The Harmful Chemicals In Our Waste Are Turning More Male Fish Transgender
It's a bigger problem than you think.
By Sheryll Paul — 31 Jul 2017, 05:32 PM
Surprising discoveries in the UK revealed that a fifth of all male fish are now transgender
And this is largely due to the harmful chemicals we're all flushing down our drains
Chemicals from household products such as birth control pills, makeup, plastics and cleaning agents cause mutations in male fish that cause them to display female-like qualities.
Male fishes who become affected even start laying eggs!
Other traits they develop include less aggressive behavior and reduced competitiveness among other males.
These feminine traits then make them less likely to find a mate to breed successfully with.
The issue of gender change among fishes hasn't been studied as much in Malaysia, however, many researchers are warning that it is indeed a problem we should take note of
The Malay Mail Online reports University Putra Malaysia's Dr. Yuzine Esa, saying that humans consuming affected fishes could experience similar effects of hormonal changes over a long term.
Dr Nadirah Musa of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu also stressed that hormonal disruption in humans can affect our biological system as a whole.
Perhaps the best thing for us to do now is to just make sure we dispose of our waste properly
Our sea creatures deserve a safe home to live in.
