Canadian scientists are applying for a patent on using geraniums to clean up
toxins. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports it’s
controversial because the patent would control the use of a naturally
occurring flower:
Tag: heavy metals
Mayflies Make a Comeback
People have long considered the burrowing mayfly a pest. And 40 years
ago, they were glad when the clouds of bugs virtually disappeared from
the Great Lakes. But the mayfly is making a comeback. And as the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports, scientists say it’s a sign
of a healthier water system:
Debate Over Fish Consumption
Late last month (June), the New York State Department of Health said it
was safe for anglers to eat fish from Onondaga Lake–one of the
country’s most polluted lakes. But now some officials are raising
concerns. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Amy Cavalier reports:
Problem Geese Headed for Soup Kitchens
Canadian geese can easily be found alongside roadways or in suburban
neighborhoods at numbers far greater than a decade ago. Each year
millions of the birds migrate north through the Mississippi Fly-Way
settling in the Great Lakes region, leaving states grappling with ways
to control hordes of geese. In Ohio, a new plan is underway to use
so-called problem geese as food for soup kitchens. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Natalie Walston reports:
Mercury Consumption Levels Raised
A U-S agency says it’s safe to ingest higher levels of mercury. Some
environmental groups say the agency is making a mistake. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:
Is Algae the Pollution Solution?
A Sea Grant researcher in Ohio has genetically engineered a
single-celled algae to work as a pollution solution. The algae binds
with heavy metals in lakes and then is harvested. The metals are removed
with the algae. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Aileen LeBlanc has
the story:
Trees Used to Clean Up Toxins
Researchers are finding ways to use plants to clean up contaminated
sites. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports on a
project to use genetically altered trees to pull certain kinds of
pollution from the ground:
EPA’s Search for Endocrine Disrupters
For years scientists have been trying to see if certain chemicals used
in industry affect the reproductive and neurological health of humans.
The U-S Environmental Protection Agency is getting ready to design tests
for the chemicals, but as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester
Graham reports, money, politics and ignorance are interfering:
Sea Lamprey Soufflé?
A recent discovery has put the brakes on a plan to market Great Lakes sea lamprey to Europeans as a gourmet food. Scientists have found high levels of mercury in the lamprey, making it unfit to eat. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson has the story:
Mercury Emissions Hit the ‘Net’
The U-S Environmental Protection Agency will soon require some coal-burning power plants to report how much mercury their smokestacks are emitting. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports that the E-P-A will post the information on the Internet: