#neurotoxins — Public Fediverse posts

So this week it's been confirmed that #covid evades innate immunity by using the same #biomechanics as deadly #neurotoxins, but, please, tell me again how covid is "mild" and "you're a hypochondriac."

"... Poor pesticide spraying practices in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour regions...Chemical banned by European Union still used in Australia."

When you drive from Nambucca Valley to the Coffs Harbour regions you can see giant white plastic nets enclosing blueberries, raspberries and blackberries plantations. There are toxic chemicals on some berries, the water and the area.

"Banned chemical thiometon detected in berries sold at supermarkets."

"Blueberry farming has boomed in NSW, including in the Nambucca Valley, as minimal red tape is required to set up. Blueberry farms can be started without formal registration or oversight, making it hard for authorities to track pesticide use. Since January 2022, the EPA has prosecuted 21 pesticide-related incidents across a range of crops in local courts across NSW... The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced a review into the use of dimethoate on blueberries, raspberries and blackberries."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-07/pesticide-review-thiometon-dimethoate-blueberries-raspberries/105701674
#food #regulation #toxins #pesticide #water #BerryIndustry #EPA #APVMA #governance #fruits #blueberries #NSW #plantations #MidNorthCoast #nambucca #CoffsHarbour #pollution #sprayDrift #dimethoate #thiometon #neurotoxins

"... Poor pesticide spraying practices in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour regions...Chemical banned by European Union still used in Australia."

When you drive from Nambucca Valley to the Coffs Harbour regions you can see giant white plastic nets enclosing blueberries, raspberries and blackberries plantations. There are toxic chemicals on some berries, the water and the area.

"Banned chemical thiometon detected in berries sold at supermarkets."

"Blueberry farming has boomed in NSW, including in the Nambucca Valley, as minimal red tape is required to set up. Blueberry farms can be started without formal registration or oversight, making it hard for authorities to track pesticide use. Since January 2022, the EPA has prosecuted 21 pesticide-related incidents across a range of crops in local courts across NSW... The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced a review into the use of dimethoate on blueberries, raspberries and blackberries."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-07/pesticide-review-thiometon-dimethoate-blueberries-raspberries/105701674
#food #regulation #toxins #pesticide #water #BerryIndustry #EPA #APVMA #governance #fruits #blueberries #NSW #plantations #MidNorthCoast #nambucca #CoffsHarbour #pollution #sprayDrift #dimethoate #thiometon #neurotoxins

"... Poor pesticide spraying practices in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour regions...Chemical banned by European Union still used in Australia."

When you drive from Nambucca Valley to the Coffs Harbour regions you can see giant white plastic nets enclosing blueberries, raspberries and blackberries plantations. There are toxic chemicals on some berries, the water and the area.

"Banned chemical thiometon detected in berries sold at supermarkets."

"Blueberry farming has boomed in NSW, including in the Nambucca Valley, as minimal red tape is required to set up. Blueberry farms can be started without formal registration or oversight, making it hard for authorities to track pesticide use. Since January 2022, the EPA has prosecuted 21 pesticide-related incidents across a range of crops in local courts across NSW... The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced a review into the use of dimethoate on blueberries, raspberries and blackberries."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-07/pesticide-review-thiometon-dimethoate-blueberries-raspberries/105701674
#food #regulation #toxins #pesticide #water #BerryIndustry #EPA #APVMA #governance #fruits #blueberries #NSW #plantations #MidNorthCoast #nambucca #CoffsHarbour #pollution #sprayDrift #dimethoate #thiometon #neurotoxins

"... Poor pesticide spraying practices in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour regions...Chemical banned by European Union still used in Australia."

When you drive from Nambucca Valley to the Coffs Harbour regions you can see giant white plastic nets enclosing blueberries, raspberries and blackberries plantations. There are toxic chemicals on some berries, the water and the area.

"Banned chemical thiometon detected in berries sold at supermarkets."

"Blueberry farming has boomed in NSW, including in the Nambucca Valley, as minimal red tape is required to set up. Blueberry farms can be started without formal registration or oversight, making it hard for authorities to track pesticide use. Since January 2022, the EPA has prosecuted 21 pesticide-related incidents across a range of crops in local courts across NSW... The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced a review into the use of dimethoate on blueberries, raspberries and blackberries."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-07/pesticide-review-thiometon-dimethoate-blueberries-raspberries/105701674
#food #regulation #toxins #pesticide #water #BerryIndustry #EPA #APVMA #governance #fruits #blueberries #NSW #plantations #MidNorthCoast #nambucca #CoffsHarbour #pollution #sprayDrift #dimethoate #thiometon #neurotoxins

"... Poor pesticide spraying practices in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour regions...Chemical banned by European Union still used in Australia."

