Down the Drain Meds Affecting Marine Life

A recent study in California has found that sewage-treatment plants cannot remove hormones and hormone-altering chemicals from waste water and the chemicals are released into the ocean, according to the LA Times. The results of these recent studies are just more proof of how human activities affect natural ecosystems. Male fish are developing female attributes and the cause is definitively man-made contaminants that are finding their way into coastal waters surrounding Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

While estrogen is among the sources of contamination, others include beauty products, flame retardants and plastic additives. Many ingredients in these products contain compounds that mimic estrogen and are hormone-altering, also known as endocrine disruptors. Other culprits are antidepressents, tranquilizers, anti-inflammatory medicines and even seemingly benign personal care products like soaps and sunscreens.

The connection between man-made chemicals and endocrine disruption was made in the early 1980s by Theo Colburn, a former senior scientist of the World Wildlife Federation. Colburn found that the industrial chemicals in the Great Lakes which were poisoning wildlife, everything from plastics to pesticides, had molecular structures that were similar to the hormone estrogen. Her research linked chemical exposure to endocrine disorders, including diabetes. She has since founded TEDX to bring endocrine disruption resources, research and news to the public at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange.

Read about the recent study: Study finds human medicines altering marine biology at LA Times and find The Info You Need on Endocrine Disruptors.