Gender-bending chemicals threat to many male species
A forthcoming scientific report says that pollutants in our water, air, food, and household products have “gender-bending” effects for animals and humans. Scientists have seen a remarkable trends in the feminizing of males.
Highlights from this article addressing the topic:
“Baby boys born to women exposed to widespread chemicals in pregnancy are born with smaller penises and feminized genitals.”
“Half the male fish in British lowland rivers have been found to be developing eggs in their testes; in some stretches all male roaches have been found to be changing sex in this way.”
“Male alligators exposed to pesticides in Florida have suffered from lower testosterone and higher oestrogen levels, abnormal testes, smaller penises and reproductive failures. Male snapping turtles have been found with female characteristics in the same state and around the Great Lakes, where wildlife has been found to be contaminated with more than 400 different chemicals. Male herring gulls and peregrine falcons have produced the female protein used to make egg yolks, while bald eagles have had difficulty reproducing in areas highly contaminated with chemicals.”
“Two-thirds of male Sitka black-tailed deer in Alaska have been found to have undescended testes and deformed antler growth, and roughly the same proportion of white-tailed deer in Montana were discovered to have genital abnormalities.”
“At the other end of the world, hermaphrodite polar bears – with penises and vaginas – have been discovered and gender-benders have been found to reduce sperm counts and penis lengths in those that remained male.”
What are examples of “gender bending” chemicals?
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- Pesticides
- Flame Retardants
- Phthalates (plasticising chemicals)
- Organochlorines
- Dioxins
- Alkylphenols
In what products are these chemicals found?
- Cosmetics, shampoos, and toiletry products
- Cleaning products
- Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
- Plastics
- Processed food
- Pharmaceuticals
- Chemicals for industrial use
This scares me. ~Segen
Comment by Brandon on 8 December 2008 at 7:41 am:
It really should scare you. Or maybe it shouldn’t. You know there’s a correlation between excess male:female population and armed conflict? Anyhow, this is disturbing because we could have a huge gender imbalance in coming generations. Not so bad for the men I suppose, but it’s really not worth it for pretty smells in my shampoo and laundry detergent.
Comment by chrism on 8 December 2008 at 8:23 am:
Correlation or causation? This “groundbreaking” paper/study is likely meaningless.
Comment by Brandon on 8 December 2008 at 10:33 am:
There’s nothing groundbreaking about it. China has been worried as hell about how to deal with an excess 50 million men who will never get married for years now because of the gender ratio imbalance.
Comment by Tom Trumpinski on 8 December 2008 at 10:55 am:
Yeah, Brandon, but that imbalance in China is due to “sex-specific” abortion influenced by the “one child per household” law, not due to agricultural or industrial chemicals.
Comment by James Prescott on 8 December 2008 at 11:01 am:
“In what products are these chemicals found?
Cosmetics, shampoos, and toiletry products”
Thats it, I now refuse to bathe. Not only will it allow me to be more manly, I’ll smell more manly too.
Comment by Brandon on 8 December 2008 at 1:12 pm:
Tom,
Sure I know that. I’m just saying that a high male:female ratio can have some negative effects. I don’t know what a high female:male ratio will do. Maybe fascism? :-D You do always tell us that women are more supportive of restricting freedoms.
Comment by Todd on 8 December 2008 at 1:17 pm:
Speaking of shampoos and pharmaceuticals, it should be known (especially by men) that some of them intentionally have this effect (though it’s weaker – nowhere near as dramatic as deforming your genitals), too. Probably hair loss prevention and treatment products are most common, but other products can do it, too. A controlled and informed manipulation of hormone levels isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but I just think people should be more motivated to learn about what the stuff they use does to them.
Comment by Segen on 8 December 2008 at 2:16 pm:
i wonder if this will have a positive impact on population growth in affected species…(more female species = more ability to have offspring).
Comment by Brandon on 8 December 2008 at 5:29 pm:
It could also lead to Tom’s utopia (of sorts) with many polyamorous relationships as a coping device for fewer available mates.
Comment by Tom Trumpinski on 8 December 2008 at 11:13 pm:
I expect this depression to move us in the direction of “my utopia”, with otherwise “normal” families blending together into quads or larger to weather the financial storm through ecomomies of scale. Add to that the loss of respect for government “marriage” as states refuse to allow gays to wed and the stage is set for a revolution in social structures.
It’s nice to be a decade ahead of the curve. I ought to be able to make some good money on “how to” books….
Group Marriage for Dummies….
I like the sound of that.
Tom
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