contamination

Fukushima Radiation Detected on U.S. West Coast

Seaborne radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster has been detected in seawater samples taken from Tillamook Bay and Gold Beach in Oregon, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have announced. [1]
Source: International Business Times
The institution’s chemical oceanographer, Ken Buesseler, has been tracking the radiation plume in a crowdfunded effort “to monitor the ongoing spread of radiation across the Pacific and its evolving impacts on the ocean,” the institution’s website states.

EPA Approves Dangerous Monsanto-Made Weedkiller

On November 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved dicamba, a dangerously toxic herbicide designed by Monsanto for its next generation biotech soy and cotton varieties. [1]
Source: National Pesticide Information Center
The approval means that farmers will be able to use the new Xtendimax with Vapor Grip Technology formulation of dicamba to help control weeds in their crops that have become resistant to glyphosate and PPO (protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors). [2]

Toxic Chemical Leak in Kansas Town Prompts Evacuations

A huge chemical leak sent a large plume marching its way through the town of Atchison, Kansas, this morning, and authorities asked residents to shelter in place for nearly 2 hours.
Source: The Kansas City Star
Those in the plume area were told to shut their doors and windows and stay inside, while those in its path were evacuated. Residents were being instructed to avoid the area north of MGP Ingredients, where the leak originated. The Atchison County courthouse closed and employees were evacuated.

Genetically Modified Mustard Steps Closer to Approval in India

A panel of scientists with India’s Ministry of Environment said in a risk assessment of genetically modified mustard that the crop does not “pose any risk of causing any adverse effects on human and animal health and safety.” [1]
Mustard oil accounts for more than 10% of India’s cooking requirement of approximately 21 million metric tons.
The scientists have spoken, but not everyone is convinced that the information is accurate.

Study: 1/4 Chicken Samples in UK Supermarkets Contain Antibiotic Resistant E. coli

A study at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has found that one in four chicken samples, taken from the most common UK supermarkets, contain antibiotic resistant E. coli. [1]
This study, which was commissioned by the group Save Our Antibiotics, concluded that 51% of E. coli found in both pork and poultry samples were resistant to the common antibiotic trimethoprim, which is often used to treat lower urinary tract infections.
Mark Holmes, who conducted the research, stated that the findings were “worrying.” [2]