Pollution Causes Sexual Problems 

The entire male fish population of some European rivers show feminising effects from so-called "gender-bending" chemicals, according to new research.  

[ Related Story ]

Congress Ignores Bill Before the Election

The House Agriculture committee on Wednesday postponed a scheduled mark-up of a bill that would slow the Environmental Protection Agency's review of thousands of pesticides for risks to childrens' health. 

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Subject:  Pollution Causes Sexual Problems and Congress Ignores Bill Before the Election---
Date:      Thu, 07 Sep 2000 16:33:15 -0400
From:        Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
          Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation 

Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read the following articles:  

Wednesday, 6 September, 2000, 16:11 GMT 17:11 UK - 'Gender-bender' fish problem widens.   There could be an effect up the food chain - By BBC News Online's Helen Briggs.  

The entire male fish population of some European rivers show feminising effects from so-called "gender-bending" chemicals, according to new research.  

Freshwater fish in five out of seven northern European countries surveyed so far showed some signs of exposure to the chemicals, which mimic female hormones and are present in sewage effluents.  

"We are finding this problem right across northern Europe, it is clearly widespread," Professor Alan Pickering of the Natural Environment Research Council's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, said.  

He was addressing the British Association's Festival of Science in London.  

Male and female  

"It seems to relate to a mixture of chemicals both industrial and also some of the natural excretory products from the human body."  

Symptoms of exposure to the chemicals, known as endocrine-disrupters, ranged from relatively minor effects to, in the worst cases, fish developing both male and female reproductive organs.  

In some places, such as the River Aire, Yorkshire, UK, 100% of male fish were found to show evidence of feminisation.  

Professor Pickering said it was still not clear whether the chemicals were having a direct impact on the ability of fish to reproduce normally. But in one UK river at least, he said, detrimental effects had been established.  

Food chains  

This has raised concern that predators that eat the fish, such as otters and kingfishers, could also be at risk.  

"We don't know how serious an environmental issue this is, " Professor Pickering said. "If there is a serious impact on fish populations, we should be worried about it."  

In a separate presentation at the festival, it was revealed that fish might face a threat from global warming.  

Climate research predicts that rivers may become too warm for the brown trout, while habitat for cold-water lake fish, such as the charr, may be reduced.  

Oxygen declines  

The evidence comes from scenarios for future climate change commissioned by the UK Climate Impacts Programme.  

These forecast an increase in temperature of between 0.6 and 1.4C by the 2020s.  

If these predictions are realised, increases in water temperature, and the subsequent decline in water oxygen, threatens some valued fish populations.  

Professor Nigel Arnell of Southampton University, UK, carried out the research.  

Bearly female - From New Scientist magazine, 11 September 2000.  

Female polar bears in the Norwegian Arctic are growing male genitalia, report scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute in Svalbard. The main cause is likely to be high levels of pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), transported to the Arctic in water and air from Europe, North America and Russia. PCBs damage the bears' immune systems and affect their hormone levels, causing them to grow penis-like stumps. The researchers found that 1.2 per cent of Svalbard's 3000 or so bears have been affected so far. The researchers warn that polar bear numbers could "go into slow decline".  

U.S pesticide law unlikely before Congress adjourns  

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House Agriculture committee on Wednesday postponed a scheduled mark-up of a bill that would slow the Environmental Protection Agency's review of thousands of pesticides for risks to childrens' health. 

The action likely kills any chance of Congress this year adopting the legislation, which was backed by U.S. farm groups and the pesticide industry. (The Republicans will kill it after the election.)  

A spokesman for the House Agriculture panel said the mark-up was postponed due to staff scheduling conflicts and would be rescheduled.  

But lobbyists said chances of that are slim, with Congress facing a heavy workload before it adjourns in early October ahead of the autumn elections.  

The bill, sponsored by California Republican Richard Pombo and co-sponsored by more than 200 other members, would give chemical makers more time to produce information about the safety of their pesticides.  

Under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, the EPA must review some 9,000 pesticides to determine whether they pose a health risk for children. Critics say the agency has moved too quickly to phase out some of the most popular and widely used crop chemicals, based on computer models that do not include real-world data.  

A 1999 study by the American Farm Bureau Federation estimated that a ban on organophosphates and related chemicals would slice U.S. total net farm income by $1.8 billion annually.  

Environmental groups have pushed to block the bill, contending it was delaying tactic by industry to curb EPA from banning chemicals that could affect the developing nervous system of children.  

Industry support for the bill has waned in recent weeks in favor of reintroducing it at the beginning of the next Congress in January. With House elections a few weeks away, one lobbyist said some members did not want to wade into the politically charged issue of kids' health versus chemical companies.  

The bill is also before the U.S. House Commerce Committee, which is considering holding a hearing on the EPA's implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act. That panel is not expected to mark up the bill. 

 REUTERS@  Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters Limited content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters Limited. Reuters Limited shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.  

All stories on the web at: http://www.envirolink.org/environews  

Well Mr. Helliker, I have always said that: "what is not done for love is done for money."  Will you now begin to protect the children and the earth-----or, will you continue to demand only your "registered" POISONS may be used to "control" pest problems and thereby continue to protect the POISON "industry" profits?  You "regulators" have obviously failed to keep us and the earth SAFE and UNCONTAMINATED.  But, failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It should be a temporary detour, not a dead-end street.  It is time for you "regulators" and politicians to move on and stop any unnecessary POLLUTION!  It is up to you!  

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