Impacts of SePM on amphibians

Iron and steel industries discharge a large amount of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) containing metals and metallic nanoparticles that contaminate not only the air, but also settle into aquatic environments. However, the effects of settleable atmospheric particulate matter (SePM) on aquatic biota are still poorly understood. Amphibians are sensitive to disturbances from human activity due to their complex life cycles, sensitivity to environmental contaminants, limited capability to move long distances or across barriers, and varying seasonal habitat requirements. Many factors are listed as the main causes of the drastic reduction of amphibians, among them global warming, infectious diseases, and the presence of environmental contaminants of anthropogenic origin, e.g., water pollution and too much air pollution. Furthermore, environmental regulations do not consider air-to-water cross-contamination in aquatic monitoring programs.