Crowdfunding to save frogs from pesticides

Researchers from La Trobe University have set up a crowdfunding page to enable research into the exposure of frogs to pesticides.

A recent World Health Organization and United Nations report showed that chemicals in pesticides have harmful effects on humans and wildlife. According to La Trobe scientist Bert De Groef, nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are under significant threat - partly due to man-made chemicals.

Dr De Groef and his team will examine the effects of a class of common pesticides used to combat household pests and insect pests in orchards worldwide. The chemicals have never before been tested for their impact on amphibian wildlife.

“Many of these chemicals end up in waterways and are believed to affect the development, health and reproduction of amphibians,” he said. “Our study will screen them for hormone-disrupting activity.”

The team has enlisted the help of a French laboratory, which has developed a state-of-the-art ‘glowing tadpole’ test. In the test, tadpoles from Xenopus, the South African clawed toad, glow when they are exposed to low concentrations of hormone-disrupting chemicals - thus identifying problematic environmental chemicals. The team will also test how the pesticide affects gene expression.

The project has 60 days to try and raise $10,000 for the necessary laboratory reagents to conduct the test. Donations of more than $10 will receive a gift, which ranges from thank-you cards and bumper stickers to canvas prints and an educational tour of La Trobe’s AgriBio research centre.

With Australian native amphibians already under extreme pressure from habitat loss, pollution and climate change, Dr De Groef says “it is crucial to determine whether these chemicals are putting their long-term survival at risk”.

“The object of our study is to make a strong case for policymakers and stakeholders to take a more serious look at these chemicals and sustainable alternatives, and to adjust policies accordingly,” he said.

To donate to the campaign, visit http://www.pozible.com/freethefrog.