Valuable evidence about the success of the lead petrol ban has been gathered from otters by a scientist at Cardiff University.
As well as providing important new information about the secretive otter species, post-mortems on otters killed by cars since 1992 gave an insight into the levels of lead pollution in the environment. The results have important implications for human health as lead can damage the central nervous system including the brain, as well as affecting the kidney and reducing growth, particularly in children.
Researcher Dr. Liz Chadwick in the School of Biosciences at the University said: "We measured the level of lead in rib-bones taken from over 300 otters found dead in south-west England between 1992 and 2004 and collected by wildlife veterinary pathologist Vic Simpson.
"We compared this with levels of lead found in stream sediment by the British Geological Society and airborne emissions recorded by the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory. While some variation related to geology, we found an extremely strong decline over time, reflecting declining emissions from car fuel: otter bone lead levels in 2004 were less than a quarter of those in 1992."
Dr. Chadwick stresses that the research highlights the importance of long-term monitoring and archiving of samples and shows that with help from the public, valuable use can be made of undesirable events such as wildlife road traffic accidents.
The project was in collaboration with Cornwall's Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre and was funded by the Environment Agency.
Dr. Chadwick will present her findings at the British Ecological Society's Annual Meeting at Oxford University between 5-7 September.
More information about the research can be found at
http://www.otterproject.cardiff.ac.uk
Source: Cardiff University
Related stories:
Study shows emergency physicians have good first instincts in diagnosing heart attacks
A study out of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center demonstrates emergency room doctors are correctly identifying patients who are having a heart attack, even when laboratory tests haven't yet confirmed it.
Doctors aggressively treat early heart attacks, research shows
An international study involving 467 hospitals in 12 countries found that doctors do a good job of aggressively treating the early stages of heart attacks – even before laboratory tests confirm the diagnosis.
Researchers discover baldness gene: 1 in 7 men at risk
Researchers at McGill University, King's College London and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. have identified two genetic variants in caucasians that together produce an astounding sevenfold increase the risk of male pattern baldness. Their results will be published Oct. 12 in the journal
Nature Genetics.
Nanotechnology boosts war on superbugs
This week
Nature Nanotechnology journal (October 12th) reveals how scientists from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL are using a novel nanomechanical approach to investigate the workings of vancomycin, one of the few antibiotics that can be used to combat increasingly resistant infections such as MRSA. The researchers, led by Dr Rachel McKendry and Professor Gabriel Aeppli, developed ultra-sensitive probes capable of providing new insight into how antibiotics work, paving the way for the development of more effective new drugs.
Fat-regenerating 'stem cells' found in mice
Researchers have identified stem cells with the capacity to build fat, according to a report in the October 17th issue of the journal
Cell, a Cell Press publication. Although they have yet to show that the cells can renew themselves, transplants of the progenitor cells isolated from the fat tissue of normal mice can restore normal fat tissue in animals that are otherwise lacking it.
Scientists resolve long-standing puzzle in climate science
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team led by Livermore scientists has helped reconcile the differences between simulated and observed temperature trends in the tropics.
Polls may underestimate Obama's support by 3 to 4 percent, researchers say
(PhysOrg.com) -- Current polls of the presidential election may be underestimating Barack Obama's support by 3 to 4 percent nationally and possibly larger margins in the Southeast and some strongly Republican states, according to University of Washington researchers.
Sensitive nanowire disease detectors made by Yale scientists
Yale scientists have created nanowire sensors coupled with simple microprocessor electronics that are both sensitive and specific enough to be used for point-of-care (POC) disease detection, according to a report in
Nano Letters.