[Pharmwaste] One Fish, Two Fish, Boy Fish, Girl Fish?

DeBiasi,Deborah dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
Wed Nov 29 13:55:17 EST 2006


http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/printarticle.asp?article=74562


One Fish, Two Fish, Boy Fish, Girl Fish?

As Potomac River bass have gender issues, local utilities work to clean
drinking water.
By Ari Cetron/The Almanac

November 28, 2006


While investigating the cause of some fish kills in the upper Potomac
River, Vicki Blazer and a team of government scientists found a
different problem. The male fish - both largemouth and smallmouth bass -
were exhibiting female characteristics, such as carrying egg cells.

Now Blazer's group, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, is
studying both issues. While the focus of their study is fish, the
scientists can't ignore the possible effects downstream in the Potomac
River where more than three million residents of the region get their
drinking water.
 
"There is a concern in the human population," said Blazer, a fish
pathologist. "Fish actually have the same endocrine systems as humans
have."

The highest concentrations of fish with signs of gender problems were in
the Shenandoah River, Monocacy Creek and the South Branch of the
Potomac, Blazer said. They have also found some near Washington, D.C.'s
Blue Plains treatment facility.

The culprit is likely something called an endocrine disruptor, Blazer
said. "Endocrine disruptor" is an umbrella term which can refer to any
of thousands of different chemical compounds.

"I think what people are finding are there are a lot of compounds that
are endocrine disruptors," said R. Christian Jones, a biologist at
George Mason University.

The disruptors are similar to actual hormones in the body, such as
estrogen, a female hormone. Estrogen is still present in males, but at
lower levels. "Both males and females have the same hormones, just in
different proportions," Jones said.

When estrogen levels increase, the body starts to respond as if it were
female, and produce female sex organs, Jones said.

The disruptors are not actually estrogen, but so similar that they fool
the body. "It's mimicking real endocrine compounds - real hormones,"
Jones said.

So far only males have exhibited the symptoms of being "intersex,"
Blazer said. Blazer and Jones both speculated that there could be a
broad range of causes, from something like birth control pills - which
could cause sewage to contain extra estrogen levels - to water
contaminated by hormone-treated livestock.

Jones agreed with Blazer that there is a concern in humans, but he
doubts it would be something as dramatic as is seen in fish. 

"In humans, maybe less body hair or a swelling of the breasts. It could
be showing up in lower sperm counts, something as subtle as that," Jones
said.

Jones is optimistic that there will not be serious problems for humans
because of the way local water utilities filter the region's drinking
water.
 
"I think there is cause for concern, but I think that a high percentage
of these chemicals would be removed," Jones said.

WHILE MOST of whatever is causing the problem for fish might be removed
before it reaches the tap in Fairfax homes, no one knows what a safe
percentage would be. Since scientists have not yet been able to
determine the exact cause, it is impossible to know if water treatment
plants are targeting and removing the correct chemicals.

Both Fairfax Water and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission are
using advanced filtering techniques.
Fairfax Water uses an activated carbon filter, combined with ozone, said
Jeanne Bailey, a Fairfax Water spokeswoman.

"The reason we're confident is our treatment in this has been successful
to remove things in these broad categories," Bailey said. 

Fairfax water uses about 140 million gallons of water per day and serves
about 1.5 million people, Bailey said. In addition to the normal
federally mandated testing regime, they test for other chemicals. They
also make contributions to water industry efforts to study this and
other water-related issues. 

"We want to know as much as everybody else," Bailey said. "This is not
an issue we're asleep behind the wheel on."

Jones said that the activated carbon filtering is one of the best
methods, because it works to absorb organic compounds, including
endocrine compounds. The ozone would be more likely to kill bacteria,
Jones said. It may serve to destabilize the endocrine compounds, but he
is unsure about its potential impact.

WSSC uses about 120 million gallons per day and serves about 1.6 million
people, said Mohammad Habibian, environmental group leader.

They use a method called coagulation which induces smaller particles to
bond with larger ones. The larger particles are then more easily
filtered out. They are also among the first in the nation to begin using
ultraviolet radiation to treat the water, Habibian said.

Both utilities argue that the fish problem should not carry over into
humans. Fish, they both said, are immersed in unfiltered water at all
times, so are more likely to come into contact with whatever chemical is
causing the problem. Additionally, whatever the fish eat could be
contributing to their exposure. 
"Fish may be exposed to a much higher concentration, not just through
the water, but through the food chain," Habibian said.

Jones said that people could have similar problems. Eating animals with
elevated endocrine compounds might have a larger impact on people than
drinking the filtered water. 

"There are other sources of exposure," he said. "There are just so many
possibilities."

While his company is continuing its work to filter the water, Habibian
said that the more effective method would be to stop the problem at the
source, by discovering it, and reducing the amount that runs off into
the river. 

"Everybody is doing water," he said. "They are missing the big picture."


**************



The Feds Weigh In

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was first commissioned to study
the issue of endocrine disruption in fish in 1996. At that time,
Congress expected a report back within three years, said Dale Kemery, an
agency spokesman.

"It has turned out to be such an intractable problem, and such a complex
problem, that it has taken longer than anybody anticipated," he said.

Last month, U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), outgoing chair of the House
Committee on Government Reform, held a hearing on the issue. "One of the
reasons to hold the hearing was to sort of spur the EPA to do what they
were asked to do a decade ago," said David Marin, Davis' spokesman.

