L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 2023 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano " The protection of birds is functional to the protection of h u m a n s b e c a u s e we are all part of the same system." Words o f A n d r e a B o n i s o l i Alquati, a researcher in the f i e l d o f e c o l o g y w h o h a s been studying the effects of various pollutants on bird p o p u l a t i o n s f o r 1 5 y e a r s . His work was born out of a deep passion for animals t h a t l e d h i m i n 2 0 1 6 t o become a professor of envi- ronmental toxicology at Cal Poly Pomona University. Originally from Cremona, after completing his studies in Milan, Italy, with a Bach- elor's degree in Natural Sci- ences, a Master's degree in Natural Resources Manage- m e n t , a n d a d o c t o r a t e i n Ecology, Bonisoli Alquati moved to the United States where he continued to do research in the field of envi- ronmental toxicology, first at the University of South C a r o l i n a a n d l a t e r a t Louisiana State University. The move to California was no accident: the Golden State is at the forefront of ecology and the protection of animal species, so much so that it was the first gov- ernment in the world to ban the use of lead ammunition for hunting. "Here we have the condor: " he explains to me, "California has under- taken a gigantic effort since the 1980s to reintroduce it i n t o t h e w i l d . S t u d i e s showed, however, that as l o n g a s l e a d a m m u n i t i o n was used to hunt other ani- mals, these efforts would be in vain. One is led to think that Europe has more envi- ronmental sensitivity, but the European Union banned t h e m o n l y l a s t y e a r , 3 0 y e a r s a f t e r t h e U n i t e d States." W h y d i d C a l i f o r n i a want this ban to protect a t y p e o f r a p t o r t h e h u n t i n g o f w h i c h w a s already prohibited? Some raptors are scav- enger birds, meaning they f e e d o n t h e c a r c a s s e s o f other animals, thus often i n c l u d i n g t h o s e k i l l e d b y hunters. What hunters often do, after killing a deer or w i l d b o a r , i s t o l e a v e t h e a n i m a l ' s i n n a r d s i n t h e field, which contain precise- l y t h e s e l e a d p e l l e t s . N o t only can they be eaten by raptors, but also by coyotes, cougars, and other animals that end up intoxicated. What are the effects of lead ammunition? Very similar to those that lead has on humans. Lead interacts with nerve trans- mission by preventing the proper functioning of neu- rons. Neurons transmit to each other using calcium - an element very similar to lead - which is then mistak- en for calcium by neurons that are activated when they should not be. As a result, cognitive ability is reduced, and coordination and move- ment problems develop. In addition, it reduces immune s y s t e m f u n c t i o n a n d h a s unbalancing effects on hor- mones as well. Is there a direct rela- tionship between your field and politics? T h e r e ' s a n i n e v i t a b l e relationship because anyone m a k i n g d e c i s i o n s c a n n o t i g n o r e s c i e n c e , a n d t h i s holds true for all sectors, including the medical field. I was consulted after an oil spill in Huntington Beach, having worked in that area. I was asked about the risks of oil to coastal bird com- munities, something I had d e a l t w i t h i n L o u i s i a n a . Unfortunately, communica- tion with politicians often only happens when action can no longer be avoided when the accumulation of k n o w l e d g e m a k e s a c t i o n imperative. Only in those instances do we see change. It's not solely due to sci- e n c e ; j o u r n a l i s t s a n d a c t i v i s t s p l a y a r o l e t o o . However, the hope remains that change will occur more swiftly. How is environmen- t a l t o x i c o l o g y a p p r o - ached? Toxicology can be con- ducted in a laboratory, test- ing chemical compounds on cells, or it can be carried out at an environmental level, in relation to the ecology of a place, studying the effects that chemical and anthro- pogenic substances have on natural populations and the environment. Are there other pro- jects for which Califor- n i a c o n t i n u e s t o b e innovative? There's a branch of ecolo- gy that has developed tech- nologies for tracking ani- m a l s t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e i r behavior and also to provide tools to study ecological and atmospheric phenomena. This method is very infor- mative because birds move around a lot, also giving us data on pollution. What does this entail exactly? We are using seagulls as sentinels for contamination from so-called flame retar- dants, toxic chemical addi- tives added to fabrics, and other materials, especially in the San Francisco area. We track them via GPS. By a t t a c h i n g s a m p l e r s t h a t constantly filter the air and then retrieving the seagull after several weeks, we can measure pollution levels. These estimates can then be related to where the seag- ulls have been. Some stay along the coast, while others venture into the city. This gives us an idea of the risk animals face by adopting these habits, as in the city t h e y a r e m o r e e a s i l y exposed to certain chemi- cals. Moreover, we can get an idea of where hazardous chemicals are concentrated. Currently, we retrieve the seagulls after two weeks, b u t t h e g o a l w o u l d b e t o have seagulls that constant- ly send us information via satellite. We are working with other researchers in Germany and the US to set up this network. W h e n d i d y o u r p a s - sion for birds begin? I've always loved animals ever since I was a child. I p a r t i c u l a r l y a d o r e b i r d s ; they bring me immense joy. In fact, in my free time, I often go bird-watching. Which of the projects you've worked on have you been most passion- ate about? A t o p i c t h a t I ' v e b e e n d e e p l y p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t , which I began working on in South Carolina, is that of radiation and the effects of Chernobyl and Fukushima. It's a very fascinating sub- ject, especially because it intersects with the recent h i s t o r y o f t h e W e s t e r n world. Of course, I study the effects of radiation, which primarily cause mutations, in the environmental and animal context. However, in this case, the effects on the animal world are the same for humans. SILVIA NITTOLI The effects of pollution on birds: studies in California by an Italian researcher Andrea Bonisoli Alquati showing a red-necked vulture, marked during studies on the effects of lead ammunition on raptor populations (Photo courtesy of Andrea Bonisoli Alquati) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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