Plasma vitellogenin in male teleost fish from 43 rivers worldwide is correlated with upstream human population size.

It has been previously demonstrated that vitellogenin (VTG)--a precursor egg yolk protein--is produced in male fish exposed to estrogenic compounds in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. However, little attention has been given to examine whether any patterns of male VTG production exists across fish species on a global scale. We hypothesized that a composite measure of human population size over river discharge would best explain variations of protein levels in male fish.