When you drive from Nambucca Valley to the Coffs Harbour regions you can see giant white plastic nets enclosing blueberries, raspberries and blackberries plantations. There are toxic chemicals on some berries, the water and the area.

"Banned chemical thiometon detected in berries sold at supermarkets."

"Blueberry farming has boomed in NSW, including in the Nambucca Valley, as minimal red tape is required to set up. Blueberry farms can be started without formal registration or oversight, making it hard for authorities to track pesticide use. Since January 2022, the EPA has prosecuted 21 pesticide-related incidents across a range of crops in local courts across NSW... The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced a review into the use of dimethoate on blueberries, raspberries and blackberries."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-07/pesticide-review-thiometon-dimethoate-blueberries-raspberries/105701674
#food #regulation #toxins #pesticide #water #BerryIndustry #EPA #APVMA #governance #fruits #blueberries #NSW #plantations #MidNorthCoast #nambucca #CoffsHarbour #pollution #sprayDrift #dimethoate #thiometon #neurotoxins

Don't tell anyone!

"Environment watchdog buried report on lead in children’s blood to placate mining companies, emails show. Instead of taking action to protect babies and young children from toxic lead exposure, government officials have tied themselves in knots to protect a dangerous industry."

"The New South Wales environment watchdog sat on a report for four years linking elevated levels of lead in children’s blood to current mining, and promised mining companies they would not do any “finger-pointing”, new documents tabled in state parliament show.
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/05/environment-watchdog-buried-report-on-lead-in-childrens-blood-to-placate-mining-companies-emails-show

"Lead exposure
can have serious consequences for the health of children. Exposure to very high levels of lead can severely damage the brain and central nervous system causing coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with permanent intellectual disability and behavioural disorders."
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health
#Pollution #children #lead #HeavyMetals #neurotoxins #health #harm #NSW #EPA regulation #BrokenHill #NSW #mining #extractivism #governance #DelayDeny

Fossil fuels, Marine heatwaves and Runoff: The bloom pulsates

"Algal blooms are complex, but the prevailing theory is that the 2022-23 floods washed nutrients down the Murray-Darling Basin system and out to sea. A marine heatwave and an “upwelling” of nutrients from the bottom of the ocean combined to create the perfect conditions for Karenia mikimotoi to flourish."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/25/were-trying-to-call-on-everybody-that-we-can-south-australia-scrambles-to-fight-its-pulsating-algal-bloom
#FoamAndBlooms #FossilFuels #ocean #RangeShift #AlgalBlooms #HABs #neurotoxins #FishKills #MarineLife #wildlife #ecosystems #pollution #floods #MDB

The #robberfly #Tolmerus #cingulatus is native to the Palearctic and prefers dry #habitats. #Adults #prey on other insects, killing their prey with #neurotoxins, predigest via #enzymes. Larvae are soil predators. R. Mitchell (2024) presents a #genome (280,000 megabases) for the #DarwinTreeofLife. See also my science blog article (2024).

©#StefanFWirth #Berlin 2025

Ref

R. Mitchell (2024)
https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.23416.1

S. F. Wirth on " biologe"" (2024)
https://wp.me/p2l6XU-1UV

Photos
© S.F. Wirth

Western Water Hemlock (Cicuta douglasii) is considered the most violently toxic plant in North America. Its carrot-scented roots contain cicutoxin, a powerful neurotoxin that can cause seizures and death with very small amounts.

#neurotoxins #californianativeplants #wildlife #nature #california

Why lead is (still) bad for your brain

Image credit: Ionut Stefan

Talking about lead is boring. I would know, I’ve spent quite a bit of time trudging through papers about lead while writing this post and the best opening I could come up with is just how mind-numbingly boring lead is. Sadly, boredom isn’t a good indicator for importance. While the days of enthusiastically throwing lead into whatever we could (from water pipes to gasoline to cosmetics to paints for houses and children’s toys) are over, the lead we’ve pumped into the environment doesn’t give up so easily. And if that wasn’t enough, we’ve still found some use cases to keep it hanging around (why yes, I’m talking about batteries).

Ok, but how bad can it really be? The levels of lead are surely not as high anymore, so it’s not really that dangerous, right? Well… short answer: it’s a bit more complicated. The long answer is the rest of the article.

1. What is lead?
2. Effects of lead and mechanisms behind them
3. What is there to do?

What is lead?

Lead is a heavy metal. (Little side note: until the writing of this article, I’ve taken the term “heavy metal” pretty much for granted, because everyone knows what a heavy metal is, right? Right? Well… apparently there’s quite a bit of ambiguity surrounding the term, but lead is one of the few who meets all of the definitions out there. And heavy typically refers to dense and/or less chemically reactive, i.e. not interested in playing well with others.) So lead is a heavy metal and it’s found naturally in the ground. What makes it pretty neat is that it’s both malleable, but also durable and versatile.

