Mercury 'turns' wetland birds such as ibises homosexual (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Victoria Gill
Science and nature reporter, BBC News

Mercury affects the behaviour of white ibises by "turning them homosexual", with higher doses resulting in males being more likely to pair with males.

Scientists in Florida and Sri Lanka studied the effect of mercury in the birds' diet. Their aim was to find out why it reduced the ibises' breeding.

Mercury pollution can come from burning coal and waste, and run-off from mines.

The report, in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, shows that wetland birds are particularly badly affected by it.
***
"We knew mercury could depress their testosterone (male sex hormone) levels," explained Dr Peter Frederick from the University of Florida, who led the study. "But we didn't expect this."
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9243000/9243902.stm




Overinterpretation suggesting parallels in humans to begin in 3 ... 2 ...

[FSogol]

1. Family Research Council Launches War on Thermometers

:shrug:

[eppur_se_muova]

2. :chuckle: nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Well, who wouldn't want to be like Freddie?

:evilgrin:

[happyslug]

4. No, there will NEVER be a comparison, the Radial Economic Right wants Coal

And anything BAD about burning coal must be WRONG, thus while mercury may cause the birds to turn homosexual, the mercury can NOT come from coal (And if it did, the mercury was not the mercury that made the birds "Gay").

Sorry, the right wing uses anti-homosexuality as a way to get Rural working class and poor on their side, the last thing the Right Wing wants is anything that turns those same people into anti-coal burning people, thus any connection will be denied (as it has been for Autism, which seems to have a mercury component but the primary source of the Mercury being of ligate coal and the switch starting with Reagan from Union mined Bituminous coal, the ashes of which as a side affect absorbs mercury, to non-union strip mine coal from the Western States, which release mercury as it is burned).

The difference in Mercury content in coals:
http://energy.er.usgs.gov/health_environment/mercury/mercury_coal.html
http://www.utsystem.edu/news/clips/dailyclips/2005/0312-0318/UTHSCSA-HC-links-031705.pdf

Waste coal has much more mercury then regular coal:
http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/

Autism declines when Mercury is banned:
http://autismcoach.com/Autism%20Declines%20When%20Mercury%20Vaccines%20Banned.htm

Autism goes up and Mercury in the atmosphere goes up:
http://www.infowars.com/articles/science/mercury_air_pollution_autism.htm
http://www.prleap.com/pr/105706/

Energy Information Agency (EIA) report on Mercury and coal and that it is easier to remove Mercury from from Eastern Bituminous Coal then Western Coal:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/mercury/analysis.html