Something very disturbing is happening in the ponds that border corn fields in America's midwest, a UC Berkeley press release has revealed. Numerous pesticides, herbicides and fungicides applied to the corn fields gradually run off into nearby ponds. The ponds build up a cocktail of hazardous chemicals and those chemicals are inflicting devastating effects on the health of amphibians inhabiting the contaminated water.
UC Berkeley researchers reported that the combination of pesticides found in the ponds is further threatening already distressed amphibian populations. Some of the effects of the pollutants on amphibians include impaired sexual development, increased susceptibility to bacterial meningitis, reduced body size, and a slowing of maturation into adult forms.
"These physiological effects combine with environmental disruptions to make the life of a frog seem like something out of a horror movie and are likely among the factors causing a decline in amphibian populations worldwide" ~UC Berkely Press Release
Find out more: Pesticide Combinations Imperil Frogs (UC Berkeley Press Release)
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