What makes it less neat is that it’s so malleable, versatile, durable, and toxic. As I mentioned in the beginning, lead has been used in a lot of products. And it’s been used since as far back as Roman times. The problem is that lead is so durable, it basically doesn’t degrade. You see, unlike other fun toxic metals, such as mercury (which can be converted in less toxic forms by bacteria), lead is resistant to chemical breakdown, so once you’ve got lead particles in the environment, they will stay there kind of forever, unless you actively remove them somehow. In other words, even if we were to completely stop mining for and using lead (which we aren’t, since the lead-acid battery market is projected to increase in the next years), we would still need to deal in a safe manner with what has been put out there.

Of course, since we’ve stopped putting lead in gasoline (and paints, and cosmetics etc.), things have improved. For example, in the US, levels of lead in blood samples have markedly decreased since 1976. But a decrease doesn’t mean they’ve reached zero. And while many things with negative effects don’t really harm you in small doses, lead isn’t one of them. There is no safe level of lead exposure. What’s more, an average decrease in the US population doesn’t translate into a decrease of the same magnitude across the world, or even across various subgroups of the US population.

Effects of lead and mechanisms behind them

We’ve already established that no amount of lead is safe, but still, the effects of lead exposure on the nervous system don’t occur in an all or nothing manner. They depend strongly both on the level of lead to which one is exposed (more is worse), and the developmental period when exposure occurs (children are more affected than adults).

Lead usually enters the body via one of two routes: either the gut or the lungs. Children absorb more lead than adults because their gut and lung linings are immature compared to adults, allowing more lead to pass through. They also need more iron, calcium, and zinc, metals with which lead is in direct competition (and obviously winning). In addition, small children can be simply more exposed to lead as they have the tendency to put both their unwashed hands, as well as potentially contaminated objects, in their mouths.

While the half-life of lead in the blood (meaning the amount of time needed for the concentration to drop to half) is relatively short, at only 28 days, that’s not the same as the half-life in the body. Some of the lead in the blood will not be eliminated, but it will actually go into the soft tissue, i.e. kidneys, liver, brain, where the half-life is a few months, and more annoyingly, into the bones, where the half-life is between 10 to 30 years. What’s more, from here, lead can leach back into the bloodstream, from where it can once again get into the soft tissue and cause more damage. This happens particularly in pregnancy, thus affecting the unborn babies, but it also occurs during normal ageing, and even more so in conditions such as osteoporosis.

Now, acute effects of lead exposure are pretty clear. If someone were to chomp down on a piece of lead, it would result in seizures, coma, and possibly death. But obviously that’s an unrealistic scenario and not what most people are exposed to. Chronic lead exposure, on the other hand, causes lead to accumulate in the body and it has been linked to memory problems (including development of Alzheimer’s disease later in life), as well as cognitive and behavioural problems, including attention deficits, increased aggression, learning problems, and decreased IQ. But here’s the kicker: in the past, these problems were thought to appear only above certain concentrations: above 10 μg/dL, above 5 μg/dL, above 3.5 μg/dL… And yes, the higher the concentration, the worse the effects. Nevertheless, as research has progressed, it’s become clearer and clearer that there is no safe exposure to lead. Even very small concentrations can cause neurological effects.

But what are the molecular mechanisms behind that? (Side note: directly relating one specific molecular disruption to one specific behavioural outcome doesn’t really work, but we can correlate the effects we observe at the behavioural level with the in vitro molecular data to get a clearer picture of how lead wreaks havoc on the nervous system.) So far, three main ones have been identified. Lead alters the fluidity of the cellular membrane, it interferes with calcium-based processes, and it generates reactive oxygen species.

Regarding the cellular membrane, it’s important to understand that it is neither static, nor uniform. On the one hand, there are many proteins embedded in the membrane that basically move around to where they’re needed. On the other hand, the cell membrane has a lot of traffic in the sense of vesicles that either fuse with it, or bud off from it. In particular for neurons, think of synaptic transmission: vesicles from inside the membrane fuse with it to release neurotransmitters, then new ones form where more neurotransmitters are packed, and all this happens under strict control from membrane proteins. To ensure optimal functioning of this process, the fluidity of the membrane needs to be just right: either too much or too little will mess things up.

Calcium is an ion which plays a very important role in regulating synaptic transmission and thus facilitating communication between neurons. Sadly for it, calcium resembles lead quite a lot, so proteins can easily mistake them, and lead forms stronger bonds with these proteins. But while lead can easily steal calcium’s spot, due to small differences in chemical behaviour and in shape, it’s not able to perform the same functions. Instead, it kind of remains stuck in there and jams the system.

