title: Animals as monitors of environmental quality.
abstract: The various species of domesticated and wild animals can be excellent monitors of environmental quality. Although analyses of industrial air and water effluents and tests for toxicants in soils, plants, foods and feeds may provide some degree of predictability of environmental quality, the ultimate monitors are those organisms having metabolic activities that are comparable to man. If we closely observe animals that share our environment, like the coal miner's canary, they will alert us to unseen and perhaps devastating environmental hazards.
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000506:poisoning; D000818:Animals; D004147:Dioxins / Q000506:poisoning; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000506:poisoning; D010773:Leptophos / Q000506:poisoning; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000506:poisoning; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls / Q000506:poisoning; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000506:poisoning; D013025:Glycine max; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000506:poisoning; D000096702:Aflatoxin Poisoning
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010773:Leptophos; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011075:Polybrominated Biphenyls; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D014241:Trichloroethylene