Nature & Environment
Farm Pesticides Pose Threat to Frog Population
Staff Reporter
First Posted: Jan 25, 2013 06:23 AM EST
A new study conducted by a team of German researchers reveals that farm pesticides are killing amphibians, causing a major dip in the world's population of frogs and toads, reports the official website.
A study conducted by the institute of Environmental Sciences Landau at the University of Koblenz-Landau has revealed that the use of the recommended amount of pesticides caused a mortality rate of 20-100 percent on common frogs.
In order to prove their hypothesis and test how the use of fungicides and insecticides harms the frog population, researchers conducted a test on 150 juvenile grass frogs (Rana temporaria).
During the experiment, the frogs were placed in large containers that were filled with soil where barley was grown. The frogs were exposed to seven different agriculture products. Later, the products were used in the same recommended dilutions in order to create the conditions of a field in the lab. Each experiment was conducted on five frogs. The frogs were first sprayed with chemicals and if they survived, the other two experiments were conducted on them
The researchers used three doses that included recommended concentration, one-tenth of recommend concentration and 10 times recommended concentrations, reports Phys.Org.
The experiment headed by Carten Bruehl and his team noticed that the pesticides killed nearly 40 percent of the frogs after a week and in certain cases, almost 100 percent. The pesticide 'Headline' was considered to be the most toxic substance as it killed all the frogs in one hour. Headline is mostly used to prevent the formation of fungus in soybeans, corn and wheat.
"Our study shows that urgent action is now," Bruhl said in a press statement. "Even farmers have finally a big interest in a natural setting and to protect amphibians, destroy the harmful insects. You therefore want to use pesticides that do not endanger them. "Likewise, the deal for the pesticide risk assessment managers with this issue and amphibians to include in their analysis.
Further study is required to understand how these substances work. The study also highlights the effect of pesticides on the rural population.
The details of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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First Posted: Jan 25, 2013 06:23 AM EST
A new study conducted by a team of German researchers reveals that farm pesticides are killing amphibians, causing a major dip in the world's population of frogs and toads, reports the official website.
A study conducted by the institute of Environmental Sciences Landau at the University of Koblenz-Landau has revealed that the use of the recommended amount of pesticides caused a mortality rate of 20-100 percent on common frogs.
In order to prove their hypothesis and test how the use of fungicides and insecticides harms the frog population, researchers conducted a test on 150 juvenile grass frogs (Rana temporaria).
During the experiment, the frogs were placed in large containers that were filled with soil where barley was grown. The frogs were exposed to seven different agriculture products. Later, the products were used in the same recommended dilutions in order to create the conditions of a field in the lab. Each experiment was conducted on five frogs. The frogs were first sprayed with chemicals and if they survived, the other two experiments were conducted on them
The researchers used three doses that included recommended concentration, one-tenth of recommend concentration and 10 times recommended concentrations, reports Phys.Org.
The experiment headed by Carten Bruehl and his team noticed that the pesticides killed nearly 40 percent of the frogs after a week and in certain cases, almost 100 percent. The pesticide 'Headline' was considered to be the most toxic substance as it killed all the frogs in one hour. Headline is mostly used to prevent the formation of fungus in soybeans, corn and wheat.
"Our study shows that urgent action is now," Bruhl said in a press statement. "Even farmers have finally a big interest in a natural setting and to protect amphibians, destroy the harmful insects. You therefore want to use pesticides that do not endanger them. "Likewise, the deal for the pesticide risk assessment managers with this issue and amphibians to include in their analysis.
Further study is required to understand how these substances work. The study also highlights the effect of pesticides on the rural population.
The details of the study were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone