The USGS and EPA have some good on-line info on environmental sources of
mercury and formation and toxicology of the methylmercury cation. Coal-fired
power plants are the biggest point sources of mercury in the environment
(atmospheric deposition), but there are other sources as well, some of them
natural phenomena. Methylmercury is formed by the action of anaerobes on
inorganic mercury in aquatic environments, including wetlands. It is
biomagnified in aquatic food chains. Wikipedia has some good info on this
topic. Peter Frederick's research is mentioned in the Wikipedia article on
methylmercury.
Cheers,
Patrick Beauzay
Research Specialist
Extension Entomology
202B Hultz Hall
North Dakota State University
W: 701-231-7064
C: 701-799-7981
Please note that I have two separate mailing addresses:
For United States Postal Service For
courier delivery (UPS, FedEx, etc.)
Patrick Beauzay
Patrick Beauzay
Entomology Dept.
202B Hultz Hall
NDSU Dept. 7650
1300 Albrecht Boulevard
P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58102
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
-----Original Message-----
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of linda whyte
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 9:17 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [mou-net] behavior effects of methylmercury ingestion in ibis
Most interesting---and what are the primary sources of mercury, as entry agents
into the food chain? That would be the next question.
On Sun, Dec 12, 2010 at 11:39 PM, Gordon <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> Christine Dell'Amore
>
> National Geographic News <http://news.nationalgeographic.com>
>
> Published December 3, 2010
>
> Male birds that eat mercury-contaminated food show "surprising"
> homosexual behavior, scientists have found.
>
> In a recent experiment in captive white ibises, many of the males
> exposed to the metal chose other males as mates.
>
> These "male-male pairs did everything that a heterosexual pair would do,"
> said study leader Peter Frederick
> <http://www.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/frederickp/> , a wildlife ecologist at
> the University of Florida in Gainesville.
>
> "They built their nest, copulated together, stayed together on a nest
> for a month, even though there were no eggs-they did the whole nine yards." ..
>
> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101203-homosexual-bird
> s-merc
> ury-science/
>
>
>
> Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, published
> online December 1, 2010
>
> Altered pairing behaviour and reproductive success in white ibises
> exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of methylmercury
>
> 1.
> <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?author1=Peter+Frederick
> &sorts pec=date&submit=Submit> Peter Frederick
> <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/24/rspb.
> 2010.2 189.abstract?sid=4c63cdc0-93a4-4c67-8633-75275cbcfed5#aff-1> 1,
> <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/24/rspb.
> 2010.2
> 189.abstract?sid=4c63cdc0-93a4-4c67-8633-75275cbcfed5#corresp-1> * and
>
> 2.
> <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?author1=Nilmini+Jayasen
> a&sort spec=date&submit=Submit> Nilmini Jayasena
> <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/24/rspb.
> 2010.2 189.abstract?sid=4c63cdc0-93a4-4c67-8633-75275cbcfed5#aff-1> 1,
> <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/11/24/rspb.
> 2010.2 189.abstract?sid=4c63cdc0-93a4-4c67-8633-75275cbcfed5#aff-2> 2
>
> 1. 1Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University
> of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 2. 2Department of Basic
> Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal
> Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
>
>
> 1. * Author for correspondence ( <mailto:[email protected]>
> [email protected]).
>
> Abstract
>
> Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most biologically available and toxic form
> of mercury, and can act as a powerful teratogen, neurotoxin and
> endocrine disruptor in vertebrates. However, mechanisms of endocrine
> impairment and net effects on demography of biota are poorly
> understood. Here, we report that experimental exposure of an aquatic
> bird over 3 years to environmentally relevant dietary MeHg
> concentrations (0.05-0.3 ppm wet
> weight) resulted in dose-related increases in male-male pairing
> behaviour (to 55% of males), and decreases in egg productivity (to
> 30%). Dosed males showed decreased rates of key courtship behaviours,
> and were approached less by courting females in comparison to control
> males. Within dosed groups, homosexual males showed a similar
> reduction when compared with dosed heterosexual males. We found an
> average 35 per cent decrease in fledgling production in high-dose
> birds over the study duration. These results are of interest because
> (i) MeHg exposure is experimentally tied to demographically important
> reproductive deficits, (ii) these effects were found at low, chronic
> exposure levels commonly experienced by wildlife, and (iii) effects on
> reproductive behaviour and sexual preference mediated by endocrine
> disruption represent a novel and probably under-reported mechanism by which
> contaminants may influence wild populations of birds.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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