Howdy,
Indeed, pharmaceuticals and other contaminants make it thru wastewater treatment plants and into the environment. One major contributor are for example oral contraceptives: The feminization of fish mentioned above was first observed at the outflow of a municipal sewage plant in the UK. Numerous other examples have been reported over the past couple of decades, from tributyl tin (TBT) affecting marine snails to DDT metabolites affecting male alligators in Lake Apopka, FL or causing eggshell thinning in birds of prey. Most research has been conducted on so-called endocrine disruptors (affecting hormone levels). But also environmental antibiotics, e.g. from waste water from the meat industry, have huge effects by causing the spread of drug-resistance in bacteria. And still, everybody uses antibacterial hand soap
). All in all, science and governments world-wide have become aware of these problems and are trying to fix them, e.g. by phasing out TBT in anti-fouling paint for ships and regulating the use of anti-biotics in agriculture.
These compounds are detectable almost anywhere in larger rivers in industrialized countries. But you have to remember that analytical chemistry made and still makes huge progress. We can detect trace amounts - but that doesn't mean that trace amounts have any biological effect. Some levels do have effects, as documented above, but in general there is not much to worry about. These cases have most often been reported at or near the source of contamination (estrogens: waste water with urine from females using oral contraceptives; TBT: near ship routes). Drinking water is tightly regulated, constantly analyzed, and I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Now what that means for our aquarium fish: In the big picture, there is more to worry about than aquarium fish. I think the environmental inpact, and the fact that we and our children drink tap water should make us get up and voice concerns more than anything. I doubt that the fish we keep are affected in any way, shape, or form, by the environment we provide for them, swimming in the water we drink. The most sensitive endpoint is probably endocrine disruption, and the levels of causative agents are simply orders of magnitude below the effect threshold. (Unless you get your drinking water straight out of a wastewater treatment plant
). In no way would that significantly affect the life span of our fish.
I hope that answers most of it,
HarleyK
Indeed, pharmaceuticals and other contaminants make it thru wastewater treatment plants and into the environment. One major contributor are for example oral contraceptives: The feminization of fish mentioned above was first observed at the outflow of a municipal sewage plant in the UK. Numerous other examples have been reported over the past couple of decades, from tributyl tin (TBT) affecting marine snails to DDT metabolites affecting male alligators in Lake Apopka, FL or causing eggshell thinning in birds of prey. Most research has been conducted on so-called endocrine disruptors (affecting hormone levels). But also environmental antibiotics, e.g. from waste water from the meat industry, have huge effects by causing the spread of drug-resistance in bacteria. And still, everybody uses antibacterial hand soap
). All in all, science and governments world-wide have become aware of these problems and are trying to fix them, e.g. by phasing out TBT in anti-fouling paint for ships and regulating the use of anti-biotics in agriculture.These compounds are detectable almost anywhere in larger rivers in industrialized countries. But you have to remember that analytical chemistry made and still makes huge progress. We can detect trace amounts - but that doesn't mean that trace amounts have any biological effect. Some levels do have effects, as documented above, but in general there is not much to worry about. These cases have most often been reported at or near the source of contamination (estrogens: waste water with urine from females using oral contraceptives; TBT: near ship routes). Drinking water is tightly regulated, constantly analyzed, and I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Now what that means for our aquarium fish: In the big picture, there is more to worry about than aquarium fish. I think the environmental inpact, and the fact that we and our children drink tap water should make us get up and voice concerns more than anything. I doubt that the fish we keep are affected in any way, shape, or form, by the environment we provide for them, swimming in the water we drink. The most sensitive endpoint is probably endocrine disruption, and the levels of causative agents are simply orders of magnitude below the effect threshold. (Unless you get your drinking water straight out of a wastewater treatment plant
). In no way would that significantly affect the life span of our fish.I hope that answers most of it,
HarleyK
We would have far less "super bugs" (drug resistant bacteria) if we weren't, in effect, enforcing Darwin's Law.
