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Archived press release

New Report on Mystery Gender Benders Points Finger at Water Companies

12 November 1996

A new Environment Agency report published today (12.11.96) has called on water companies to clean gender-bending (endocrine disrupting) chemicals from the sewage effluent polluting UK rivers [1] . It has identified an unexplained process whereby hormones present in sewage are activated during the water companies' sewage treatment process.Even more worrying is the confirmation of an "additive" effect whereby the "combined effect of the hormones is greater than the sum of their individual effects."

However, the study only looked at domestic sewage catchment areas, avoiding sites of significant industrial chemical pollution such as the River Aire. The report acknowledges the need to look at some of these "industry related hotspots" where there are high levels of chemicals used as detergents and pesticides.

Roger Lilley, Industry and Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"This report confirms that we are looking at new and worrying sources of pollution in the environment where existing knowledge is insufficient to explain what is going on.

However, we must not use this as an excuse for inaction. The Government must act to ensure that sources of these gender bending chemicals are eradicated where possible or treatment systems modernised to nullify their effect. We need regulation of this new breed of pollutants as well as research."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Environment Agency News Release "Research Identifies Oestrogenic Compounds In Sewage Effluent" 95/96 12.11.1996.
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