KA Kidd et al., “Collapse of a fish population after exposure to a synthetic estrogen,” Proc Natl Acad Sci, 104(21):8897–901, 2007. (Cited in 86 papers)
Researchers have linked feminized male fish downstream of municipal wastewater outlets with elevated levels of estrogen and other chemicals, but knew little about the impact on fish population sustainability. During a 7-year, whole-lake experiment, the researchers, led by Karen Kidd at the University of New Brunswick, demonstrated that populations of fathead minnows collapsed to the brink of extinction after being exposed to low concentrations of 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (synthetic estrogen used in birth-control pills).
Many chemicals are regulated by the United States, but pharmaceuticals are still not included on the list. In recent years, however, research (particularly Kidd’s) that has found these drugs alter endocrine systems in wildlife has fueled the policy debate over whether to regulate pharmaceuticals in waterways.
Happily, the study substantiated population modeling ...
