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Pollution turns males female

Male tadpoles were turned into female frogs by oestrogen-like pollutants similar to those found in the environment, which may help explain why up to a third of frog species worldwide face extinction, according to a Swedish study.

Researchers exposed two species of frogs to levels of oestrogen that match levels found in waters in Canada, Europe and the United States, Agence France Presse reported.

The percentage of female frogs in two control groups of tadpoles not exposed to the oestrogen was less than 50 percent. Tadpoles exposed to the highest levels of oestrogen became females 95 to 100 percent of the time.

"Obviously, if all the frogs become female it could have a detrimental effect on the population," said study co-author Cecilia Berg.

The findings will be published in May in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, AFP reported. – (HealthDayNews)

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Enviro health Centre

March 2007

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