Seminar - " Chemical Pollution in Wildlife "

SEMINAR'S ABSTRACT

> Malaysia is very fast developing towards a developed nation. New industrial areas, modern agriculture, urbanization and heavy transportation are increasing. These human activities contribute to local and global pollution. Hazardous chemicals are among important pollutants that were reported to cause harm to wildlife if they are contaminated or affect their habitat and diet directly or indirectly. These toxic chemicals not only caused acute toxicity but also chronic effects on their generations and populations. Heavy metals for example could accumulate in the macrobenthos such as crabs, shrimps and other bivalves and then transferred to other animals such as migratory shorebirds, eagles and other higher predators. The levels of chemical pollutant accumulation are dependent on the diet, the intensity of exposure, and the time spent in a habitat, and various kinds of physiological responses. Butyl tin contamination is another example which may affect marine life such as shell malformation in bivalves, larval mortality, imposex in gastropods and cause hormone imbalance in animals. Lower trophic organisms were found to be acutely sensitive to TBT. All these affect the population of main diet for wildlife such as macrobenthos and fishes. The density of prey probably reduced and become contaminated diet for coastal wildlife. Another pollutant such as petroleum hydrocarbon, plastic pellets, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical and personal care products and others may show similar effects to wildlife directly or their food webs systems indirectly. Continuous development in Malaysia and neighboring countries, human activities, shipping, marinas, and others will continuously contribute to chemicals pollution in the environment, which will affect the quality of habitat and feeding sites of wildlife. Even though there are laws to protect the wildlife, some are facing extinction due to chemical pollution. Thus, certain actions must be taken immediately.