How do EDCs affect fish and people?
Current research suggests that exposure of fish to some EDCs can mimic estrogen and lead to changes in sex ratios (changed percentage of male and female in the wild), “feminization” of male fish (showing some female characteristics), production of vitellogenin (the protein precursor to egg production in female fish) by male fish, and other changes that may affect reproduction or overall health. Other EDCs can mimic androgen (a male hormone) and have different or opposite effects from the estrogen mimicker. Continuing research by the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries) and other agencies throughout the world will help us better understand the potential effects of these chemicals on fish and other aquatic organisms. NOAA Fisheries and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife scientists have seen evidence of effects on the reproductive cycle of English sole in Puget Sound. They hypothesize that these eff
