1 in 5 Male Bass Feminized in US Rivers

Male bass in many US rivers feminized, study finds

Government scientists figure that one out of five male black bass in American river basins have egg cells growing inside their sexual organs, a sign of how widespread fish feminizing has become.

The findings come from the U.S. Geological Survey in its first comprehensive examination of intersex fish in America, a problem linked to women's birth control pills and other hormone treatments that seep into rivers. Sporadic reports of feminized fish have been reported for a few years.

The agency looked at past data from nine river basins - covering about two-thirds of the country - and found that about 6 percent of the nearly 1,500 male fish had a bit of female in them. The study looked at 16 different species, with most not affected.

But the fish most feminized are two of the most sought-after freshwater sportfish: the largemouth and smallmouth, which are part of the black bass family. Those two species were also the most examined with nearly 500 black bass tallied.

Not good.

I wonder if diet has something to do with affecting the bass in particular?

[edit on 15-9-2009 by loam]

... and these birth control pills, go straight through the filters at our water treatment plants. Did you know that?

I'd be willing to bet that is why half of all men will have an enlarged prostate. Why so many men now are having memory and learning problems. Did you know on average, a man has only half of his normal testosterone level? The implications for all this should not to be underestimated... For example, men, if nothing is done about this, might actually lose most of their masculinity and testosterone dependant brain functions (in other words, we'd be retarded). Sadly, I think the process has already begun.





[edit on 15-9-2009 by sliceNodice]