Involuntary sex change

http://www.newsreview.com/reno/Content?oid=626341
02/21/2008

Male ocean fish are taking on female characteristics due to hormone-altering chemicals found in contaminated water, according to a study conducted by a Southern California toxicologist and reported in the Los Angeles Times. The majority of the contaminated water comes from sewage treatment plants, which only remove 50-70 percent of the hormone-altering chemicals.

Changes in Sexual Characteristics in Fish and reptiles is a well known effect of Endocrine Disruptors such as synthetic Estrogens.

In the UK, many fish in Rivers near to sewage works have been feminized, due to high concentrations of Estrogen  near sewage outfalls.

The high levels of Estrogen has been linked to the increase in the number of people taking the Contraceptive pill  (excreted in urine)and the number of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals found in everyday products.

It is worrying that in the worst case scenario species may start to vanish due to the inability to reproduce due to Chemical Sterility.

Buffy

In the Washington, D.C. area and the great lakes region of the U.S. there have been schools of fish found that have external male characteristics (as external as they have) and underdeveloped eggs inside. I heard this on public radio in the middle of the night but I haven't seen it addressed in day time news.