food chain

Oil from BP Spill Has Been Found in Terrestrial Birds

It’s been more than six years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers and dumping some 700,000 cubic feet (ca.154 million gallons) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The hearts of people worldwide broke at the sight of oil-covered pelicans and dolphins swimming in oil slicks. That was only the beginning of ­the environmental damage, however. Now carbon from the spill has been found in the feathers and digestive tracts of seaside sparrows. [1]
The oil has officially entered the food chain.

How Illegal Drugs and ADHD Medications are Polluting Urban Streams

Both legal and illegal drugs are polluting streams in and around at least 1 major U.S. city, a new study reveals. This includes amphetamines, which are biologically active and highly addictive. [1]
The pollution comes at a high cost, ecologically. Areas in some streams have high enough concentrations of amphetamines to alter the bottom of the aquatic food chain.
Study author Sylvia Lee said: