OK, so we’ve been looking at how man-made changes in our environment can affect … (a)  

Now I’ll discuss a …............ …....................

(a)  

… (a)   ’s one of the 120 or so elements that make up all matter, and it has the symbol Hg.

Mercury’s one of the 120 or so … (a)   s that make up all matter, and it has the symbol Hg.

Mercury’s one of the 120 or so elements that …....... ….......... all matter, and it has the symbol Hg.

(a)  

Mercury’s one of the 120 or so elements that make up all … (a)   , and it has the symbol Hg.

Mercury’s one of the 120 or so elements that make up all matter, and it has the … (a)   Hg.

It’s a shiny, …........... …......................

(a)  

You may have seen it in …......-................  thermometers, but it’s not used much for domestic purposes now because it’s highly toxic.

(a)  

You may have seen it in old-fashioned  … (a)   s, but it’s not used much for domestic purposes now because it’s highly toxic.

You may have seen it in old-fashioned thermometers, but it’s not used much for …............... …................s now because it’s highly toxic.

(a)  

You may have seen it in old-fashioned thermometers, but it’s not used much for domestic purposes now because it’s highly … (a)  

The main reason for this is the …......... …...........s used to produce electricity.

(a)  

The main source of energy that most of them use is still … (a)   , and when it’s burned it releases mercury into the atmosphere.

Some of this …..s  …...........  …..... lakes and rivers, and if it’s ingested by a fish it’s not excreted, it stays in the fish’s body and it enters the food chain.

(a)  

Some of this gets deposited into lakes and rivers, and if it’s … (a)   ed by a fish it’s not excreted, it stays in the fish’s body and it enters the food chain.

Some of this gets deposited into lakes and rivers, and if it’s ingested by a fish it’s not … (a)   , it stays in the fish’s body and it enters the food chain.

Some of this gets deposited into lakes and rivers, and if it’s ingested by a fish it’s not excreted, it stays in the fish’s body and it enters the  …........ …...........

(a)  

And rather than looking at how many birds are actually killed by ….......... …................, she’s looking for more subtle sub-effects.

(a)  

And rather than looking at how many birds are actually killed by mercury poisoning, she’s looking for more … (a)   sub-effects.

And rather than looking at how many birds are actually killed by mercury poisoning, she’s looking for more subtle ….....-…...........

(a)  

And Varian-Ramos has already found in her research that if young male birds are … (a)   d …. mercury, if they eat food contaminated with mercury, then the songs they produce aren’t as complex as those produced by other birds.

And Varian-Ramos has already found in her research that if young male birds are exposed to mercury, if they eat food …..............d  …........ mercury, then the songs they produce aren’t as complex as those produced by other birds.

(a)  

So quite ….....-…....... …........................... ….... mercury is likely to have an impact on male birds in a natural situation, because it can mean that they’re less attractive to female birds, and so it can affect their chances of reproduction.

(a)  

So quite low-level exposure to mercury is likely to have an impact on male birds in a natural situation, because it can mean that they’re less attractive to female birds, and so it can affect their chances of … (a)  

She’s using a mixture of studies using birds kept in … (a)   (plural), and studies carried out outdoors in the wild. 

She’s using a mixture of studies using birds kept in laboratories, and studies …......... …........ outdoors in the wild. 

(a)  

The …....-…....... …............ (plural) have the advantage that you don’t get all the variables you would in a natural setting, so the experimenter has a much higher level of control, and that means they can be more confident about their results in some ways.

(a)  

The lab-based studies have the advantage that you don’t get all the … (a)   s you would in a natural setting, so the experimenter has a much higher level of control, and that means they can be more confident about their results in some ways.

The lab-based studies have the advantage that you don’t get all the variables you would in a …............ …..............., so the experimenter has a much higher level of control, and that means they can be more confident about their results in some ways.

(a)  

The lab-based studies have the advantage that you don’t get all the variables you would in a natural setting, so the … (a)   has a much higher level of control, and that means they can be more confident about their results in some ways.

So what are the … (a)   s here for humans?

Well, because many birds are … (a)   , they may be transporting mercury far from contaminated sites.

For example, it’s been found that ducks who’d been feeding at a contaminated site were later … (a)   by hunters over a thousand kilometres away, and presumably eaten.

But these birds likely had mercury levels high enough to …............ …............... ….. human consumption.

(a)  

But these birds likely had mercury levels high enough to warrant concern for human … (a)  

In addition, going back to song learning by birds, we saw that this may be affected by …................... ….........................

(a)  

Well, we also know that in humans, mercury causes ….......................... …..........s in the acquisition of language, and in fact this process is very similar in the brain regions it involves and even the genes that are involved.

(a)  

Well, we also know that in humans, mercury causes developmental delays in the …....................  ….. …................, and in fact this process is very similar in the brain regions it involves and even the genes that are involved.

(a)  

Well, we also know that in humans, mercury causes developmental delays in the acquisition of language, and in fact this process is very similar in the ….............. …..............s it involves and even the genes that are involved.

(a)  

It’s now known that an unborn child can be affected if the food eaten by its mother contains high levels of mercury, and these effects can be quite … (a)  

In the end, it ..….........s ….............. to whether more value is placed on human economic wellbeing or environmental wellbeing. 

(a)  

In the end, it comes down to whether more value is placed on human …............. …............... or environmental wellbeing. 

(a)  

In the end, it comes down to whether more value is placed on human economic wellbeing or …....................... …...................

(a)  

It’s true there are new … (a)   s for mercury emissions from power plants, but these will need billions of dollars to implement, and increase costs for everyone.

It’s true there are new regulations for …................. …................s from power plants, but these will need billions of dollars to implement, and increase costs for everyone.

(a)  

It’s true there are new regulations for mercury emissions from power plants, but these will need billions of dollars to … (a)   , and increase costs for everyone.

But as we’ve seen, the issues ….......... ….............. that, and I think it’s an issue we need to consider very carefully.

(a)