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BRI Completes First Research Study in Mexico(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) GORHAM, Maine, Jan. 10 -- Biodiversity Research Institute issued the following news release: Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) announced the completion of its first project in Mexico in alignment with its technical-scientific agreement signed in December 2012 with Mexico's federal environmental agency, the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC). The three-week survey of beach contaminants for the State of Guerrero, an area that encompasses several major resorts including Acapulco, found strong evidence of environmental pollutants including plastics, mercury, and petroleum pollution along the coastline. "It is unusual for foreign, nongovernmental organizations to conduct scientific research in Mexico, but the memorandum of understanding between the two entities signals our commitment to conservation throughout all of North America. For this study, we are honored particularly to have worked with the State Government of Guerrero as it responded to Tropical Storm Manuel," says BRI's executive director David C. Evers, Ph.D. "This initiative helps continue BRI's interest to understand and minimize the effects of pollutants like mercury to both wildlife and humans in the Western Hemisphere." In cooperation with the State of Guerrero and in partnership with Sustenta Soluciones S.A. de C.V. (a green marketing and communications company headquartered in Mexico City), BRI conducted a three-week pilot study in Acapulco, San Jeronimo de Juarez, and Zihuatenejo/Ixtapa from mid-October to early November 2013 to check for environmental signals in fish, birds, and humans for three common pollutants often used as reliable predictors of ecological toxicity: plastics, mercury, and petroleum (PAHs). BRI's research found mercury levels in wildlife and edible fish above the guidelines considered safe for humans; one type of PAH cited by the U.S. EPA as a hazardous substance was found in 10 out of 26 blood samples taken from captured wildlife. Further, more than 70 percent of women sampled (all of reproductive age) exceeded the known lowest observed adverse effect level. High enough for human and ecological health concerns, these preliminary findings warrant more research on marine debris and associated contaminants. The pilot study was a component of a much larger campaign called Limpia Guerrero 2013, a Guerrerense initiative based on public education and communication to clean beaches, raise environmental awareness, and engage stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to find a sustainable solution to coastline pollutants in Guerrero. "Guerrero needs our help," says Manolo Ruiz, director general of Sustenta and the head of Limpia Guerrero, "Our project will help Guerrero's citizens and tourists live more sustainably with the environment in the future." Sustenta business partner Santiago Lobeira, a member of BRI's board of directors, added that "Limpia Guerrero has the potential to transform people and the landscape to promote healthy ecosystems that will attract tourists from all over the world." BRI's director of scientific advancement, H. Bruce Rinker, Ph.D., a tropical ecologist, led the research project. "This project represents a timely and multi-disciplinary approach to the study of marine debris. Our field crew found indisputable environmental signals in fish, birds, and humans for three common urban pollutants. Where did they come from? How long have they been there? Our waste streams are diminishing biodiversity around the world. Ultimately, it's all about a change in attitude. This study is just a first step: a snapshot, really. What we need is a full-length documentary." BRI submitted its findings to the State Government of Guerrero in early December 2013. BRI's scientific analysis of the beach contaminants will help promote environmental education, public awareness, and policy recommendations for this high-density tourist resort state. For a copy of the full report, contact Dr. Rinker at [email protected]. CC AutoTriage5rn-140111-30FurigayJane-4597686 30FurigayJane (c) 2014 Targeted News Service |