Feminized male Bass?

[tyrius.]

Do you believe in the birth control leaching theory?

It's not a theory.  It's a proven fact that our drinking water contains estrogen and other pharmaceuticals.  

http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=87781

The question that remains is "What is the effect of this on humans, animals, and the environment in general?"  There is no question about it's occurrence.

[CWB]

Don't know how to interpret this. Female bass grow bigger. Doesn't do any good if they can't reproduce. Another sign of how we are messing up our planet. I could see this happening in San Francisco but seriously it's scary what's going on with our planet. Probably due to Global Warming Further research is definitely needed. Better pollution control would help also. I noticed the article mentioned the incidence was highest in the Southeast. Possibly higher water temps and pollution due to population are contributors.

[Raul]

Ozone can destroy the chemicals.

Which chemicals, Doc?

Proteins, hormones ( natural or analogs ) are proteins and ozone denaturalizes them.

[Crabcakes]

I know a little bit about this issue but I'm not any be all end all expert. I'll try and share some of what I've learned though.

There is not at this point any concrete evidence to suggest that reproductive success of smallmouth bass is being reduced by this trend in the Potomac.  There could be a link found in the future but the evidence isn't conclusive at this time. It's unclear how much of the occurence of intersex fish is natural.

That being said, there's really alot of evidence to suggest this issue could be important and is not adequately studied. I think it's going to come up more and more in the next few years. The way the endocrine system works means that a huge variety of chemicals can interfere with hormone reception and other processes. Synthetic estrogens from birth control are not the only chemicals that can have an effect. Pesticides, fire retardants chemicals in plastics and literally thousands of others can too. It tends to be a problem of chronic exposure over time, especially when an organism is in the dvelopmental stages.

The endocrine system is also pretty similar among vertebrates. There is a frequently cited study that found a strong connection between the levels of pthalates (a chemical in plastic bottles) in the mother and subtle female-like changes to the male  childrens genitalia in humans.

As to the point about sewage treatment it's my understanding that hormones  are not filtered out of water but I am not an expert in this area. However,  I do know there is a greater incidence of intersex fish in the Upper Potomac than downstream of the Blue Plains water treatment plant . This is theorized to relate to a greater amount of runoff from agriculture and livestock around the upper part of the river but this isn't proven.

Either way as stated by others, estrogens and other hormones can certainly cause radical changes in the sexual development  of fish and there are certainly hormones in our drinking water. What this really means for us and other organisms is less clear.

[Bobby Uhrig]

Very well written MD

[iceintheveins]

Colorado's Yampa River is my home stream. It's filled with 2 - 4 pound smallies and is one of the West's best smallie rivers. Unfortunately the US Fish and Wildlife and the Colorado Division Of Wildlife have now removed and killed over 50,000 smallmouth from the river. It's still great fishing, but these government jerks just kill these fish and throw them up on the banks to rot because the river used to be home to suckers and chubs that they are now trying to save just because "they are native". They blame the introduction of smallmouth for reductions the sucker and chub population, even though they were decimated BEFORE smallmouth ever arrived.

Now something must be up with the water that is likely causing the suckers and chubs to be incapable of reproduction and causing abnormalities in the smallmouth population. We anglers always knew it was something else, not our gamefish, that caused these suckers and chubs to vanish.

[iceintheveins]

All I know is that the smallmouth on the Yampa are reproducing VERY WELL, and that the killings aren't working to reduce numbers. In fact, numbers of the suckers and chubs they want to save HAVE NOT increased one bit since they started killing as many bass, pike, and catfish as they can in Western Colorado's rivers. >

[Dogooder]

All I know is that the smallmouth on the Yampa are reproducing VERY WELL, and that the killings aren't working to reduce numbers. In fact, numbers of the suckers and chubs they want to save HAVE NOT increased one bit since they started killing as many bass, pike, and catfish as they can in Western Colorado's rivers. >

They are probably reproducing so well because there is less competition among smallmouth since some individuals are being removed.  Reduce a system below carrying capacity and the bass will respond with better reproduction and better growth of remaining individuals.

We should just kill all fish that don't matter.  Anything that is not a bass goes.  Chubs, suckers, minnows, darters, gar, bowfin, etc.  Who needs them?  I'm sure that it will not affect any populations of remaining fish.  All money should just be spent on raising and stocking more bass.  It's not very cost-effective, wastes most of the money from natural resources agencies, and usually does not work, but it shuts anglers up, so let's just do that.

[Basser714]

I didnt even have to read the link. Living in Potomac, i have heard this disturbing news long ago. The river going through our nations capital is one of the more polluted in the country. Ironic isn't? They dont even test the drinking water in montgomery county. The most recent test in DC Found ~6 drugs in DC tap water: Carbamazepine Monensin Naproxen Sulfamethoxazole the most notable. What drinking DC water does to your body... is that nature's fault? Well whose fault is it?

No matter the cause, one cannot deny the horrible water quality in our country. And it is deteriorating. You can blame MSN, but that is old news in these parts. I wont belabor the recent warning to not eat strippers out of the bay because of the high mercury content.

Lets wise up and not blame the fish. Everyone knows the species doesnt need dual organs to survive. Thus its probably not their doing. Nature doesnt turn the key on stuff like that, and if so, not when its not needed nor that quickly. Being a medicationation does have its downfalls and thats a tough pill for some to swallow.