(via Photographer Amelia Kay)
I don’t understand, zebras live in the wild and yet there white stripes are cleaner then horses that get cleaned daily…
I’D PROBABLY BE THERE BY NOW IF I HADN’T DRAWN THE MAP ON HAM, AND WITH A PENCIL.
I SHOULD HAVE USED A SHARPIE OR SOMETHING.
I’M JUST GOING TO EAT THIS DELICIOUS MAP.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS: TURTLES HURT BY PCBs
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Turtles affected by exposure to chemical
Turtles exposed to a banned chemical that still lingers in the environment were smaller and had lower bone density than unexposed turtles.
That’s from a study recently released by Casey Holliday, assistant professor of anatomy at the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine, and his wife, Dawn Holliday, an assistant biology professor at Westminster College in Fulton. The pair teamed up to study the impact of pentachlorobiphenyls, commonly referred to as PCBs, on turtles because they are an indicator species used to gauge the health of an entire ecosystem.
PCBs were manufactured until 1977 but banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1979. Because they break down slowly, they’re still in the environment. The researchers studied PCB 126, a version of the chemical compound once used in pesticides and electric transformers.
Turtles exposed to the chemical for six months not only had stunted growth but also were less functional than unexposed peers. Lower bone density, for instance, can cause turtles problems when they try to stay underwater for long periods of time. Additionally, turtles with low bone density are more likely to produce eggs with thinner and more-vulnerable shells.
Exposure to PCB also caused more juvenile features, so affected turtles with smaller, weaker jaws had a tough time cracking the shells of hard prey, such as crabs.
Scientists know people harbor PCBs in tissues, but little is known about the effect the chemicals have on people. Previous studies have shown those accidentally exposed to the chemical through spills or accidents have linked exposure to stunted growth.
Because humans are high on the food chain, they are more susceptible to PCB accumulation, Casey Holliday said. As large animals eat smaller exposed animals, the chemical stays in the food chain and is deposited in fat cells. That means even people not directly exposed to extreme amounts of PCB might see effects.
“This research will help us understand these effects better,” he said.
The study was published in the journal Aquatic Toxicology.
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Source: Columbia Daily Tribune
