Male Bass in Potomac Producing Eggs

Shakrai writes "The Washington Post is carrying a story about how male bass in the Potomac river are actually producing eggs. The source of this interesting phenomena is currently unknown. Scientists are speculating that it may have something to do with chicken estrogen left over in manure or perhaps even human hormones dumped in the river from sewage treatment plants. Scientists aren't sure if the affected fish are still able to reproduce and the long-term repercussions of this find are unknown."

Fish aren't the only things with this problem....

[rubberbando]

Here is an article [andykerr.net] showing it happening to other species.

Re:WTF?

[Kobal]

Actually, used birth control pills count here. Oestrogens are sulfo-conjugated, and then eliminated in urine. By the way, premarin is nothing else than equine sulfo-conjugated oestrogens.
Other oestrogenic endocrine disruptors include soy products (esp. after metabolization of genistein and daidzein into equol by the intestinal flora), heavy metals (esp. Cadmium; though I suspect hair metal could have some effect along the same line), many phytosanitary chemicals (DDT was a prime exemple, but atrazine and pyrethrenoids aren't bad either), as well as a whole lot of chemicals containing one or several phenol groups.