SSS 2009-03-26

（单词翻译）

This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Adam Hinterthuer. Got a minute?

Eating fish can be good medicine. And, according to the U.S. EPA and researchers from Baylor University, fish all over the country are literally¹ stuffed to the gills with medicine. The findings are part of a pilot study testing for pharmaceuticals² and personal care products in our nation’s waterways. The results were presented in a March 25th meeting of the American Chemical Society.

According to the report, fish contain a medicine cabinet’s-worth of products—from antihistamines³ to antidepressants and, discovered for the first time in fish, a popular cholesterol⁴ medication. In all, 24 pharmaceuticals and 12 cosmetic⁵ chemicals were tested for in fish from rivers near Phoenix⁶, Dallas, Chicago, Orlando and West Chester, Pennsylvania. While the amount and type of drugs varied⁷, chemical residue⁸ from seven pharmaceuticals and two kinds of personal care products was found in all five sites. In contrast, not a single fish in the control site of New Mexico’s Gila River Wilderness⁹ Area tested positive.

The researchers say little is known about what such drug cocktails¹⁰ mean for the health of fish, not to mention the people who eat them. But it sure makes catch and release sound like the way to go.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Adam Hinterthuer.