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News & Articles By Edsel Cook

10/18/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Coal plants in Pennsylvania are dumping toxic pollution in rivers under expired permits

Pennsylvania is defined by its winding rivers and lovely lakes. But the beauty and health of those vital waters are threatened by pollution discharge from local coal plants that haven’t renewed their permits in years, according to a Sierra Club article. There are 20 coal-fired power plants operating in the state. In addition to the […]

10/16/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Certain Sudanese medicinal plants can remove heavy metals from water

Toxic heavy metals are growing more common in bodies of water, including those that serve as important sources of drinking water. To remedy this problem, Sudanese researchers investigated a trio of local medicinal plants used as water purifiers. They reported that the extracts of moringa (Moringa oleifera), bulrush (Typha latifolia) and Egyptian lemongrass (Cymbopogon proximus) […]

10/10/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Some Sudanese medicinal plants show potential in removing heavy metals from water

A Sudanese study investigated the ability of three local and common medicinal plants to naturally remove heavy metals from water. The ethanolic extracts of moringa (Moringa oleifera), bulrush (Typha latifolia) and Egyptian lemongrass (Cymbopogon proximus) were able to absorb cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc contaminants in water samples. The study was supported by the Omdurman Islamic University. […]

08/18/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Useful way to repurpose invasive weeds: Water hyacinth, an invasive plant to river ecosystems, may prove useful for oil sorption

Those thick clumps of water hyacinth clogging our waterways might be useful for something, after all. A Thai study suggested that the invasive floating plant can be turned into biodegradable adsorption materials that can clean up oil spills better than polypropylene-based sorbents. The findings were published in the International Organization of Scientific Research. Polypropylene is a […]

08/18/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Dangerous, toxic, potentially catastrophic: Tailing ponds for copper mine quietly being planned upstream from the St. Louis River, Lake Superior

A Global Research article drew attention to the quiet plans of a foreign corporation to set up insufficiently secure toxic tailing ponds for its copper mine sited upstream of the vital St. Louis River in Minnesota. According to the article, PolyMet Mining is planning to set up an “enormously dangerous [and] potentially catastrophic” lagoon that will store […]

07/01/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Investigating the influence of two probiotics in preventing cadmium toxicity

Iranian scientists constructed a rat model to study the effect of two probiotics plus a prebiotic on cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal that is harmful to humans. They reported that the synbiotic – a synergistic combination of probiotics and prebiotics – protected rats against the toxic effects of cadmium, which includes oxidative stress on the liver […]

05/25/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Organic fertilizer blend effective at lowering cadmium levels in soil

The presence of cadmium (Cd) in the fertile soil of California is bad news for growers and consumers alike. When large amounts of the heavy metal are absorbed by leafy vegetables, the crop becomes dangerous to humans. Researchers therefore came up with an organic fertilizer that can reduce Cd levels in soils and vegetables, according to an […]

05/23/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Singaporean authorities find 18 cosmetic products contain high levels of mercury and other dangerous ingredients

The national health product regulator of Singapore has identified 18 cosmetics that failed to declare the dangerous ingredients they contained. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) warned that these beauty products contain unsafe levels of mercury and other toxic ingredients, an article in The Straight Times stated. In a recent statement, the HSA revealed that some of the products have […]

05/21/2018 / By Edsel Cook

More than 200 chemicals found near fracking wells, some of them are known endocrine disruptors

A recent review of scientific literature has shown that the air in unconventional oil and gas (UOG) facilities – such as fracking wells – are laden with hundreds of potentially dangerous chemicals. Of those air pollutants, more than 30 may harm hormones and the endocrine system, according to a West Virginia Public Broadcasting article. Published in the journal Environmental […]

05/19/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Northern Australia mining town demands the Health Department blood test its residents after water supply found contaminated with lead

The population of Borroloola, a remote mining town in central northern Australia, got the shock of their lives when they heard that their drinking water had higher amounts of lead than normal. In an ABC News report, the indigenous Garawa community is demanding blood testing for affected families from Australia’s Department of Health. Earlier in April […]

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