UK Focus vii Persistent hormone distortion continues to aff ect fi sh populations


Despite two decades of regulations and infrastructure upgrades, the issue of hormone distortion among fi sh populations in English rivers persists, raising concerns among scientists. While the exposure of wild roach to hormone-altering chemicals has reduced compared to two decades ago, the existing levels still raise alarms.


The phenomenon of endocrine disruption, which triggers male fi sh to develop female proteins and generate eggs in their testes, has been acknowledged since the 1980s. The treated sewage that enters rivers carries a mixture of chemicals linked to the female sex hormone, oestrogen, encompassing naturally occurring substances and those commonly found in everyday items such as plastics, shampoos, and sunscreens. As wild fi sh absorb these chemicals through their gills, they can develop a blend of both male and female biological traits, commonly referred to as being ‘intersex.’


A recent study published in Environmental Science and Technology unveils that despite efforts to enhance sewage treatment facilities and impose stricter regulations, the concern of fi sh hormone disruption persists. Dr. Alice Baynes from Brunel University London emphasises that while the severity of male fi sh displaying female characteristics has diminished in many revisited sites, the impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on wild fi sh downstream from wastewater treatment plants in England remains evident.


For the past four decades, researchers have been studying the roach, a resilient and small silvery fi sh prevalent in UK rivers and many parts of Europe. In the 1990s and early 2000s, ecotoxicologists examined over 50 locations along UK rivers, both upstream and downstream from wastewater treatment facilities, for signs of endocrine disruption in fi sh. Some of the most adversely affected fi sh were found in rivers near Leeds, where high levels of alkylphenols—detergents used in textile production—were concentrated. These alkylphenols are closely regulated by the EU’s Water Framework Directive. The study also investigated the factors driving endocrine disruption, including naturally excreted oestrogens from both men and women, as well as pharmaceutical oestrogens used in contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).


Growing demand for storm overfl ow cameras


Water and sewerage companies are installing Meteor MRC remote cameras at an increasing number of wastewater discharge and storm overfl ow locations; primarily to check the veracity of event duration monitors (EDMs), but also to avoid unnecessary site visits, save costs, lower the carbon footprint of operations, and help identify the sources of pollution.


Although not mandated by regulations, many wastewater treatment plants have modernised over the past two decades. The Environment Agency commissioned the latest research to determine if endocrine disruption remains a concern. The recent study, conducted by a team from Brunel University London and the University of Exeter, revisited ten of the original river sites. Overall, wastewater treatment facilities now release fewer oestrogens into rivers. However, at 60% of the revisited sites, male roaches displayed intersex traits, with egg cells present in their testes. This irreversible alteration worsens with continuous exposure and negatively impacts breeding. Additionally, 90% of the sites showed male fi sh with elevated concentrations of female egg proteins, a sensitive indicator of estragon exposure, exceeding natural levels.


Various water treatment methods exhibit varying degrees of effi cacy in removing oestrogens from wastewater. Processes like the activated sludge method, involving the infusion of oxygen into sewage tanks, are more effi cient than methods like trickling fi lters, which involve passing sewage over stones. Incorporating tertiary treatments like sand fi lters and reed beds further enhance the removal process. A notable case is the Great Billing facility on the River Nene, which transitioned from trickling fi lters to the activated sludge process around 2001. This change correlated with fewer intersex roaches and reduced levels of female egg proteins in male fi sh. Among the rivers studied, the River Arun exhibited the highest prevalence of sex-reversed fi sh at 10.7%, where fi sh displayed entirely male or female genitalia but had the opposite genetic sex. In contrast, the River Lea and River Nene showed no instances of this phenomenon. Furthermore, the upstream section of the River Arun reported the highest count of intersex male fi sh at 40%. Other studied rivers included the Trent, Lea, Witham, Eye, Avon, Arun, and Bourne.


Dr. Baynes notes an intriguing shift in trends, mentioning that in the past, the extent of the issue was often linked to the size of the sewage treatment facility. However, recent fi ndings indicate that some larger treatment plants, having received more investments and improvements, now exhibit better water quality compared to smaller facilities in towns and villages. This underlines the necessity for smaller sewage treatment plants to enhance their processes signifi cantly to contribute to the health of river ecosystems.


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The UK government has instructed all water and sewerage companies (WaSCs) operating in England, to install monitors on every storm overfl ow by the end of 2023. These EDMs must provide information on the frequency and duration of storm overfl ow spills.


The Environment Agency’s EDM data for 2022 showed that the ten WaSCs in England have 14,580 storm overfl ows, and that 91% of these were fi tted with EDMs. On average, each overfl ow spilled 23 times for an average of 5.8 hours. “However, it is common knowledge that EDM’s can occasionally falsely indicate that a spill has taken place,” explains Matt Dibbs, MD at Meteor Communications. “EDM’s generally employ water level sensors that are either sited within the water or above it, and technically are capable of taking accurate measurements. The problem in the fi eld, however, is that these measurements can be hampered by a wide variety of factors including blockages, overgrown vegetation, cobwebs and insects.


“Where frequent spills are being reported, or when a WaSC suspects that an EDM is reporting falsely, a site visit may be required, so we are experiencing a heavy demand for rugged, low-cost cameras that are able to deliver reliable high-quality images of discharges to verify the EDM data without, necessarily, having to make a site visit.”


Meteor’s MRC cameras have been designed to operate unattended in remote locations where normal power and communications may not be available. The MRC cameras require just a small battery and a solar panel for year-round operation, and there are currently around 2,500 MRC cameras in use around the UK.


Matt says: “One of the most popular features of the MRC cameras for discharge points, is the facility to attach a robust, reliable water level sensor so that the cameras can be automatically prompted to collect images when water levels rise.


“With the benefi t of MRC remote cameras, WaSCs have ‘eyes in the fi eld’ to improve the reliability of EDM data and avoid the over-reporting of spills, whilst reducing the number of site visits - saving time, and lowering both costs and carbon footprint.”


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