Breaking News: Intersex Bass in the Columbia
Public Interest Group Calls on Oregon and Washington to Respond to Latest Study Showing Alarming Rates of Sex Changes in Columbia River Fish
September 15, 2009
Public Interest Group Calls on Oregon and Washington to Respond to Latest Study Showing Alarming Rates of Sex Changes in Columbia River Fish
HOOD RIVER, OR- On the heals of an alarming study on sex changes in Columbia River fish, Columbia Riverkeeper called on the Washington Department of Ecology and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to increase their efforts to monitor and address toxic pollutants and "emerging contaminants," including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, turning up in Columbia River water and fish. According to the conservation group, mounting evidence on sex changes in Columbia River fish requires prompt action from the state agencies charged with protecting the Columbia River.
According to the latest study from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), sixty seven percent of the male small mouth bass tested in the Columbia River near Warrendale were intersex. This condition is primarily revealed in male fish that have immature female eggs cells in their testes. Occasionally, female fish will have male characteristics. Endocrine-active compounds are associated with intersex fish. USGS published the results of the Columbia River study as part of a nationwide study on intersex. The study, published online in Aquatic Toxicology, reports that scientists found intersex fish in about a third of all sites examined, from the Columbia, Apalachicola, Colorado, Mobile, Mississippi, Pee Dee, Rio Grande, Savanah and Yukon River basins.
"This study builds on the vast body of research on how pollution is changing the Columbia River and its fish," said Brett VandenHeuvel, Columbia Riverkeeper's Executive Director. "Columbia Riverkeeper is calling on our state leaders to take action in response to this study and the growing number of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care products turning up in the Columbia River that are linked to sex changes in fish," said VandenHeuvel. "Understanding what we pump into the River on a daily basis and developing methods to address this pollution are fundamental steps to addressing this problem."
In the wake of mounting studies on pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the Columbia River basin and nationwide, Oregon and Washington still do not require pollution dischargers like municipalities to control or monitor for "emerging contaminants," such as antibiotics, oral contraceptives, over the counter painkillers, deodorant, hair products, and laundry detergent. Such compounds are chemical stressors that have the ability to affect the endocrine system.
"This study is a wake-up call to elected officials and the agencies tasked with protecting the Columbia River. A wait-and-see approach is out of touch with what's happening to our River and fish," said VandenHeuvel. "Research on the Columbia River-including the latest USGS study on intersex bass-shows that Columbia River fish are not being protected by the states' current approach to regulating pollution.
Earlier studies on the Columbia River showed that personal care products, pharmaceuticals and consumer products can be toxic to or affect the development of salmon. Currently, Oregon DEQ and Ecology do not require pollution dischargers to monitor for or control the quantities of endocrine disrupting pollutants entering rivers or lakes, including the Columbia River.
"Ecology and DEQ had years to account for the disturbing studies on emerging contaminants and fish, including Columbia River fish and wildlife," said Columbia Riverkeeper's Staff Attorney Lauren Goldberg. "At a minimum, we need pollution dischargers to monitor for these emerging contaminants. This is the first step in responding to the pollution problem of our generation."
Columbia Riverkeeper is a conservation group with members throughout the Columbia River basin. The group is dedicated to improving the River's water quality and all life connected to it.