Finally, reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, as you might know them, appear partly because of lead’s interference with calcium signaling, but also because lead inhibits antioxidant enzymes, and disrupts mitochondrial function. Reactive oxygen species, in turn, can damage DNA, lipids, and proteins, further exacerbating negative effects in the nervous system.

What is there to do?

Panic for the sake of panic is useless (one could even say it’s harmful). So what can we do? First, we said the effects are worse in children, so if they were exposed to lead, is that it? Are they pretty much doomed to suffer the consequences? Not necessarily. Some studies show that enriched environments and early behavioural interventions can reverse some, if not all effects associated with early life lead exposure.

Still, prevention is better than intervention, but you might be wondering, how big of a thing is lead exposure still? After all, we figured out a long time ago that lead isn’t good for us (even the Romans knew that) and we’ve already done a lot to get rid of it, no? Well, yes and no. There have been real improvements, especially in removing lead from gasoline, paint, and plumbing. But, as with a lot of other issues, it tends to come down to where you live. As you can imagine, there are relatively pronounced differences between countries, but even within the same one, your ZIP code still matters. Older housing, industrial sites, ageing infrastructure, and underfunded communities all play a role in how much lead still lingers in your air, water, soil, and body.

A few steps to keep in mind for protecting yourself against lead exposure are the following. If you think you might have lead in your home paint or pipes, try to get rid of them in a safe way. If you know there’s lead somewhere in your community, try to get involved and push for programs that promote its removal. And even if the issue doesn’t directly impact you, you can still volunteer to help those who might suffer from it.

What did you think about this post? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’d like to support our work, feel free to share it with your friends, buy us a coffee here, or even both.

You might also like:

References

GlobeNewswire. (2025, March 18). Automotive lead-acid battery market to reach USD 40.60 billion by 2032, driven by sustained demand in conventional vehicles and emerging economies: SNS Insider. Link [Last retrieved: 2025-04-10]

Lee, J. W., Choi, H., Hwang, U. K., Kang, J. C., Kang, Y. J., Kim, K. I., & Kim, J. H. (2019). Toxic effects of lead exposure on bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and immune responses in fish: A review. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology, 68, 101-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2019.03.010

Moodie, S., Ialongo, N., López, P., Rosado, J., García-Vargas, G., Ronquillo, D., & Kordas, K. (2013). The conjoint influence of home enriched environment and lead exposure on children’s cognition and behaviour in a Mexican lead smelter community. Neurotoxicology, 34, 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2012.10.004

Rocha, A., & Trujillo, K. A. (2019). Neurotoxicity of low-level lead exposure: History, mechanisms of action, and behavioral effects in humans and preclinical models. Neurotoxicology, 73, 58-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2019.02.021

Spivey, A. (2007). The weight of lead: Effects add up in adults. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.115-a30

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Biomonitoring: Lead indicators – America’s Children and the Environment. Link [Last retrieved: 2025-04-10]

Verstraeten, S. V., Aimo, L., & Oteiza, P. I. (2008). Aluminium and lead: molecular mechanisms of brain toxicity. Archives of toxicology, 82, 789-802. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-008-0345-3

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, April 10). Heavy metals. Wikipedia. Link [Last retrieved: 2025-04-10]

#brainHealth #chronicExposure #lead #neurotoxins

Fourth, resist the urge to nuke your yard with pesticides. While pyrethroids might reduce the ground-level mosquitoes for a few days, you'll be killing off mosquito predators (e.g., spiders), innocent pollinators, and much, much more. Seriously, just don't. 4/n #pyrethroids #pesticides #mosquitoes #neurotoxins https://colinpurrington.com/2018/09/buzz-on-mosquito-sprays/

#India, #Jammu 'mystery #illness' toll rises to 17, inter-ministerial team takes stock https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jammu-mystery-illness-toll-rises-to-17-inter-ministerial-team-takes-stock/articleshow/117378643.cms

A mysterious illness has claimed 17 lives in Badhaal village, J&K, since December 2024. Mohammad Aslam lost his sixth child, Yasmeena, making it six of his children who died. An inter-ministerial team is probing the cause of deaths, as #neurotoxins were found in samples.

‘We want the mill to shut down,’ #GrassyNarrows #FirstNation to #Ontario

After nearly 60 years of industrial poisoning, the northwest #Indigenous community continues to demand justice

September 17 2024
by Jon Thompson

"When members of #Asubpeeschoseewagong #Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and their supporters arrive at Queen’s Park this week, they’ll be calling for the #DrydenPulpAndPaper mill that’s been poisoning their water with #neurotoxins for nearly 60 years to permanently close.

