Chemicals changing the sex of amphibians

[Heather]

Did you know that the chemicals that are being used for the crop spraying of Corn; Sorghum; Sugarcane; Turf and Asparagus are causing frogs to change their sex!

From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2842049/

Atrazine exposed males were both demasculinized (chemically castrated) and completely feminized as adults. Ten percent of the exposed genetic males developed into functional females that copulated with unexposed males and produced viable eggs

This is incredible and very worrying, but it begs the question could it be possible that such chemicals are having an effect on humans?

[Fred]

This is very interesting and I’m sure I have read somewhere about fish being affected too.

Could it be that the rise in ‘confused’ children is being orchestrated by such chemicals in our environment?

[Louise]

Sadly this https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139484/ makes grim reading and shows the direct effect of chemicals in our water and in plastic products on humans and non-humans.

As with all research it is not light reading, so, I will sum up...

The chemicals in our food and drinking water are ‘endocrine disrupters’ and as such they do have a direct effect on our health, but more specifically they effect human fertility in both men and women.
which would certainly explain the reduction in fertility seen in the Western world and why we are seeing more men and women being less fertile than they once were. I think it should be questioned that if it has such a direct affect on our reproductive health, which ultimately defines our sexuality (Male/female) then surely it may disrupt our sexuality in Utero.:confused:

[May26]

I think it is very possible that it is having an effect on humans, lets face it there are more transgender people than ever, is this a possible cause?

[May26]

Is this for real? Not sure whether I believe this. If it’s true it’s scary what farmers are spraying on crops!

[Hippee]

Is this for real? Not sure whether I believe this. If it’s true it’s scary what farmers are spraying on crops!

Yes, absolutely true, there are lots of research papers looking at frogs along with other aquatic animals, I think a recent study was done on Zebra fish and also noticed the change in their sex!

[Hippee]

Plastics and chemicals are known as hormone disruptors, so with the increasing plastics found in the seas and waterways, it is no wonder we are finding these changes in our smallest of creatures, as of course they will be most impacted!

It certainly makes you worry for the future of animals and humans alike!

[Katie]

Crikey this is a scary concept, what does it do to humans I wonder! :confused:

[Gwen Jones]

There is research available that suggests that water does have a negative effect on our bodies, but I think it must be understood that not all tap water is equal. The quality of water in the UK compared to that in the USA or Egypt is very different, so read your research carefully.