentially leading to health problems such as developmental, reproductive, and metabolic issues. This makes the presence of microplastics in our environment a growing concern for human health.
Microplastics Make Animals Infertile
Plastics are an increasing cause of concern due to potential sources of chemicals that disrupt hormones and affect the growth and reproductive success of a wide variety of wildlife, according to a new report.
Wildlife in the oceans and on land are subject to cocktails of pollutants known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), but little is still known about how these common substances interact in the environment despite years of research. The increasing problem of plastic waste breaking down in fragile ecosystems is now one of the key areas of research for scientists.
Killer whales with high levels of pollutants known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were used in many plastics before being banned globally in 2004, have shown reproductive problems. A pod off the west coast of Scotland known to have high levels of PCBs has failed to produce a single calf in 25 years.
Microplastics are in the Women of every Women
A flurry of recent studies has found that microplastics are present in virtually everything we consume, from bottled water to meat and plant-based food. Now, University of New Mexico Health Sciences researchers have used a new analytical tool to measure the microplastics present in human placentas.
In a study published February 17 in the journal Toxicological Sciences, a team led by Matthew Campen, PhD, Regents’ Professor in the UNM Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reported finding microplastics in all 62 of the placenta samples tested, with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.
Although those numbers may seem small (a microgram is a millionth of a gram), Campen is worried about the health effects of a steadily rising volume of microplastics in the environment.
Microplastics found in every human testicle in study
Scientists say discovery may be linked to decades-long decline in sperm counts in men around the world. Microplastics have been found in human testicles, with researchers saying the discovery might be linked to declining sperm counts in men.
The scientists tested 23 human testes, as well as 47 testes from pet dogs. They found microplastic pollution in every sample.
The human testicles had been preserved and so their sperm count could not be measured. However, the sperm count in the dogs’ testes could be assessed and was lower in samples with higher contamination with PVC. The study demonstrates a correlation but further research is needed to prove microplastics cause sperm counts to fall.
Sperm counts in men have been falling for decades, with chemical pollution such as pesticides implicated by many studies. Microplastics have also recently been discovered in human blood, placentas and breast milk, indicating widespread contamination of people’s bodies. The impact on health is as yet unknown but microplastics have been shown to cause damage to human cells in the laboratory.
Vast amounts of plastic waste are dumped in the environment and microplastics have polluted the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People are known to consume the tiny particles via food and water as well as breathing them in.
Wasterwater Treament Does Not Account for Endocrine Disruptors
More than 14,000 wastewater treatment plants take in sewage from American households, treat it to remove contaminants such as bacteria and heavy metals, and then get rid of the leftover water, either by using it for purposes like irrigation or by releasing it directly into the environment. This process can drastically alter the flow of surface water, with more than 900 streams in the U.S. composed of at least 50 percent treated wastewater, according to Rice’s estimates. These high-wastewater streams are somewhat concentrated in the dry southwestern parts of the country, but many are located in more humid regions.
In some respects, adding wastewater can help the environment, replacing water that was taken out upstream and ensuring that wildlife has enough to drink and swim in. But treatment plants are required to test for only certain kinds of contaminants. According to Rice, there are no wastewater regulations specifying acceptable levels of most of the chemicals known as endocrine disruptors -- substances that can interfere with the body’s hormone systems.
Around 800 chemicals are known or suspected to be endocrine disruptors, including certain drugs, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and ingredients in household products, according to the World Health Organization . If these chemicals reach waterways in high enough concentrations, they can harm ecosystems by altering the behavior and development of wildlife such as frogs and fish. Some researchers suspect that endocrine disruptors in the environment and consumer products may also be to blame for rising rates of certain human ailments, including breast and testicular cancer, infertility, diabetes, learning disabilities, and birth defects of the penis and testes.
Scientists and regulators have been growing increasingly worried about endocrine disruptors, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now considers them to be “contaminants of emerging concern .” Nevertheless, regulators have only recently begun to consider endocrine disruptors, and according to Rice, our water purifications systems weren’t designed to deal with them. There are technologies that can effectively remove endocrine disruptors from wastewater, but these extra treatments cost money and energy, and few U.S. treatment plants use them, said Rice.
Endocrine Disruptors Contributing to Early Puberty in Our Girls
Traditionally, puberty in girls begins between the ages of 13 and 16. This period marks the onset of significant physical and hormonal changes as they transition from childhood to adulthood. However, recent observations have shown a shift in this age range, particularly in Western countries like the United States.
Girls in the U.S. are getting their first menstrual period about 6 months earlier on average than they did in the 1950s and ‘60s. And more girls are beginning menstruation before the age of 9, which is considered a very early age. That’s according to a large new study published this week in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The percentage of girls getting their period before the age of 11 grew from 8.6% to 15.5 %, and those who began menstruation before age 9 more than doubled.
In recent decades, many girls in the West are experiencing puberty earlier, often between the ages of 10 and 13. This trend is a growing concern among researchers, healthcare providers, and parents, as early puberty can have several implications for physical and emotional health.
Endocrine Disruptors from Pesticides Cause Feminization & Heterosexual Behavior in Bears, Frogs and Men
The scientists in Svalbard found that as the concentration of pesticides in the polar bear blood increased, there was a decrease in androgens such as testosterone. This means that the male polar bears are becoming more feminine in terms of their hormone make up.
Atrazine, a common weed killer, is a potent endocrine disruptor that both chemically castrates and feminizes male amphibians. It depletes androgens in adult frogs and reduces androgen-dependent growth of the larynx in developing male larvae. It also disrupts normal gonadal development and feminizes the gonads of developing males.
Atrazine, a widely used agricultural weedkiller that disrupts hormones, contaminates tap water supplies for about 7.6 million Americans at potentially harmful levels. But the federal government is doing little to counter the threat.
Atrazine been found to feminize male frogs and increase the incidence of homosexual behavior among those amphibians
Are endorine disruptors repsonsible for the rise in LGBTQ phenomenon?
Endocrine Disruptors Causing Infertility and Low Testosterone in Men
Sperm counts in Western countries have been declining since the 1970s, and the decline may be accelerating:
A 2017 meta-analysis found that sperm counts in Western countries like Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and North America declined by 52.4% between 1973 and 2011.
A 2022 meta-analysis found that the decline is also affecting non-Western countries, and may be accelerating.
A study by epidemiologist Hagai Levine and his colleagues found that sperm concentration has decreased by about 50% since the 1970s. Levine believes that the decline is significant enough to be convincing, despite small differences in counting methods between studies.
The average sperm count dropped from 104 million to 49 million per milliliter from 1973 to 2019.
Normal sperm counts are considered to be over 40 million per milliliter.
We Need a Freshwater Working Group at the EPA
In 2003, USGS research found that about half the water entering streams across the watershed was from groundwater. The age of the groundwater ranged from recent to over 50 years old, with an average of about a decade. This meant that we could expect a between when restoration work is done and when visible improvements in water quality can be seen, because those streams are still being fed by groundwater carrying decades-old nutrients.
To effectively address the growing concern of endocrine disruptors in freshwater systems, establishing a dedicated freshwater commission is essential. This commission would be tasked with investigating pollution sources and assessing their impact on aquatic environments and public health. It would also spearhead efforts to fund critical research on endocrine disruptors, aiming to understand their behavior, effects, and ways to mitigate their presence.
Additionally, the commission would provide grants to wastewater treatment plants to enhance their capacity to remove these harmful chemicals from effluent. By taking these comprehensive steps, the commission would work towards reducing endocrine pollution and safeguarding both aquatic ecosystems and human health.
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