Exposure and effects of chemical contaminants on tree swallows nesting along the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA, 1998-2000

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1605-1621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Custer ◽  
Thomas W. Custer ◽  
Paul M. Dummer ◽  
Kenneth L. Munney
Keyword(s):  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Chemical Contaminants ◽  
Berkshire County

scholarly journals Possible Effects of PCB Contamination on Female Plumage Color and Reproductive Success in Hudson River Tree Swallows

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 987-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. McCarty ◽  
Anne L. Secord
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine System ◽  
Hudson River ◽  
Species Range ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Plumage Color ◽  
Adult Type ◽  
Chemical Contaminants ◽  
Early Expression ◽  
Ornamental Traits ◽  
Subadult Female

AbstractChemical contaminants in the environment can influence both morphological and behavioral traits. Ornamental traits such as plumage color may be especially valuable in detecting the effects of toxic chemicals in the environment, although they have been little used to date. We examined patterns of plumage color in subadult female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding in an area on the Hudson River that had high levels of PCB contamination and compared them with specimens from other parts of the species' range and with data from two previous studies of plumage color. Tree Swallows are one of the few species of birds where females, but not males, have a distinctive subadult plumage during their first breeding season. Females from four breeding colonies in contaminated areas had significantly more adult-type blue-green coloring than females from the rest of the species' range. Subadult female plumage color at these sites formed a continuum between the normal dull brown plumage found elsewhere and the blue-green plumage of older females. Among these subadults, more colorful individuals bred earlier, and earlier breeding in turn led to larger clutches. The patterns of plumage anomalies described here are consistent with disruption of the endocrine system resulting in the early expression of an adult trait. This study supports recent suggestions that examining variation in ornamental traits of animals is an efficient means of detecting effects of chemical contaminants in the environment.

Development of Nanomaterials as Photo Catalysts for Environmental Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 09 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed M. Abu-Dief ◽  
W. S. Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Water Purification ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Block Size ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
High Catalytic Activity ◽  
Chemical Contaminants ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Photo Catalysis ◽  
Materials Used

Abstract:: Sustainability environmental lack is a growing and pivotal mater due to the issues: such as disturbances associated with biodiversity pollution, and climate change. Pollutants are the major cause of these environmental threats in the atmosphere. In recently, the nano-based photocatalyst is at the forefront of the author's interest because of its promising potential as a green chemical-based compound, high catalytic activity, the suitable and controllable surface area for wastewater treatment. Semiconductor materials in nanosized scale have electronic and optical properties depend on its building block size, which plays a vital role in developing smart materials that are well efficient for simultaneously destroying harmful chemical contaminants from our environment. This makes these materials used in many possible industrial applications such as water purification. In this Review, we report the most significant results contributing to progress in the area of environmental hazardous pollutant detection and removal focused on water purification especially through photo-catalysis to give readers an overview of the present research trends. Moreover, we analyze previous studies to indicate key principles of photo-catalysis and provide guidelines that can be used to fabricate more efficient photocatalysts.

scholarly journals Nanomaterials for sustainable remediation of chemical contaminants in water and soil

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-50
Author(s):  
Raj Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Binoy Sarkar ◽  
Eakalak Khan ◽  
Daniel S. Alessi ◽  
Jayanta Kumar Biswas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Contaminants ◽  
Sustainable Remediation
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