Air pollution and sparrows
by Chris, 15 November, 2018, 0 comments
Air pollution is a major concern in many of our cities across the U.K., and indeed through Europe. Indeed, it is thought to be responsible for a significant number of premature / early deaths. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has estimated that air pollution is causing around 467,000 premature deaths in Europe every year. The main culprits are particulates and nitrogen oxides (NOx) - mainly derived from the engines of cars, vans, lorries but also boilers etc.
Now research at the University of Madrid has shown that air pollution is affecting bird populations. Dr. Herrera-Duenas and her co-workers collected hundreds of blood samples from sparrows in rural, sub-urban and urban areas. The house sparrow has been strongly associated with human habitation but can live in urban or rural settings. Read more...
