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DDT and Bird Brains

WHY IS A CHEMICAL THAT IS NO LONGER IN USE STILL A THREAT TO AMERICAN SONGBIRDS?  FIND OUT ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

D-D-T, A HAZARDOUS INSECTICIDE, WAS BANNED IN THE UNITED STATED IN THE SEVENTIES. YET ITS HARMFUL RESIDUES STILL REMAIN IN THE ENVIRONMENT, POSING A DANGER TO WILD ANIMALS.

SONGBIRDS ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE, AND PAST RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS OF D-D-T DAMAGES THEIR BRAINS. NOW SCIENTISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA HAVE ACTUALLY DEMONSTRATED THAT D-D-T EXPOSURES SHRINK THE REGIONS OF A ROBIN’S BRAIN THAT CONTROL SINGING AND COURTSHIP BEHAVIOR. ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT KILL THE ROBINS, IT MAY PREVENT THE MALE BIRDS FROM ATTRACTING POTENTIAL MATES.

RESEARCHERS ARE NOT YET SURE HOW D-D-T AFFECTS THE HUMAN BRAIN, BUT AS SCIENTISTS CONTINUE TO ASK NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PERSISTENT CONTAMINANT, THEY ARE CONSTANTLY DISCOVERING NEW DANGERS.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS. LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM.        

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