Persistent organic pollutants are also called “endocrine disrupters” and include compounds like DDT and PCBs. Although many of these compounds are now banned from production in the U.S., they are still detected in the environment because they degrade very slowly and they are still being used in other parts of the world and then transported through the atmosphere over long distances.
Persistent organic pollutants accumulate in seemingly pristine, high altitude environments and are concentrated in lipophilic or fat-containing substances like tree bark. We would like to see if beavers biomagnify or concentrate these toxins in their tissues and fat reserves because of their potential exposure through eating tree bark. We have collected beaver tissues samples and tree bark samples at different elevations from several watershed systems in the Coastal and Cascade Mountain Ranges, including the Luckimute River, Rickreall Creek, Siletz River, Calapooia River, Thomas Creek and North Santiam River.
Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants will be mapped for each collection site and will demonstrate whether or not these toxins are accumulating in these keystone species and watershed environments. $25,000 is currently needed to analyze all samples. Please contact Dr. Ursula Bechert (ursula.bechert@oregonstate.edu) if you have information on funding sources.
Ursula Bechert, DVM, PhD Director of Off-Campus Programs College of Science Oregon State University 2082 Cordley Hall- DBPP Corvallis, OR 97331 Tel: 541 737 5259 Fax: 541 737 3573 E-mail: ursula.bechert@oregonstate.eduPollutions affecting beavers! Let’s get on this right away! Incidentally, i hear those things aren’t good for people either. Pass this along to your grant- writing friend and lets find money for the project. In the meantime, thanks to Emily at the Sonoma IT who graciously made beavers nocturnal once again, and our Friends of Alhambra Creek who were very friendly to us last night. Hopefully there’s new trees a-coming!
