• Question: How will polution affect species reproduction?

    Asked by to Aled, Ellie, Fiona, Kev, Willem on 18 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Willem Heijltjes

      Willem Heijltjes answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      Hi Howdihow!

      Almost certainly, not in a good way! We know that chemicals that we put in the environment are bad for animals in many ways – including making them unable to have offspring. But this is something we’ve known for a long time, and it is being researched all the time! So, hopefully, we can ban the worst chemicals before they do a lot of damage!

    • Photo: Aled Roberts

      Aled Roberts answered on 19 Mar 2014:

      To add to Willem’s answer…

      Some chemicals we once thought were safe for use have since been found to be very bad for us! Who knows what research might uncover about certain chemicals we thing are safe now!

      I know this is not to do with pollution but Thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness in women, however this was later linked to server birth defects! Check the wiki page out below!

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide

      Hope that adds to the answer! Don’t forget to vote 🙂

    • Photo: Kevin Arbuckle

      Kevin Arbuckle answered on 20 Mar 2014:

      Good answers from Willem and Aled, so just to add a very little bit. Polluting toxins can either kill animals (reducing their chance of reproducing) or can make them sterile or at least less fertile. Interestingly, some chemicals are similar to sex hormones in amphibians, and so interfere with reproductive behaviour by ‘mimicking’ the frog’s natural hormones. Finally, pollution isn’t just chemicals. Both light and noise pollution can badly imnpact on reproduction and (in the case of noise pollution) can make it harder to find a female for animals such as birds and frogs whos males sing to attract a mate.

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