Pollution and Chemical Effect on Fish in England

Water pollution is especially harmful to fish and the future of the fish population. Not only are they being harmed internally from chemicals, but they are dying off in large numbers. Earlier this year in the River Morda in England, thousands of fish were found dead after acidic pollution was found in the river. Unfortunately the area isn’t a stranger to pollution. However, based on previous accounts, the area showed to be resilient to such environment damage. But even still, an official with the Environment Agency noted that it would take “a few years” for the river to mend. The damage was so extreme that not only were there no signs of life in a section of the river, but other wildlife had been killed as well.

Equally as bad, with the disposal of certain chemicals in water sources, some fish are showing signs of feminizing. Professor Charles Tyler worked on a 2008 study that discovered, in 51 places along English rivers, one quarter of the male roach fish showed signs of becoming female. He is cautioning that scientists are becoming more worried about the effects of pollution in the water. One of the main culprits is the chemicals in birth control. About 200 human-used chemicals are known for feminizing fish while other types can affect different parts of the fish’s anatomy. These chemicals can enter the water by being flushed down the toilet or by passing through a person and into the sewer system. The feminizing of fish means that breeding can become compromised and without implementation of solutions, fish populations can decline. The chemicals in drugs are a notable concern that we must become aware of in addition to the industrial chemicals that are typically thought of.

Sources:

“Thousands of fish die in River Morda pollution” http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-shropshire-38688977

"Male fish mutating into females because of waste chemicals, expert warns" http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/environment-fish-changing-sex-gender-chemicals-pollution-rivers-water-charles-tyler-fisheries-a7821086.html 

Image https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England%E2%80%93Wales_border