Herbicide harming marsupial health and development, research finds
Atrazine impacts reproduction in kangaroos and wallabies

Date:
August 6, 2020
Source:
University of Melbourne
Summary:
Researchers exposed the adult female tammar wallabies to atrazine
contaminated water throughout pregnancy, birth and lactation to help
establish the extent of harm being caused by the chemical. They then
examined the reproductive development of their young by assessing
their growth and development to establish that the herbicide is
causing major abnormalities in the male reproductive system in
many animals.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The health of wallabies and kangaroos is being affected by the herbicide, atrazine, which is used widely in Australia on cereal crops and in
forestation to prevent weeds, according to new research.


========================================================================== Atrazine, which has been banned in the European Union since 2003, may
be impacting reproduction in marsupials, the University of Melbourne
study found, published today in Reproduction, Fertility and Development.

"Exposures to atrazine is causing major abnormalities in the male
reproductive system in many animals, triggering male sterility or even male-to-female sex reversal in frogs," Professor in Genetics Andrew
Pask said.

"With the marsupial's unique mode of reproduction and the young completing their development in the pouch, mothers are unknowingly passing the
toxins on in their breast milk, exposing their young to environmental
toxins." The study is the first time the impacts of pesticides have
been investigated in any marsupial and show that they are able to affect reproductive development.

The research found that concentrations of atrazine have been recorded
at disturbingly high levels in Victorian rivers and Tasmanian streams immediately after forestry spraying.



========================================================================== Kangaroos and wallabies are at high risk because they eat the sprayed
crops and drink from contaminated water resources where chemicals such
as atrazine accumulate from run off.

Atrazine affects a broad range of animals from mammals such as rats to amphibians, reptiles and even fish.

With marsupials already experiencing devastating population declines
across Australia, and 21 per cent of native mammals currently threatened
with extinction, researchers say the potential impacts of environmental
toxins are of major concern.

Researchers exposed the adult female tammar wallabies to atrazine
contaminated water throughout pregnancy, birth and lactation to help
establish the extent of harm being caused by the chemical.

They then examined the reproductive development of their young by
assessing their growth and development.

Lead author on the research and PhD student Laura Cook said it is hoped
the study will lead to more stringent guidelines around the use of
atrazine in Australia.

"Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as atrazine, have the ability to
impact development and increase disease susceptibility," she said.

"With increased habitat destruction, marsupials are being pushed onto
farmland, attracted to the food resources and rare permanent water
sources where they may be vulnerable to agricultural contaminants,
such as pesticides."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Melbourne. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Laura E. Cook, Yu Chen, Marilyn B. Renfree, Andrew
J. Pask. Long-term
maternal exposure to atrazine in the drinking water reduces penis
length in the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii. Reproduction,
Fertility and Development, 2020; DOI: 10.1071/RD20158 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200806101804.htm

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