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Home > Science Update Podcast – Daily Edition > Pigeon Bioindicators
Podcast: Science Update Podcast – Daily Edition
Episode:

Pigeon Bioindicators
Category: Science & Medicine
Duration: 0
Publish Date: 2018-02-16 22:52:36
Description:
Pigeons are part of the urban landscape in New York City, and reflect the heavy metal levels of the neighborhoods they inhabit. (Alessandro Valli/CC BY-2.0, via flickr)

Pigeons are part of the urban landscape in New York City, and reflect the heavy metal levels of the neighborhoods they inhabit. (Alessandro Valli/CC BY-2.0, via flickr)

BOB HIRSHON (host):

Toxic pigeons. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Lead in paint and gasoline has been banned for decades, but its residue still lingers in the environment, posing a hazard to children’s developing brains. UC Davis researcher Rebecca Calisi says she’s turned to pigeons to track the heavy metal, because they share our streets.

REBECCA CALISI RODRÍGUEZ (UC Davis):

We want to use pigeons to warn us of dangerous contaminants in our environment  that have a serious negative impact on our health.

HIRSHON:

Over a five-year period, Calisi and her colleague Fayme Cai tested lead levels in pigeons from across New York City.

CALISI RODRÍGUEZ:

Areas that had pigeons that had high lead levels also appeared to be lead hotspots for children as well.

HIRSHON:

At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Calisi suggested that monitoring pigeons could provide a practical alternative to human testing. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.

OR:

At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Calisi suggested that testing pigeons could be a practical way to pinpoint contamination. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.

Story by Susanne Bard
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