Chemical May Cause Whale Hearing Loss

[NVMojo]

what, exactly, aren't we screwing up these days???

NEW HAVEN, Conn. Jan 28, 2005 — A toxic chemical used to prevent barnacles from clinging to ship hulls may cause deafness in marine mammals and could lead whales to beach themselves, Yale researchers say.

The hearing loss would be the latest environmental hazard linked to TBT, a chemical already known to be harmful to some aquatic life. TBT is banned in many countries but is still widely used.

Yale researchers based their theory on a study of guinea pigs, because mammals have similar ear structure.


more...

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=451083

[rodeodance]

1. oh, junk science the WH would say

[w4rma]

2. Don't they mean, "Chemical Likely Causes Whale Hearing Loss"? (nt)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. Could be, but since the Navy's recently dismissed

accusations that their sonar use caused the recent whale beaching on the coast of NC, this news comes at a most suspicious time...

How convenient that both the chemical manufacturer and the navy can point at each other while the whale population dwindles away helplessly.

[Lisa]

4. more fun stuff about TBT -- it may be causing snails to grow penises

Female snails, that is.

http://www.ivf.com/snail.html

The process, called "imposex", is explained in more detail here:

www.coastal.crc.org.au/pdf/TechnicalReports/ 14-CRC_imposex_2004_Repor_CP20.pdf

[Solon]

5. This is deadly serious...

Whales rely on their hearing to see much of the underwater world, as well for navigating and in the case of Orcas, active hunting. This could lead to both beachings and starvation. Terrible situation.

[Lizzie Borden]

6. What haven't humans screwed up?