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More 'Intersex Fish' Find reveals water-pollution, endangering health

the polluted potomac river

Potomac river-shed has surprised the scientists – they have found that some species of male fish in the river and its tributaries are developing female sexual traits! And that too, at a frequency higher than they have seen before.

This phenomenon is raising concerns if this is the indicator if pollutants in a waterway have increased, as it provides drinking water for millions of people. The so-called “intersex fish,” produce immature eggs in their testes. It was in 2003, such fish were found in the Potomac rivershed and also in other parts of the country.

But, what is bugging the scientists is the frequency that the U.S. Geological Surveys found last year, which is much higher than what has been found elsewhere, fish pathologist Vicki Blazer informed.

Though this exhibits lesions and other pollution-related problems, researchers were not willing to remove large numbers of bass from the rivers because of conservation concerns. This indicates that the pollution is not only endangering fish production, but also people who depend on this water for drinking purposes.

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