Potomac Conservancy has released its third annual State of the Nation’s River report, calling attention to a variety of pollutants found in the Potomac River that disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates the normal growth and sexual development of vertebrate species, including humans and fish.

The report describes the emergence of these new contaminants in the Potomac
River system; features the latest research, exploring the potential relationship
of these chemicals to the phenomenon of intersex fish; and reviews
shortcomings in current federal and local regulations that are leaving this
widespread problem essentially unregulated.

A companion document, the 2009 Potomac Agenda, calls on Congress to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act, and seeks better stormwater regulations at the local level. The report suggests other avenues of future action to address these new pollutants, including updated assessment models for chemicals that may disrupt the regulation and development of the endocrine system, advocates for technology to remove these chemicals from our waste water and drinking water supplies, and calls for regulatory action for state and federal government
agencies.

Scientists speaking with reporters on a conference call today said the
prevalence of the intersex condition in over 80% of Potomac River fish studied
is the “canary in the coal mine,” warning of health problems that can because
of endocrine disrupting compounds. Since approximately 90% of D.C.-area
drinking water comes from the Potomac River and many other nearby
municipalities get their water from surface sources, they said it is critical that
steps be taken to limit the amount of these chemicals entering the rivers of the
greater Potomac basin.

“Endocrine disrupting compounds are major pollutants in the Potomac
watershed, and we need to exercise the utmost caution when introducing these
compounds into our rivers, streams and, ultimately, our drinking water,” said
Dr. John Peterson “Pete” Myers, chief scientist for Environmental Health
Sciences of Charlottesville, Va.

“Water treatment facilities are not yet required to screen for endocrine
disrupting contaminants, so they end up in our tap water,” Myers said. “We
aren’t sure exactly what level of exposure causes harmful effects to human
health, but if the intersex fish phenomenon is any indication, there’s a critical
need for regulatory agencies and decision makers to start addressing this
issue.”

Endocrine disrupting compounds are chemicals that affect growth, metabolism
and reproduction in organisms such as humans and fish. They are found in
pesticides, veterinary products, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and
biosolids. These contaminants have become so widespread in the environment
that they have even been detected in the urine of infants.

The State of the Nation’s River report explains that land uses are providing a
critical pathway for such chemicals to enter our water supply. Endocrine
disrupting compounds are most prevalent in rivers and streams in
industrialized, agricultural, and/or urbanized areas, with particularly high
concentrations near sewage treatment plants or other sources of wastewater.
Virtually every place where water and chemicals combine becomes a potential
source of endocrine disrupting compounds entering sources of drinking water.
At present, there are no water quality standards for endocrine disrupting
contaminants. “The federal government has already taken steps to limit socalled
legacy pollutants from damaging the natural environment and human
health,” said Potomac Conservancy President Hedrick Belin. “It now needs to
employ 21st-century scientific testing and update the regulatory framework to
deal with the emerging threat of endocrine disrupting compounds found in the
Potomac River and its tributaries.”

Potomac Conservancy views the following actions as opportunities to break the
cycle of allowing endocrine disruptors to enter our environment unchecked:

• Enforce and strengthen water quality regulations
• Call on EPA to incorporate health and exposure data from drug and chemical manufacturers into the agency’s chemical testing profiles
• Provide funding to develop treatment technology, retrofit our wastewater treatment plants, and upgrade drinking water treatment facilities
• Resolve the problem of agricultural biosolids, which are implicated in the problem as well
• Introduce legislation to establish and implement programs to recover unused prescription drugs rather than having them enter drinking water sources

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please visit www.potomac.org.