From:
Subject: more on gender benders:
are gender bending chemicals neutering the ecology? If Your Suntan Lotion Can
Change The Sex Of Fish, What Can It Do To You?
THIRD OF MALE FISH IN RIVERS ARE CHANGING
SEX
By Fiona Macrae
Daily Mail
July 19, 2006
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=396612&in_page_id=1770
A third of male fish in English rivers are
changing sex due to 'gender-bending' pollution,
alarming research shows.
Experts say female hormones from the contraceptive
pill and HRT are being washed into our rivers
and causing male fish to produce eggs.
The problem -- which is country-wide -- has raised
fears that the pollutants could also be
contaminating our drinking water -- and even be
affecting the fertility of men.
The Environment Agency study looked at the health
of more than 1600 roach found in 51 rivers and
streams around the country.
Overall, a third of the male fish were between
sexes. However, in one waterway, near a
particularly heavy discharge of treated sewage
more than 80 per cent had female characteristics.
Tests showed the males developed female sex organs
and were producing eggs. Such fish also produce
less sperm and the sperm that is produced is of
low quality. Females may also be affected,
producing abnormal eggs.
Previous studies have that cod, trout and
flounders are all being feminised.
Researcher Professor Charles Tyler said that the
fish are swimming in a soup of oestrogen-like
compounds, found in the Pill and in HRT.
The hormone, which is also produced naturally by
women and found in industrial waste, is released
into our waterways after surviving the sewage
treatment process.
Prof Tyler, one of the country's leading authorities on the effects of oestrogen, said: 'There is
a soup of oestrogen compounds, all with different
degrees of potency and they are interactive in
their effects -- if you add them together, you add
there are additional effects.
'This
soup of oestrogen is responsible for causing these changes to the fish. It is
abnormal.
These fish should be male or female. The fact that
we have got such a large proportion right
across the country is not right.'
The Exeter University professor said it is too
early to say what the long-term implications will
be for Britain's fishlife.
While it may not initially have a big impact on
stock levels, a reduction in the number of
breeding males could lead to all sorts of genetic
problems in later years.
'Effects
like a change in how many males can contribute to the population can change the
genetic
structure of the population,' he said. 'In five years' item, the whole system could go belly-up.'
Human health could also be at risk, with oestrogen
from contaminated food and water building up in
our bodies.
Although there is no conclusive proof, it is
thought the hormone, which has similar actions in
fish and humans, could be partly to blame for
falling sperm counts in men.
British men's sperm counts dropped by almost a
third between 1989 and 2002, and one in six couples
now have difficulty conceiving.
Prof Tyler said: 'There is certainly the potential
for it to have an effect in humans -- and
possibly a marked effect.'
The Environment Agency is looking at ways of
improving the sewage treatment process, to either
remove oestrogen during the process or reduce the
amount that is discharged into our waterways.
Informant: NHNE
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Are Chemicals Neutering Us? by Steve Davis |
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January 23, 2006
While I pretty much agree with your analysis
of this film, Specifically, the research about the
feminization of male fetuses, So it now appears that these chemicals,
especially bis Phenol A Hypospadia is so common it may be over 25%
of males, but it is usually just I think that this amazing coverup is not
accidental, and far beyond just Discussion and bringing this out would
expose the whole array, continuum and In many species all around us and worldwide,
we see all sorts of gay and There are almost no male salmon in the Columbia River, they are all Now this has been demonstrated and
reproduceable experiments are published, The result, nothing apparent at first in
existing wildlife of all phylums, Well, look at all the special interests
here, gays sure dont want to be Then there is the govt who sure doesnt want
to accept this proven science, Then of couse, the source, yes lets explore
a little tip of that cold hard Bis Phenol A numero uno mfg. is DOW's Freeport Texas plant which produces Numero Dos is of course China, 200,000 tons, Sorry, Duct Tape and Plastic Sheeting will
only exacerbate this Oh yea, what about Lesbians? Well research is
pointing to another set of So Henry, we need to expand the dialogue and
get serious about this God Bless Refs. Simply Google any of the keywords above to learn more. More on Gender Bending Chemicals from The Independent |
From: RE: New Scientist: Gender-Bending chemicals found in plastics
This has been known for sometime.... but even worse is the use of the pill and the female hormones... these have to go somewhere when they leave the body and end up in our water system (especially in countries with sophisticated waste water & sewage recycling systems).... already it has been seen to affect aquatic life where fish change sex due to the high levels of female hormones.
