Canadian Native Group Near Chemical Plant Has More Female Births
In most developed countries where such things have been studied, the ratio of girls born to boys born has been slowly and steadily rising for decades. Those unimpressed with the results of male world domination to date might find this heartening news, but the details aren’t pretty. Some researchers suspect that environmental pollutants are behind the feminization of industrialized countries — particularly chemicals, like dioxin, PCBs, and hexachlorobenzene, known to mimic female hormones. The plight of Canada’s Aamjiwnaang First Nation seems to lend credence to the theory. The Aamjiwnaang live surrounded by chemical plants, smack dab in the middle of an industrial area that contains 20 percent of Canada’s refineries. For the last five years, the band has produced nearly two girls for every boy; in addition, women report a higher number of miscarriages and schools report more learning disabilities. No definitive link to chemical exposure has been established, but the band is pushing for further study.
