Anti-androgenic chemicals usually come originally from pesticides or pharmaceuticals that get into wastewater. Dozens of studies have linked these chemicals with health problems in mammals, said Gerald Ankley, an ecotoxicologist with the Environmental Protection Agency in Duluth, Minn. But this is one of the first studies to make the link in fish. "This forms the basis for more focused experimental studies," Ankley said. For example, scientists will need to figure out exactly which anti-androgenic chemicals are causing problems in fish. (For his part, Tyler says he is on the verge of announcing three new anti-androgenic chemicals that will add to the list of more commonly known compounds). Researchers also want to test whether certain mixtures of hormone-disrupting compounds are more harmful than any one chemical alone, Ankley added. And the work brings up plenty of questions about what chemicals in our rivers and streams might be doing to human health. After all, people and fish have similar hormonal systems. "At the end of the day, wildlife are fantastic sentinels for potential human impacts," Tyler said. "If it happens in fish, it can happen in humans." Related Links: |
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