Infant
males affected by 'gender-bending' chemicals
http://www.assatashakur.o
rg/forum/showthread.php?t=13559
'Gender-bending' chemicals found to 'feminise' boys
17:17 27 May 2005
NewScientist.com news service
Andy Coghlan
“Gender-bending” chemicals mimicking the female hormone oestrogen
can disrupt the development of baby boys, suggests the first evidence linking
certain chemicals in everyday plastics to effects in humans.
The chemicals implicated are phthalates, which make plastics more pliable in
many cosmetics, toys, baby-feeding bottles and paints and can leak into water
and food.
All previous studies suggesting these chemicals blunt the influence of the male
hormone testosterone on healthy development of males have been in animals.
“This research highlights the need for tougher controls of gender-bending
chemicals,” says Gwynne Lyons, toxics adviser to the WWF, UK. Otherwise, “wildlife and baby boys will be the losers”.
The incriminating findings came from a study of 85 baby boys born to women
exposed to everyday levels of phthalates during pregnancy. It was carried out
by Shanna Swan at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,
New York, US, and colleagues.
As an index of feminisation, she measured the “anogenital distance”
(AGD) between the anus and to the base of the penis. She also measured the
volume of each boy’s penis. Earlier studies have shown that the AGD is
twice in boys what it is in girls, mainly because in boys the hormone
testosterone extends the length of the perineum separating the anus from the
testicles. Undescended testicles
In animals, AGD is reduced by phthalates - which mimic oestrogen - which keep
testosterone from doing its normal job. At higher doses, animals develop more
serious abnormalities such as undescended testicles and misplaced openings to
the urethra on the penis - a group of symptoms called “phthalate
syndrome” in animals.
When Swan’s team measured concentrations of nine phthalate metabolites in
the urine of pregnant women, they found that four were linked with shorter AGD
in sons born to women showing high exposure levels.
Although none of the boys developed abnormal genitals, the quarter of mothers
who were exposed to the highest concentrations of phthalates were much more
likely to have had boys wit h short AGDs compared with the quarter of mothers
who had the lowest exposures to the chemicals.
And although all the boys had genitals classified as “normal”, 21%
of the boys with short AGDs had incomplete testicular descent, compared with 8%
of other boys. And on average, the smaller the AGD, the smaller the penis.
Changing masculinisation
Swan believes that at higher exposures, boys may suffer from testicular
dysgenesis syndrome - the human collection of more serious abnormalities which
corresponds to “phthalate syndrome”.
“We’re not exactly seeing testicular dysgenesis syndrome, but a cluster
of endpoints consistent with it,” said Swan on at an international
conference on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in San Diego, US.
“If you see this, you’re very likely to see every other aspect of
masculinisation changed too,” says Fred vom Saal, professor of
reproductive biology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, US.
Vom Saal says this could include behavioural changes like those seen in
animals, including an aversion to “rough-and-tumble” play and a
reduction in aggressiveness. Criticising methods
Environmentalists say the results strengthen the case for a ban or restriction
on some phthalates in baby toys, as has been proposed in Europe and California.
But phthalate manufacturers maintain that the chemicals have been thoroughly
tested and are safe. They are also critical of aspects of the study. David
Cadogan, director of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates,
points out that just one urine sample was taken from each pregnant woman, which
cannot rule out drastic variations in exposure over time.
Also, he says that all AGD measurements should have been taken in babies
exactly the same age, not in babies ranging from three to 24 months in age as
in t he study. The disparity in ages meant that complicated mathematical analyses
had to be applied which may have made it more difficult to distinguish genuine
differences in AGD from differences accounted for by age or weight.
Swan’s results will appear in the journal Environmental Health
Perspectives.
================================
New alert over gender bending chemicals
By Mark Prigg Science Correspondent, Evening Standard
A new health alert over chemicals used in make-up, shampoo and soaps is issued
today.
