Chemical Pollution and Animal Behaviour Flashcards
What are subtle effects of pollution?
-Chronic effects on development or physiological processes
-Subtle effects on animal behaviour
What are acute effects of pollutions?
-LD50
-Fish kills due to eutrophication and low DO
What does EDC stand for?
Endocrine disrupting chemicals
How do EDCs affect living organisms?
Affects development and physiology by interfering with normal endocrine functions
What happens to dog whelks when exposed to androgenic hormones?
They become imposex
What is Atrazine?
-Herbicide
-Affects oestrogen, testosterone, pituitary
What is Cypermethrin?
-Pesticide
-Affects reproductive hormones
What is DDT and metabolites?
-Pesticide
-Oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone
What is lead?
-Metal
-Affects reproductive hormones
What is nonylphenol?
-Organic compound from industrial processes
-Affects oestrogen
What has most research on EDCs focused on?
-Development
-Physiology
What research was carried out on bald eagles in 1958?
-Researched the reductions in numbers of Florida blad eagles coincided with abnormal changes in behaviour
-Nesting, courtship, reproduction
-Effects due to endocrine disruption
(However DDT and other pollutions would not be recognised as EDCs until decades later)
When was the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals widely recognised?
1980s-1990s
What was discovered about alligators in Florida?
-Had sexual, morphological and hormonal abnormalities
-60% of males with low plasma testosterone levels
-Site of major pesticide spill in 1980
How was the results from the Florida Alligator study backed up?
From experimental studies of effects of DDT on alligator eggs had similar effects in the laboratory