"'We want everybody to be compensated, we want the mill to shut down, and we don’t want no #mining or #logging in our territory. We just want it all to stop,' says #ChrissyIsaacs, lead organizer of the caravan.

"Isaacs has been a staple of the annual #RiverRun demonstrations since they began in 2010. She was a leader among Grassy Narrows youths who blockaded #LoggingTrucks from entering the nearby #WhiskeyJackForest in 2002 and is currently travelling 1,900 kilometres to Toronto from her community near Ontario’s western border to protest the downriver effects of #methylmercury poisoning.

"Staff at the upstream #ReedPaperMill in #DrydenOntario, about 150 kilometres east of Grassy Narrows, dumped nearly 10 metric tonnes of #mercury into the #EnglishWabigoon River system in the 1960s and early 1970s. Mercury poisoned the #plants and #fish that the people of Grassy Narrows, and neighbouring #Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, were consuming.

"A half-century later, medical experts are finding that varying nervous and neurological health effects affect up to 90 per cent of Grassy Narrows residents.

Members of Grassy Narrows First Nation stopped to demonstrate outside of the Dryden mill before heading to Toronto for the annual River Run demonstration at Queen’s Park. There, they will call on the Ontario government to compensate the community for generations of industrial poisoning and call for the mill, now owned by First Quality Enterprises, to be shut down.

"The Grassy Narrows road blockade to prevent clear-cut logging and mining from happening in their traditional territories has stood for 22 years, and in that time Isaacs’s children have had children of their own. She says the conversation has never been transformed as much as it has this year.

"In May, scientific researchers released the revelation that #sulphate and organic matter in the #effluent that the mill is still releasing into the river is making methylmercury in the river system even worse, as opposed to diminishing over time as they were told."

https://ricochet.media/indigenous/we-want-the-mill-to-shut-down-grassy-narrows-first-nation-to-ontario/

#MercuryPoisoning #DirectAction #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericanActivism #InformedConsent #CanadaFirstNations

‘We want the mill to shut down,’ #GrassyNarrows #FirstNation to #Ontario

After nearly 60 years of industrial poisoning, the northwest #Indigenous community continues to demand justice

September 17 2024
by Jon Thompson

"When members of #Asubpeeschoseewagong #Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and their supporters arrive at Queen’s Park this week, they’ll be calling for the #DrydenPulpAndPaper mill that’s been poisoning their water with #neurotoxins for nearly 60 years to permanently close.

"'We want everybody to be compensated, we want the mill to shut down, and we don’t want no #mining or #logging in our territory. We just want it all to stop,' says #ChrissyIsaacs, lead organizer of the caravan.

"Isaacs has been a staple of the annual #RiverRun demonstrations since they began in 2010. She was a leader among Grassy Narrows youths who blockaded #LoggingTrucks from entering the nearby #WhiskeyJackForest in 2002 and is currently travelling 1,900 kilometres to Toronto from her community near Ontario’s western border to protest the downriver effects of #methylmercury poisoning.

"Staff at the upstream #ReedPaperMill in #DrydenOntario, about 150 kilometres east of Grassy Narrows, dumped nearly 10 metric tonnes of #mercury into the #EnglishWabigoon River system in the 1960s and early 1970s. Mercury poisoned the #plants and #fish that the people of Grassy Narrows, and neighbouring #Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, were consuming.

"A half-century later, medical experts are finding that varying nervous and neurological health effects affect up to 90 per cent of Grassy Narrows residents.

Members of Grassy Narrows First Nation stopped to demonstrate outside of the Dryden mill before heading to Toronto for the annual River Run demonstration at Queen’s Park. There, they will call on the Ontario government to compensate the community for generations of industrial poisoning and call for the mill, now owned by First Quality Enterprises, to be shut down.

"The Grassy Narrows road blockade to prevent clear-cut logging and mining from happening in their traditional territories has stood for 22 years, and in that time Isaacs’s children have had children of their own. She says the conversation has never been transformed as much as it has this year.

"In May, scientific researchers released the revelation that #sulphate and organic matter in the #effluent that the mill is still releasing into the river is making methylmercury in the river system even worse, as opposed to diminishing over time as they were told."

https://ricochet.media/indigenous/we-want-the-mill-to-shut-down-grassy-narrows-first-nation-to-ontario/

#MercuryPoisoning #DirectAction #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericanActivism #InformedConsent #CanadaFirstNations

‘We want the mill to shut down,’ #GrassyNarrows #FirstNation to #Ontario

After nearly 60 years of industrial poisoning, the northwest #Indigenous community continues to demand justice

September 17 2024
by Jon Thompson

"When members of #Asubpeeschoseewagong #Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and their supporters arrive at Queen’s Park this week, they’ll be calling for the #DrydenPulpAndPaper mill that’s been poisoning their water with #neurotoxins for nearly 60 years to permanently close.