Experts say products containing the chemicals - called phthalates - could cause
women to give birth to boys with female characteristics. Their research found shrunken genitals and less masculine
behaviour in babies.
Phthalates help to give cosmetics colour and bond perfume molecules. They are
also used in pliable plastics such as clingfilm, kidney dialysis tubes, blood
bags and even children's toys.
"This is a very big problem," said study leader Professor Shanna
Swan, of the University of Rochester. The research, to be published-next month
in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found 90 per cent of babies
exposed to high levels of the chemicals in the womb exhibited "more female
physical traits".
Professor Swan said: "We need to eradicate these chemicals. But it is
rather like taking lead out of petrol - a slow process."
The study of 134 boys found a range of problems including shrunken genitalia
and undescended testicles. They believe the effects could be permanent,
although this needs to be confirmed over time.
Professor Swan urged manufacturers to reveal which of their products contain
phthalates - previously supposed not to be harmful - as a matter of urgency.
"I would urge people to write and ask for that information," she
said. "The problem for consumers is at the moment we just don't know where this chemical will show up."
Andreas Kortenkamp, an expert in environmental pollutants at the London School
of Pharmacy, said: "If it's true, it's sensational. This is the first time
anyone's shown this effect in humans."
He added: "These are mass chemicals. They are used in any plastic that is
pliable. Sorting this out is going to be an interesting challenge for industry
as well as society."
A spokesman for the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates said
reproductive effects had been seen in rats and mice only at levels of exposure
"many times higher than those experienced by humans".
Note: Check out more
Health related information at Afrikan
Holistic Health on Assata Shakur Forum:
http://www.assatashakur.or
g/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=22
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If Your
Suntan Lotion Can
Change The Sex Of Fish,
What Can It Do To You?
The Stuff Is Not Only On Your Skin -
It's In Your Tap Water And Lunches, Too
By Geoffrey Lean
Environment Editor - The
Independent
1-23-6
|
Spare a thought for the male hornyhead turbot. For despite its name, it is changing gender. And the sunscreens that symbolise bronzed sex appeal may be partly to blame.
Scientists have found that male hornyhead turbot and English sole, feeding near sewage outfalls on the Californian coast, are being feminised - and a chemical found in sunscreens is the likely culprit.
Meanwhile, Swiss researchers have found other suspected gender-bender chemicals from sun creams and oils building up in fish in their rivers.
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, found that two-thirds of the male turbot and sole near a sewage outfall three miles off the surfers' paradise of Huntington Beach, near Los Angeles, were growing ovary tissue in their testes. A similar study by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project found fish affected all along the coast. The American research is the first to find sex changes in fish in the open ocean.
Research on the feminising of fish in British rivers by the UK Environment Agency, exclusively reported in The Independent on Sunday, concluded in 2002 that oestrogen in urine from the contraceptive pill was to blame
But the University of California scientists found that the only culprit they could "exclusively identify" is oxybenzone, used to protect the skin from the ultraviolet component of sunlight.
Oxybenzone, which mimics oestrogen's chemical make-up, is washed off tanned bodies in the shower, passes through sewage works unchanged and settles on the seabed, where bottom-feeding fish eat it.
The scientists suspect the sunscreens are a contributory factor along with other pollutants, which they have yet to identify, such as DDT and PCBs. The new Swiss research, however, shows two other suspected gender-bender substances used in sunscreen and lip balm - octocrylene and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor - also building up alarmingly in fish.
They fear that people are being exposed to the chemicals several times over, first by putting them on their skin, and then injesting them in drinking water and the fish they eat. But the cosmetics industry denies the chemicals are dangerous, and says that"sunscreen phobia" could lead to more cancers. For, unlike other cosmetics, sunscreens unquestionably save lives. About 100,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Britain each year, of which 7,300 are particularly deadly melanomas that kill more than 1,600 people a year. Cancer Research UK fears melanoma numbers will treble over the next 30 years.
However, there have been other concerns about potential health effects. Some clear sunscreens use nanoparticles so small that they can penetrate the skin and even get into the brain.
There is also concern about a the universal use of sunscreens. By shielding ourselves from sunlight, we produce less vitamin D, which protects against as many as 16 different cancers.
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article340237.ece |
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