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Published online 29 October 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.1048
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Amphibians rarely give earliest warning of pollution
Long-standing 'canary in the coal mine' role questioned.
The health of amphibians is commonly used to give a rough assessment of pollution levels in an area, but an analysis of more than 20,000 toxicity studies now suggests that these creatures are relatively resilient and not well suited to the task.
The finding could have a significant effect on the way that the environment is assessed.
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