"'We want everybody to be compensated, we want the mill to shut down, and we don’t want no #mining or #logging in our territory. We just want it all to stop,' says #ChrissyIsaacs, lead organizer of the caravan.

"Isaacs has been a staple of the annual #RiverRun demonstrations since they began in 2010. She was a leader among Grassy Narrows youths who blockaded #LoggingTrucks from entering the nearby #WhiskeyJackForest in 2002 and is currently travelling 1,900 kilometres to Toronto from her community near Ontario’s western border to protest the downriver effects of #methylmercury poisoning.

"Staff at the upstream #ReedPaperMill in #DrydenOntario, about 150 kilometres east of Grassy Narrows, dumped nearly 10 metric tonnes of #mercury into the #EnglishWabigoon River system in the 1960s and early 1970s. Mercury poisoned the #plants and #fish that the people of Grassy Narrows, and neighbouring #Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, were consuming.

"A half-century later, medical experts are finding that varying nervous and neurological health effects affect up to 90 per cent of Grassy Narrows residents.

Members of Grassy Narrows First Nation stopped to demonstrate outside of the Dryden mill before heading to Toronto for the annual River Run demonstration at Queen’s Park. There, they will call on the Ontario government to compensate the community for generations of industrial poisoning and call for the mill, now owned by First Quality Enterprises, to be shut down.

"The Grassy Narrows road blockade to prevent clear-cut logging and mining from happening in their traditional territories has stood for 22 years, and in that time Isaacs’s children have had children of their own. She says the conversation has never been transformed as much as it has this year.

"In May, scientific researchers released the revelation that #sulphate and organic matter in the #effluent that the mill is still releasing into the river is making methylmercury in the river system even worse, as opposed to diminishing over time as they were told."

https://ricochet.media/indigenous/we-want-the-mill-to-shut-down-grassy-narrows-first-nation-to-ontario/

#MercuryPoisoning #DirectAction #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericanActivism #InformedConsent #CanadaFirstNations

‘We want the mill to shut down,’ #GrassyNarrows #FirstNation to #Ontario

After nearly 60 years of industrial poisoning, the northwest #Indigenous community continues to demand justice

September 17 2024
by Jon Thompson

"When members of #Asubpeeschoseewagong #Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and their supporters arrive at Queen’s Park this week, they’ll be calling for the #DrydenPulpAndPaper mill that’s been poisoning their water with #neurotoxins for nearly 60 years to permanently close.

"'We want everybody to be compensated, we want the mill to shut down, and we don’t want no #mining or #logging in our territory. We just want it all to stop,' says #ChrissyIsaacs, lead organizer of the caravan.

"Isaacs has been a staple of the annual #RiverRun demonstrations since they began in 2010. She was a leader among Grassy Narrows youths who blockaded #LoggingTrucks from entering the nearby #WhiskeyJackForest in 2002 and is currently travelling 1,900 kilometres to Toronto from her community near Ontario’s western border to protest the downriver effects of #methylmercury poisoning.

"Staff at the upstream #ReedPaperMill in #DrydenOntario, about 150 kilometres east of Grassy Narrows, dumped nearly 10 metric tonnes of #mercury into the #EnglishWabigoon River system in the 1960s and early 1970s. Mercury poisoned the #plants and #fish that the people of Grassy Narrows, and neighbouring #Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, were consuming.

"A half-century later, medical experts are finding that varying nervous and neurological health effects affect up to 90 per cent of Grassy Narrows residents.

Members of Grassy Narrows First Nation stopped to demonstrate outside of the Dryden mill before heading to Toronto for the annual River Run demonstration at Queen’s Park. There, they will call on the Ontario government to compensate the community for generations of industrial poisoning and call for the mill, now owned by First Quality Enterprises, to be shut down.

"The Grassy Narrows road blockade to prevent clear-cut logging and mining from happening in their traditional territories has stood for 22 years, and in that time Isaacs’s children have had children of their own. She says the conversation has never been transformed as much as it has this year.

"In May, scientific researchers released the revelation that #sulphate and organic matter in the #effluent that the mill is still releasing into the river is making methylmercury in the river system even worse, as opposed to diminishing over time as they were told."

https://ricochet.media/indigenous/we-want-the-mill-to-shut-down-grassy-narrows-first-nation-to-ontario/

#MercuryPoisoning #DirectAction #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericanActivism #InformedConsent #CanadaFirstNations

‘We want the mill to shut down,’ #GrassyNarrows #FirstNation to #Ontario

After nearly 60 years of industrial poisoning, the northwest #Indigenous community continues to demand justice

September 17 2024
by Jon Thompson

"When members of #Asubpeeschoseewagong #Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) and their supporters arrive at Queen’s Park this week, they’ll be calling for the #DrydenPulpAndPaper mill that’s been poisoning their water with #neurotoxins for nearly 60 years to permanently close.

"'We want everybody to be compensated, we want the mill to shut down, and we don’t want no #mining or #logging in our territory. We just want it all to stop,' says #ChrissyIsaacs, lead organizer of the caravan.

"Isaacs has been a staple of the annual #RiverRun demonstrations since they began in 2010. She was a leader among Grassy Narrows youths who blockaded #LoggingTrucks from entering the nearby #WhiskeyJackForest in 2002 and is currently travelling 1,900 kilometres to Toronto from her community near Ontario’s western border to protest the downriver effects of #methylmercury poisoning.

"Staff at the upstream #ReedPaperMill in #DrydenOntario, about 150 kilometres east of Grassy Narrows, dumped nearly 10 metric tonnes of #mercury into the #EnglishWabigoon River system in the 1960s and early 1970s. Mercury poisoned the #plants and #fish that the people of Grassy Narrows, and neighbouring #Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, were consuming.

"A half-century later, medical experts are finding that varying nervous and neurological health effects affect up to 90 per cent of Grassy Narrows residents.

Members of Grassy Narrows First Nation stopped to demonstrate outside of the Dryden mill before heading to Toronto for the annual River Run demonstration at Queen’s Park. There, they will call on the Ontario government to compensate the community for generations of industrial poisoning and call for the mill, now owned by First Quality Enterprises, to be shut down.

"The Grassy Narrows road blockade to prevent clear-cut logging and mining from happening in their traditional territories has stood for 22 years, and in that time Isaacs’s children have had children of their own. She says the conversation has never been transformed as much as it has this year.

"In May, scientific researchers released the revelation that #sulphate and organic matter in the #effluent that the mill is still releasing into the river is making methylmercury in the river system even worse, as opposed to diminishing over time as they were told."

https://ricochet.media/indigenous/we-want-the-mill-to-shut-down-grassy-narrows-first-nation-to-ontario/

#MercuryPoisoning #DirectAction #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericanActivism #InformedConsent #CanadaFirstNations

Six rare #sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre #Florida fish behavior

“There is no concrete, conclusive proof of what is happening yet and that is still to be determined, which is quite terrifying.” said Gregg Furstenwerth, a lifelong diver in the Florida Keys. “If it continues, it is going to be the end of this #ecosystem as we know it.”

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Published Apr 12, 2024

"Most tests for toxins have been negative, but scientists have seen an unusually high number of #algae called gambierdiscus that can produce a wide variety of #neurotoxins that can be harmful to fish and dangerous to humans.

#Gambierdiscus is normally found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, but the algae can grow quickly when waters are warmer than usual. The climate crisis has brought record hot temperatures to the waters around southern Florida."

Read more: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/six-rare-sawfish-deaths-in-7-days-have-scientists-baffled-amid-bizarre-florida-fish-behavior/1640732

#SpinningFish #ClimateChange #WarmingOceans #OceanTemperatures #ToxicAlgae #SouthFlorida #WaterIsLife #OceanEcosystem #Collapse #EcosystemCollapse #Extinction #FishDeaths

Six rare #sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre #Florida fish behavior

“There is no concrete, conclusive proof of what is happening yet and that is still to be determined, which is quite terrifying.” said Gregg Furstenwerth, a lifelong diver in the Florida Keys. “If it continues, it is going to be the end of this #ecosystem as we know it.”

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Published Apr 12, 2024

"Most tests for toxins have been negative, but scientists have seen an unusually high number of #algae called gambierdiscus that can produce a wide variety of #neurotoxins that can be harmful to fish and dangerous to humans.

#Gambierdiscus is normally found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, but the algae can grow quickly when waters are warmer than usual. The climate crisis has brought record hot temperatures to the waters around southern Florida."

Read more: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/six-rare-sawfish-deaths-in-7-days-have-scientists-baffled-amid-bizarre-florida-fish-behavior/1640732

#SpinningFish #ClimateChange #WarmingOceans #OceanTemperatures #ToxicAlgae #SouthFlorida #WaterIsLife #OceanEcosystem #Collapse #EcosystemCollapse #Extinction #FishDeaths

Six rare #sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre #Florida fish behavior

“There is no concrete, conclusive proof of what is happening yet and that is still to be determined, which is quite terrifying.” said Gregg Furstenwerth, a lifelong diver in the Florida Keys. “If it continues, it is going to be the end of this #ecosystem as we know it.”

