A strange phenomenon is occurring in the Oldman River in southwestern Alberta.
Fish downstream of Lethbridge are 80 to 90 percent female, raising alarm among researchers such as Hamid Habibi, professor of biological sciences and pharmacology at the University of Calgary.
Researchers believe estrogen from birth control pills, other medications and chemicals moving through sewage to the river system are behind the high female numbers.
Estrogen and other endocrine disrupters in water systems could be connected to human and animal health problems, yet Canada does not generally monitor for pharmaceuticals in the water.
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“There are literally tonnes of pharmaceuticals being released in the water system,” Habibi said.
“These compounds only have to be present in a minute quantity to elicit physiological effects. Even in a nanogram quantity it could have an effect.”
Because many of these compounds are organic, they do not break down easily nor do filtration systems block them. Researchers are looking at technologies to remove pharmaceuticals at water treatment plants.
As the population grows, water treatment becomes a greater challenge, Habibi said.
“In many localities these waste waters will become drinking water and this could leave communities at risk to household chemicals so I definitely think new treatment plant designs will have to be implemented to improve the removal of these contaminants.”
Habibi said these projects must be publicly funded because of the health risks involved.
“I don’t think there is enough regulatory pressure. There are some specific regulatory measures for particular substances, but on a large scale I don’t think we have that.”
The University of Calgary is working with the City of Calgary to study compound monitoring and removal at a new waste water treatment plant under construction. The federal government, the university and other stakeholders have invested $60 million in the venture but researchers have not been able to move forward on full scale studies because provincial funds have not yet been released.
