ABOUT
Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Written by EWG staff.
DONATE TO EWG!
Help us protect your health and environment! Please donate $5 to EWG today.
GET EWG'S TIPS & ACTION ALERTS
Sign Up here to receive email updates and tips from EWG and stay informed on the issues that matter most to you.
ENVIROBLOG VIA EMAIL
Support the 2010 Safe Cosmetics Act. It's Urgent.
Being Clean and Pretty Has Toxic Costs
Test your knowledge of cosmetics safety: 8 myths debunked
SEARCH ENVIROBLOG
FEATURED
Support the 2010 Safe Cosmetics Act. It's Urgent.
Why, oh why is there plastic in my aluminum water bottle?
Cell phone radiation series - Part 2: 8 Ways to reduce your exposure
Test Your Knowledge of Cosmetics Safety: 8 Myths Debunked
EWG's Tips for Parents: The Series
EWG's Tips to avoid BPA exposure
EWG on TV
Cutting the Pork from U.S. Farm Bill
Sunscreen safety & DC drinking water
Perchlorate in people, kids' personal care products & plastics, and sunscreen
BPA in baby formula & safe cosmetics
What can I do about fluoride in my water?
What is new carpet treated with? What can I do?
Are stainless steel water bottles safe?
Is mineral-based makeup safer?
PEOPLE TALKING TOXICS
TALK TO US
Did we miss something? Email Enviroblog.
« Are you ready for World Population Day? | Main | The chemical industry's war on California toxics reform »
Farm livin': Not the life for toads
Living on or near agricultural land has feminizing effects on male cane toads, according to a recent report by Florida scientists. After comparing toads from a range of areas, from non-agricultural suburbia to 97% farmland, they found that male farm toads were more likely to have female physical traits. In the two heaviest agricultural areas examined, 60% of the male toads were feminized to some degree, and 40% were fully intersexed (meaning they had equal parts male and female reproductive tissue).
We probably shouldn't be too surprised. Two common agricultural chemicals (Round-Up and atrazine) are already known estrogen-mimicking hormone disruptors. There's a good chance that other agricultural chemicals are contributing to the toad problem.
In the unlikely case that you're thinking "Okay, so there are some girly frogs, who cares?" - - Allow me to explain. For starters, amphibian levels are tanking, and that disrupts the entire food chain (which, despite our distance from our food sources, we are still a part of). Not startling enough for you? How about this: toads and humans have the same sex hormones and very similar endocrine systems. If we're only just figuring out that hormone disrupting agricultural chemicals are having profound effects on toad reproductive systems, what more subtle effects are they having on us?
Photo by Doug Greenberg.
Leave a comment