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Sewage is turning British fish female, says report
Reuters ^ | Tuesday, July 13, 2004 | Reuters

Posted on 07/13/2004 3:24:58 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

LONDON — British fish are changing sex due to sewage in rivers that contains large amounts of female hormones, the U.K.'s Environment Agency said recently.

In a report on the latest stage of 20 years of research, it said that in a survey of 1,500 fish at 50 locations, one-third of the males showed female characteristics.

The agency which monitors environmental pollution said the sex changes were a result of the fish being exposed to treated sewage which still contained hormones produced naturally by women or as a result of them taking the contraceptive pill.

"There is sufficient evidence of harm to fish caused by sewage effluent that action needs to be taken now to find out how to control this," Andrew Skinner, director of environmental protection at the agency, said in a statement. "We need to find out what is the best and most cost-effective way to remove these chemicals from sewage," he added.

It named the offending natural hormones as oestradiol and oestrone, and the synthetic culprit as ethinyloestradiol.

It said the findings had serious implication for future fish populations because anything more than a moderate change in a fish's sexual organs made it more difficult to reproduce.

The Environment Agency noted that while the phenomenon was being seen worldwide, Britain had the most comprehensive data on it.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: chemicals; environment; fish; sewage; sexualorgans; unitedkingdom
I have been at some parties where I wish I had put some of this stuff in the drinks.

Kidding aside, I think this must be Bush's fault.

However, it could also be a plot by the homosexual community.

1 posted on 07/13/2004 3:24:58 AM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

No sh*t?


2 posted on 07/13/2004 3:26:55 AM PDT by RandallFlagg
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
"I have been at some parties where I wish I had put some of this stuff in the drinks."

Yeah--every single drink in the house, bar none, right?

...bottoms up, guys?

That's quite a fantasy.
3 posted on 07/13/2004 3:31:03 AM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

Now we know what happens to make men homosexual.


4 posted on 07/13/2004 3:59:45 AM PDT by aardvark1 (I am doing this because I can.)
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To: aardvark1

The bad news for the male fish is, they're all lesbians.


5 posted on 07/13/2004 4:07:14 AM PDT by WestVirginiaRebel (I am doing this for the common good.)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
one-third of the males showed female characteristics.

Metrosexual fish?

6 posted on 07/13/2004 4:37:44 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The Fourth Estate is a Fifth Column)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit

Well can someone please stop exporting this stuff to France, or is it too late?


7 posted on 07/13/2004 5:16:59 AM PDT by NYCop (Bush, the right choice for real men)
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To: Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit
So much for the "Sugar and Spice" theory, eh?
8 posted on 07/13/2004 6:25:05 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Democrats.. Socialists..Commies..Traitors...Who can tell the difference?)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Metrosexual fish?

Petrosexuals.

9 posted on 07/13/2004 6:26:32 AM PDT by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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To: Caipirabob
So much for the "Sugar and Spice" theory, eh?

Feces and sh*t
Give fishies a t*t.

10 posted on 07/13/2004 6:27:12 AM PDT by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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Damn. I missed an obvious joke.

I hate myself sometimes.

11 posted on 07/13/2004 6:27:54 AM PDT by Lazamataz ("Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown" -- harpseal)
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