Male freshwater bass are producing eggs in the South Branch of the Potomac River in West Virginia, a possible sign of environmental pollution.
Although the waters of the South Branch were described as ”clear as bottled water” by the Washington Post, the newspaper quoted scientists as saying the water could actually be highly polluted through poultry manure or other sources.
Poultry manure could contain estrogen, and processed human sewage could also contain hormones. The story appeared October 15. Hormones are not something normally tested for by federal and state inspectors, the Post said.
Scientists discovered the eggs by accident after responding to reports that fish were developing lesions, and dying in large groups. They dissected many smallmouth bass and found that 42% had eggs inside their sex organs.
A later study showed 79% had the same symptoms, the US Geological Survey data showed.
Similar findings of disturbing sexual anomalies have been found in other species, for example, alligators in the US South, where males become ”feminised” possibly because of the presence of synthetic chemicals that mimic the estrogen hormone. – Sapa-DPA