September 24, 2014 — Something is very out of sync in aquatic ecosystems around the world.
Evidence can be found in the unusually widespread frequency of fish lesions, excessive mortality and intersex fish. Male fish containing eggs in their testes have been found nationwide, including Pennsylvania's major watersheds, according to U.S. Geological Survey research. These problems plaguing fish and other aquatic life should be signs the water we rely on for drinking is also in trouble.
The likely culprits are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that upset the endocrine system, which regulates hormones and the reproductive system. The sources of these chemicals are complex mixtures from agricultural animal wastes, pesticides and herbicides, and human sources from wastewater treatment plant effluent and other sewage discharges, according to Vicki Blazer, fish biologist and lead Pennsylvania study author. Low-dose exposure to EDCs at sensitive life stages can have long-term effects, including reproductive impairment, reduced disease resistance and early mortality.
Read the full story from the Erie Times-News