A recent study by the FDA on our water supply found that many streams downstream from water treatment plants throughout the US are contaminated by trace amounts of drugs and medications. It is thought that most of these contaminants in the water are excreted by humans and animals that are not filtered out by water treatment facilities.

The study, by United States Geological Survey program, claims that 40% of tested streams contain trace amounts of reproductive hormones and 89% contain other steroidal compounds. While it is unknown what effect these compounds have on the body, the link to changes in sexual charasteristics in fish and other aquatic species has been observed and studied.. According to the article in the NY Times, Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, a senior scientist at Enviromental Defense said, "As we look more at low-levels of drugs, it appears that some of them have real biological effects in real situations."

Read the NY Times article by clicking below or access the entire study on the above link to the USGS.

Other studies published recently also make the connection between enviromental hormones and an increase in the number of fish and aquatic species with abnormal sexual characteristics:

Recently, the connection between enviromental hormones, testosterone and virilization has been questioned in an exchange on a internet peds-endo message board/listserv sponsored the Lawson-Wilkins Pediatric Endocrinology Society:

You will need to sign into Yahoo or get a Yahoo membership (it's free) in order to read the messages on the Peds-Endo listserve.