A new study suggests that the "anabolic steroid trenbolone," also known as “vampire steroid,” may have been hiding in the rivers and streams.
Anabolic steroid trenbolone is type of steroid given to beef cows on industrial farms. It was termed as “vampire steroid” because of its apparent weakness in sunlight and its ability to thrive later on at night. The U.S Food and Drug Administration allow this steroid to be used for cattle but prohibited it for human use. Treated cattle usually excrete some drug traces which get into the environment through the natural water sources.
Previously, scientistd thought that the compound, believed to gravely impact the fish reproductive system, dies as soon as the sunlight hits it through phototransformation process.
However, scientists have discovered that without the sun and soon as the water's Ph reach the right levels, the trenbolone is resurrected. This critical information changes the previously known chemical levels in these water sources because they were tested during daytime.
Director of Environmental Health Science Bryan Brooks from Baylor University, who is not part of the research, told Healthline that this discovery raises several important issues that require immediate answers.
Brooks said, “Reports from this paper may stimulate rethinking the timing of environmental monitoring and surveillance... if pharmaceuticals are examined in water bodies, sampling typically occurs during daylight hours and often only examines water samples from the surface of lakes and streams. Such a practice could over- or underestimate risks of various pharmaceuticals.”
David Cwiertny, one of the members of the research team from the University of Iowa admitted they still need further studies to fully establish the rise of the vampire steroid. They have taken samples from the bodies of water within 48 or more hours and evaluated it in which they found the presence of trenbolone.
The study was published in the online journal Science.
