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Japanese scientists use goldfish to screen for freshwater pollution
mongabay ^
| December, 17, 2008
Posted on 12/18/2008 7:49:18 PM PST by JoeProBono
Coal miners used canaries to warn them of noxious gases for generations. Today's substitute may be the everyday goldfish: it can act as an aquatic canary to warn scientists when something bad is brewing in the waters, according to new research.
TOPICS: Pets/Animals; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: goldfish; pollution
A new study combines several environmental screens into one species of goldfish. Goldfish can adapt to any freshwater environment, says researcher Yuya Deguchi of Nagasaki International University in Japan. This trait, along with their size, makes goldfish an ideal model species to observe, Deguchi says. His team bought 10 male goldfish and exposed them to water from the Ho River near the regions textile dyeing factory. In the laboratory, five goldfish swam in water collected upstream of the factory; the other five swam in water collected downstream. Earlier laboratory screens using Salmonella revealed carcinogens in this river, but the team expanded its study to track three biological measurements: damage to the fishes DNA; synthesis of a protein normally only seen in the livers of females; and production of enzymes associated with certain pollutants ...
To: JoeProBono
2
posted on
12/18/2008 7:51:02 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
( Loose Associations - Postcards from My Mind)
To: JoeProBono
3
posted on
12/18/2008 7:53:35 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
( Loose Associations - Postcards from My Mind)
To: JoeProBono
peta cant be happy about this!!!!!!
4
posted on
12/18/2008 7:54:20 PM PST
by
remaxagnt
(`)
To: JoeProBono
Some do not survive the test.
5
posted on
12/18/2008 7:55:14 PM PST
by
Loud Mime
("Only the dead have seen the end of war" Plato)
To: JoeProBono
6
posted on
12/18/2008 7:55:53 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
( Loose Associations - Postcards from My Mind)
To: JoeProBono
7
posted on
12/18/2008 7:58:08 PM PST
by
TRY ONE
(NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
To: Loud Mime
8
posted on
12/18/2008 8:00:00 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
( Loose Associations - Postcards from My Mind)
To: JoeProBono
NORAD’s has been using fish that way for years. What’s so new?
9
posted on
12/18/2008 8:08:16 PM PST
by
CodeToad
To: Larry Lucido; Cagey
ELAINE: Please drive us around the parking lot to find our car. My fish are dying.
MAN #2 Can’t do it.
ELAINE I can see not caring what happens to us, we’re human. But what about the fish? The fish?
10
posted on
12/18/2008 8:10:16 PM PST
by
earlJam
To: JoeProBono
11
posted on
12/18/2008 8:33:19 PM PST
by
Daffynition
("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
To: Daffynition
Oh yeah
12
posted on
12/18/2008 9:08:10 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
( Loose Associations - Postcards from My Mind)
To: remaxagnt
13
posted on
12/18/2008 9:15:10 PM PST
by
JoeProBono
( Loose Associations - Postcards from My Mind)
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