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The Case of the Missing Boys

IT ALL STARTED IN AN ONTARIO VILLAGE WHERE PEOPLE FOUND THERE WEREN’T ENOUGH BOYS FOR THE SOFTBALL TEAMS.  THEN THEY REALIZED THAT FEWER BOYS WERE BEING BORN THAN EXPECTED. LEARN WHAT SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED ABOUT FEWER BABY BOYS IN THIS CANADIAN VILLAGE, ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

NORMALLY, SLIGHTLY MORE BOYS ARE BORN THAN GIRLS.  BUT BEGINNING IN NINETEEN NINETY-THREE, THE RATIO OF BOYS TO GIRLS BEGAN TO DROP IN A VILLAGE OF NATIVE CREE IN SOUTHWEST ONTARIO. NOW, THE RATIO IS ONE BOY FOR EVERY TWO GIRLS -- FAR BELOW AVERAGE.  NO ONE IS CERTAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING, BUT SCIENTISTS SUSPECT POLLUTION.  THE VILLAGE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE COMPLEX OF CHEMICAL PLANTS.  AND UPWIND OF THE CHEMICAL PLANTS THERE’S BEEN NO EFFECT.  SCIENTISTS HAVE NOTED SIMILAR CASES ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD IN HEAVILY POLLUTED AREAS.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM. 

Read more about this case in Environmental Health Perspectives.