New report details Potomac River pollutants
Associated Press
11/10/09 2:40 PM EST
SILVER SPRING, MD. — Pollution in the Potomac River and its possible links to intersex fish is the subject of a new report.
The Potomac Conservancy plans to release its third annual State of the Nation's River report on Wednesday. The report details pollutants found in the Potomac that can disrupt the endocrine system, the system that produces hormones which control growth and development.
A 2008 study found as many as three-quarters of male smallmouth bass in the Potomac's South Branch had started to produce eggs, with the highest percentage near population and farming centers. Many scientists suspect pollutants including some household detergents and drugs like birth-control pills may be to blame.


