Scientists make disturbing new discovery after analyzing blood of vultures: 'The tip of the iceberg'

Despite California's statewide bans on toxic mouse and rat poison use, traces of these poisons are still being found in non-target wildlife species — specifically, turkey vultures — in the Southern California area, the Raptor Research Foundation reported via Phys.org.

What happened?

A recent study published in the Journal of Raptor Research late last year found that of 27 turkey vultures spanning a large area of Southern California, at least three were found to be exposed to anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs).

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, first-generation ARs were developed to help control pests and rodents before 1970, including rodenticides such as chlorophacinone, diphacinone, and warfarin. Second-generation ARs (SGARs), which came after in the 1970s, were much more potent, requiring only one-day feeding instead of multiple, to be effective. As SGARs are more potent, they are more toxic and remain in animal tissue longer.

In 2019, California passed legislation banning SGARs — made effective in 2020.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-disturbing-discovery-analyzing-blood-110032320.html