Synthetic hormones are suspected to have caused thirty percent of male small mouth bass to become "feminized" in nine major river basins in the Unites States. The "feminization" is exhibited in males laying eggs. Some fish are known to change genders under stress, but small mouth bass are not known to exhibit this adaptation.
The suspected cause of this phenomenon is synthetic hormones excreted by female humans into the water system according to a recent study published in the journal Aquatic Toxicology. Wastewater systems cannot remove hormones from the water before the water is returned to the aquifers.
The results in women may be an increased risk of breast cancer as the water taken from the aquifer and treated for human consumption still has the hormone in it. If a woman is taking contraceptives, she may be getting an added dose of hormones from the water she drinks.
Similar consequences are suspected in the use of antidepressants and other prescription drugs.
The Tenth International Symposium on Environment and Hormones (E.hormone 2009), a four-day conference starting October 21 at Tulane University will explore the ramifications of this form of pollution on people and wildlife. Some of the studies that are involved in this conference have been going on for thirty years but no effective laws or improvements in wastewater treatment have been implemented.
A solution is proposed for more testing of drugs and chemicals to determine down stream effects prior to approval for human consumption.
No one to date has done studies on home distillation of water prior to consumption. The problem with this approach would be azertropes that might require multiple distillations and produce a waste stream the consumer would have to deal with. This approach if it proves to be scientifically viable would be high cost and at best temporary.
http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/eh2009.html
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