Davis also forwarded a request for $2 million to study the fish problem
further. Although Davis will lose his chairmanship in January, he will
be the committee's ranking Republican, a position which still carries
some authority. "[Davis] will continue to push this," Marin said.

The incoming chair, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is concerned about
the issue, but has not yet decided what its priority level will be, said
Molly Gullant, a Waxman spokeswoman.

The agency is continuing its work, Kemery said. They must first
determine which chemical, or combination of chemicals is causing the
problem. Then they would have to determine what level of the contaminant
might be permissible before attempting to regulate it - a multi-year
process at best.

About five years ago, the agency gave six grants to study pharmaceutical
and personal care products in the environment, Kemery said, and the
results should be back soon. Even then, the data will take time to
analyze before the agency can start to develop regulations. "Each
contaminant is going to require individual attention," he said.


 
 
While investigating the cause of some fish kills in the upper Potomac
River, Vicki Blazer and a team of government scientists found a
different problem. The male fish - both largemouth and smallmouth bass -
were exhibiting female characteristics, such as carrying egg cells.
Now Blazer's group, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, is
studying both issues. While the focus of their study is fish, the
scientists can't ignore the possible effects downstream in the Potomac
River where more than three million residents of the region get their
drinking water. 
"There is a concern in the human population," said Blazer, a fish
pathologist. "Fish actually have the same endocrine systems as humans
have."
The highest concentrations of fish with signs of gender problems were in
the Shenandoah River, Monocacy Creek and the South Branch of the
Potomac, Blazer said. They have also found some near Washington, D.C.'s
Blue Plains treatment facility.
The culprit is likely something called an endocrine disruptor, Blazer
said. "Endocrine disruptor" is an umbrella term which can refer to any
of thousands of different chemical compounds.
"I think what people are finding are there are a lot of compounds that
are endocrine disruptors," said R. Christian Jones, a biologist at
George Mason University.
The disruptors are similar to actual hormones in the body, such as
estrogen, a female hormone. Estrogen is still present in males, but at
lower levels. "Both males and females have the same hormones, just in
different proportions," Jones said.
When estrogen levels increase, the body starts to respond as if it were
female, and produce female sex organs, Jones said.
The disruptors are not actually estrogen, but so similar that they fool
the body. "It's mimicking real endocrine compounds - real hormones,"
Jones said.
So far only males have exhibited the symptoms of being "intersex,"
Blazer said. Blazer and Jones both speculated that there could be a
broad range of causes, from something like birth control pills - which
could cause sewage to contain extra estrogen levels - to water
contaminated by hormone-treated livestock.
Jones agreed with Blazer that there is a concern in humans, but he
doubts it would be something as dramatic as is seen in fish. 
"In humans, maybe less body hair or a swelling of the breasts. It could
be showing up in lower sperm counts, something as subtle as that," Jones
said.
Jones is optimistic that there will not be serious problems for humans
because of the way local water utilities filter the region's drinking
water. 
"I think there is cause for concern, but I think that a high percentage
of these chemicals would be removed," Jones said.

WHILE MOST of whatever is causing the problem for fish might be removed
before it reaches the tap in Fairfax homes, no one knows what a safe
percentage would be. Since scientists have not yet been able to
determine the exact cause, it is impossible to know if water treatment
plants are targeting and removing the correct chemicals.
Both Fairfax Water and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission are
using advanced filtering techniques.
Fairfax Water uses an activated carbon filter, combined with ozone, said
Jeanne Bailey, a Fairfax Water spokeswoman.
"The reason we're confident is our treatment in this has been successful
to remove things in these broad categories," Bailey said. 
Fairfax water uses about 140 million gallons of water per day and serves
about 1.5 million people, Bailey said. In addition to the normal
federally mandated testing regime, they test for other chemicals. They
also make contributions to water industry efforts to study this and
other water-related issues. 
"We want to know as much as everybody else," Bailey said. "This is not
an issue we're asleep behind the wheel on."
Jones said that the activated carbon filtering is one of the best
methods, because it works to absorb organic compounds, including
endocrine compounds. The ozone would be more likely to kill bacteria,
Jones said. It may serve to destabilize the endocrine compounds, but he
is unsure about its potential impact.
WSSC uses about 120 million gallons per day and serves about 1.6 million
people, said Mohammad Habibian, environmental group leader.
They use a method called coagulation which induces smaller particles to
bond with larger ones. The larger particles are then more easily
filtered out. They are also among the first in the nation to begin using
ultraviolet radiation to treat the water, Habibian said.
Both utilities argue that the fish problem should not carry over into
humans. Fish, they both said, are immersed in unfiltered water at all
times, so are more likely to come into contact with whatever chemical is
causing the problem. Additionally, whatever the fish eat could be
contributing to their exposure. 
"Fish may be exposed to a much higher concentration, not just through
the water, but through the food chain," Habibian said.
Jones said that people could have similar problems. Eating animals with
elevated endocrine compounds might have a larger impact on people than
drinking the filtered water. 
"There are other sources of exposure," he said. "There are just so many
possibilities."
While his company is continuing its work to filter the water, Habibian
said that the more effective method would be to stop the problem at the
source, by discovering it, and reducing the amount that runs off into
the river. 
"Everybody is doing water," he said. "They are missing the big picture."


Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permit Programs
Industrial Pretreatment/Toxics Management Program
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 (NEW!)
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219
PH:         804-698-4028
FAX:      804-698-4032



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