Impacts of Air Pollution on Birds
时间：2019-02-14 作者：英语课 分类：世界各地新闻集锦
They're often considered scavenging pests, but Australia's native White Ibis is helping 1 scientists understand the impact of urban life on wildlife. These long-legged birds are a barometer 2 of Sydney's environmental health.
Our reporter Li Dong has the details.
An Australian report has shown that urban life is not ideal for birds, especially the native White Ibis.
The Ibis is found in most Sydney parks and rubbish tips, scavenging for food and wreaking 3 havoc 4 with flower beds.
But now the long-legged bird has become a barometer of the city's health.
A team of scientists tested the pollution levels in Ibis eggs over 11 sites across the city's coast.
The findings were compared with those nesting in natural environments further inland.
The results show that things are far from pristine 5 in the cities.
The researchers found that the urban-dwelling Ibis have much higher levels of toxicity 6 than their countryside counterparts.
Research scientist Camila Ridoutt said the imbalance was significant.
"The pollutant 7 levels in urban sites are much higher than those found in the inland sites."
In fact pollution levels were as much as seven to nine times higher.
Camila Ridoutt says the ibis eggs found in the city were smaller, lighter 8 and thinner-shelled. She says this suggests fertility complications.
"You can infer there's a relationship with the higher pollutant levels and the potentially lower reproductive success in urban areas compared to inland areas."
Those who've had their lunch stolen by the stalking bird may not be concerned about its demise 9, but it's not just the ibis that's in bad health.
Richard Kingsford from the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre research group or AWRC says birds of prey 10 will inevitably 11 be exposed to the toxins 12.
He says Australians should learn from other countries that have had problems with pesticides 13.
"And other animals feed on those, particularly things like sea eagles for example. And we know from the 1960's in North America when really the whole issue of DDT broke wide open when people found egg shell thinning in birds of prey - eagles and so on - and so that's a concern. The higher up you get in the food chain the more you get the concentration of these sorts of pollutants 14."
It's a worrying sign for cities with avian residents.
But for now scientists are concerned toxicity levels could increase in the larger inland flocks, where consequences would be devastating 15.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- The barometer marked a continuing fall in atmospheric pressure.气压表表明气压在继续下降。
- The arrow on the barometer was pointing to"stormy".气压计上的箭头指向“有暴风雨”。
- Coal mining is a messy business, often wreaking terrible environmental damage nearby. 采矿是肮脏的行业，往往会严重破坏周边环境。
- The floods are wreaking havoc in low-lying areas. 洪水正在地势低洼地区肆虐。
- The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
- This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。
- He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
- He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。
- The hoarse grunt or squeal is characteristic of toxicity.嘶哑的哼声和叫声是中毒的特征。
- Dieldrin is related to aldrin,and its toxicity to earthworms is similar.狄氏剂与艾氏剂有关，对蚯蚓的毒性是相似的。
- Coal itself is a heavy pollutant.煤本身就是一种严重的污染物。
- Carbon dioxide may not be a typical air pollutant.二氧化碳可能不是一种典型的污染物。
- The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
- The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。
- He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
- The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。
- Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
- The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。
- In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
- Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。
- The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
- Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
- There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
- The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
- It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
- Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。