Chirping Birds Causing Pollution Can Change
23 Sep 2013
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Bird song turned out to be changed due to environmental pollution. Results of the research team of bird experts Laboratory of Ornithology at Cornell University in the United States reveal inconsistencies bird song triggered sediment contaminants in the Hudson River in New York State.
Lead investigator, Sara DeLeon, in collaboration with Timothy DeVoogd and André Dhondt songbird populations studied black chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), similar to Wren stone and song sparrow (Melospiza Melodia) that nest along the Hudson River valley. This area for decades PCB contaminated waste from electronics manufacturing industry upstream. Aka polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs are synthetic chemical pollutants that can trigger toxic effects and interfere with the development in humans and wildlife.
DeLeon said, songbirds feed their children with insects from the river sediment. Though insects are used as the main food source was contaminated with PCBs. Some birds continue to feed on insects contaminated throughout his life, thereby increasing the consumption of PCBs in their bodies.
To determine the impact of contaminants on changes in bird song, DeLeon and his colleagues observed and recorded the second song of the bird population. They also measured levels of PCBs and identify variants along the river. In total there are 209 variants of PCB waste identified by their position and number of chlorine atoms. DeLeon 41 variations of this test to isolate the effect of the changes in bird song.
As a result, the levels of PCBs in the blood of black birds and finches chickadees song in tune with the contaminated area. The more polluted the area where the birds live, the higher levels of PCBs in their blood. In general, more song sparrows PCB contaminated low levels of chlorine, while the black chickadees exposed to high chlorine levels of PCBs.
"Black chickadees singing shows a more diverse variations. Any change ratio 'glissando' on the first pitch of their singing that contains two tones, the 'fee-bee, fee-bee'," said DeLeon. Song sparrow, the song longer, also showed changes sound vibrations allegedly caused by exposure to the types of molecules that are less toxic PCBs.
DeLeon said the PCB polluted area, the specific identity of the signal in black chickadee singing became more varied significantly. Variations in the sound vibrations in the song sparrow singing PCB contaminated areas also become mixed.
"PCBs can affect the production of the song, an important component in the communication in the world of birds," DeLeon said, as quoted by the Guardian and ScienceDaily, Monday, September 23, 2013. Changes in quality of the two populations of birds singing at the same time it is also an indicator of the toxic effects of PCBs on the environment along the Hudson River.
André Dhondt, director of Bird Population Studies at Cornell University Laboratory Ornithologi, adding the impact of PCBs on organisms is fairly complicated. This study did not look at the effects of certain types of PCBs to changes in bird song, but it only measures the overall level of PCB contamination. "But this study confirms the effect of pollutants on bird communities," he said. Explore the research team to isolate the types of PCBs that could affect the birds singing.
Specialist Hudson estuary ecosystem of New York Sea Grant, Nordica Holochuck, said the study is very interesting for stakeholders in the Hudson valley. "PCB waste that is not lethal to the organism also appeared to have an impact," he said.
DeLeon said, scientists must always take into account the presence of any contaminants researching organisms that live in a polluted environment. Therefore, aka pollutant contaminants always last long and widespread in the environment. "We need to know how environmental changes affect organisms," he said. The study entitled The Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on the Song of Two passerine species is published in the journal PLoS ONE. Source : tempo.co
Lead investigator, Sara DeLeon, in collaboration with Timothy DeVoogd and André Dhondt songbird populations studied black chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), similar to Wren stone and song sparrow (Melospiza Melodia) that nest along the Hudson River valley. This area for decades PCB contaminated waste from electronics manufacturing industry upstream. Aka polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs are synthetic chemical pollutants that can trigger toxic effects and interfere with the development in humans and wildlife.
DeLeon said, songbirds feed their children with insects from the river sediment. Though insects are used as the main food source was contaminated with PCBs. Some birds continue to feed on insects contaminated throughout his life, thereby increasing the consumption of PCBs in their bodies.
To determine the impact of contaminants on changes in bird song, DeLeon and his colleagues observed and recorded the second song of the bird population. They also measured levels of PCBs and identify variants along the river. In total there are 209 variants of PCB waste identified by their position and number of chlorine atoms. DeLeon 41 variations of this test to isolate the effect of the changes in bird song.
As a result, the levels of PCBs in the blood of black birds and finches chickadees song in tune with the contaminated area. The more polluted the area where the birds live, the higher levels of PCBs in their blood. In general, more song sparrows PCB contaminated low levels of chlorine, while the black chickadees exposed to high chlorine levels of PCBs.
"Black chickadees singing shows a more diverse variations. Any change ratio 'glissando' on the first pitch of their singing that contains two tones, the 'fee-bee, fee-bee'," said DeLeon. Song sparrow, the song longer, also showed changes sound vibrations allegedly caused by exposure to the types of molecules that are less toxic PCBs.
DeLeon said the PCB polluted area, the specific identity of the signal in black chickadee singing became more varied significantly. Variations in the sound vibrations in the song sparrow singing PCB contaminated areas also become mixed.
"PCBs can affect the production of the song, an important component in the communication in the world of birds," DeLeon said, as quoted by the Guardian and ScienceDaily, Monday, September 23, 2013. Changes in quality of the two populations of birds singing at the same time it is also an indicator of the toxic effects of PCBs on the environment along the Hudson River.
André Dhondt, director of Bird Population Studies at Cornell University Laboratory Ornithologi, adding the impact of PCBs on organisms is fairly complicated. This study did not look at the effects of certain types of PCBs to changes in bird song, but it only measures the overall level of PCB contamination. "But this study confirms the effect of pollutants on bird communities," he said. Explore the research team to isolate the types of PCBs that could affect the birds singing.
Specialist Hudson estuary ecosystem of New York Sea Grant, Nordica Holochuck, said the study is very interesting for stakeholders in the Hudson valley. "PCB waste that is not lethal to the organism also appeared to have an impact," he said.
DeLeon said, scientists must always take into account the presence of any contaminants researching organisms that live in a polluted environment. Therefore, aka pollutant contaminants always last long and widespread in the environment. "We need to know how environmental changes affect organisms," he said. The study entitled The Effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on the Song of Two passerine species is published in the journal PLoS ONE. Source : tempo.co
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