New York(IANS) : Fish caught in highly polluted waters could cause cells of some kinds of cancers to multiply rapidly, a new study has found.
The study, by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, found that extracts from catfish caught from waters high on sewage and industrial waste cause breast cancer cells to multiply.
The findings of the study were presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Washington.
The study found the fish contained substances that mimic the actions of oestrogen, the female hormone.
As fish can concentrate some kinds of chemicals in water in their bodies, the results suggest that pharmaceutical oestrogen and xeno-oestrogenic chemicals may be making their way into the region’s waterways.
The study, by Conrad D. Volz and colleagues, exposed extracts of catfish to oestrogen-responsive and oestrogen non-responsive human breast cancer cells.
They found the extracts caused the oestrogen-responsive breast cancer cells to multiply but had no effect on the oestrogen negative cell line.
“These findings have significant public health implications, since we drink water from the rivers where the fish were caught. Additionally, the consumption of river-caught fish, especially by semi-subsistence anglers, may increase their risks for endocrine-related health issues and developmental problems,” said Volz.