The article on frogs and pesticides is useful, but
incomplete (HCN, 5/26/03: Agriculture exacts a price in the High
Sierra). At a recent Rachel Carson Council seminar in Baltimore,
Md., two researchers presented their findings. Tyrone Hayes of
Berkeley, Calif., found, in both laboratory and field tests, that
very low levels of atrazine, a pesticide component, produce lowered
immune response and a disruption of reproductive capacity in
leopard frogs. Though the Environmental Protection Agency sets the
risk level for aquatic organisms at 10 to 20 micrograms/liter,
Hayes finds risks for frogs at 0.1 micrograms/liter.
Joseph Kriesecker found the following atrazine effects on leopard
frogs: enhanced susceptibility to trematode parasites, cysts and
limb abnormalities. The Rachel Carson Council tracks and
disseminates scientific data on pesticides
(rccouncil@aol.com).
Martin Murie
North Bangor,
New York
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Pesticides and frogs – it’s worse than we thought.
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