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https://theconversation.com/the-canary-in-the-concrete-jungle-how-polluted-towns-make-sparrows-frail-anxious-and-old-before-their-time-262788>
"Living in cities exposes people to all sorts of chemical pollutants. Many are
harmful even at low concentrations. But it is hard to know what the risks and
consequences might be.
The animals we share our cities with can indicate potential sources and effects
of such pollution. In this way, they act as sentinels — just like the canary in
the coalmine, used to alert underground miners to the presence of dangerous
levels of toxic gases in the 19th century.
Our research on house sparrows in three Australian towns revealed subtle but
disturbing effects of pollution on these birds.
In the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales, sparrows suffered from
exposure to lead in areas where thousands of people live. Similarly, in
Portland, Victoria and George Town, Tasmania, sparrows living near aluminium
smelters were affected by the smelting byproduct fluoride. The results suggest
the health and wellbeing of city people may also be at risk."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