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Published Apr 12, 2024

"Most tests for toxins have been negative, but scientists have seen an unusually high number of #algae called gambierdiscus that can produce a wide variety of #neurotoxins that can be harmful to fish and dangerous to humans.

#Gambierdiscus is normally found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, but the algae can grow quickly when waters are warmer than usual. The climate crisis has brought record hot temperatures to the waters around southern Florida."

Read more: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/six-rare-sawfish-deaths-in-7-days-have-scientists-baffled-amid-bizarre-florida-fish-behavior/1640732

#SpinningFish #ClimateChange #WarmingOceans #OceanTemperatures #ToxicAlgae #SouthFlorida #WaterIsLife #OceanEcosystem #Collapse #EcosystemCollapse #Extinction #FishDeaths

Six rare #sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre #Florida fish behavior

“There is no concrete, conclusive proof of what is happening yet and that is still to be determined, which is quite terrifying.” said Gregg Furstenwerth, a lifelong diver in the Florida Keys. “If it continues, it is going to be the end of this #ecosystem as we know it.”

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Published Apr 12, 2024

"Most tests for toxins have been negative, but scientists have seen an unusually high number of #algae called gambierdiscus that can produce a wide variety of #neurotoxins that can be harmful to fish and dangerous to humans.

#Gambierdiscus is normally found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, but the algae can grow quickly when waters are warmer than usual. The climate crisis has brought record hot temperatures to the waters around southern Florida."

Read more: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/six-rare-sawfish-deaths-in-7-days-have-scientists-baffled-amid-bizarre-florida-fish-behavior/1640732

#SpinningFish #ClimateChange #WarmingOceans #OceanTemperatures #ToxicAlgae #SouthFlorida #WaterIsLife #OceanEcosystem #Collapse #EcosystemCollapse #Extinction #FishDeaths

Six rare #sawfish deaths in 7 days have scientists baffled amid bizarre #Florida fish behavior

“There is no concrete, conclusive proof of what is happening yet and that is still to be determined, which is quite terrifying.” said Gregg Furstenwerth, a lifelong diver in the Florida Keys. “If it continues, it is going to be the end of this #ecosystem as we know it.”

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Published Apr 12, 2024

"Most tests for toxins have been negative, but scientists have seen an unusually high number of #algae called gambierdiscus that can produce a wide variety of #neurotoxins that can be harmful to fish and dangerous to humans.

#Gambierdiscus is normally found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, but the algae can grow quickly when waters are warmer than usual. The climate crisis has brought record hot temperatures to the waters around southern Florida."

Read more: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/six-rare-sawfish-deaths-in-7-days-have-scientists-baffled-amid-bizarre-florida-fish-behavior/1640732

#SpinningFish #ClimateChange #WarmingOceans #OceanTemperatures #ToxicAlgae #SouthFlorida #WaterIsLife #OceanEcosystem #Collapse #EcosystemCollapse #Extinction #FishDeaths

Pets, pesticides and polluted rivers

"Fipronil and imidacloprid are widely used in flea treatments, which are typically applied to the back of the pet’s neck once a month.These two chemicals are extremely potent neurotoxic insecticides and it is deeply concerning that they are routinely found on the hands of dog owners through ongoing contact with their pet. Pet owners will also be upset to learn that they are accidentally polluting our rivers by using these products.”

"The insecticides used in the flea products flow down household drains when pet owners wash their hands after applying the treatment. Wastewater from sewage treatment works is a leading source of fipronil and imidacloprid pollution in rivers, with concentrations exceeding safe limits for wildlife."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/01/vets-pesticide-flea-treatments-river-pollution-pet-owners-toxic-insecticides-hands
#pesticide #pets #dogs #cats #wildlife #rivers #pollution #OneHealth #neonicotinoids #neurotoxins #fipronil #Bellinger #platypus #BellingerRiverSnappingTurtle

High lead and nickel found in illegal vapes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65614078

#Vapes #Vaping #Lead #Nickel #Chromium #IllegalVapes #WorldHealthOrganisation #WHO #InterScientificLaboratory #Carbonyls #Formaldehyde #Acetaldehyde #MedicineAndHealthCareProductsRegulatoryAgency #MHRA #Nicotine #UniversityOfNottingham #Royal CollegeOfPhysiciansTobaccoGroup #Toxins #Neurotoxins #Cancer #ActionOnSmokingAndHealth

#Gambierdiscus and Its Associated Toxins: A Minireview

The global spread of #CFP has led to Gambierdiscus and its toxins being considered an environmental and human health concern worldwide.

Da-Zhi Wang, et al.
July, 2022

"Gambierdiscus is a dinoflagellate genus widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions. Some members of this genus can produce a group of potent polycyclic polyether #neurotoxins responsible for #ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), one of the most significant food-borne illnesses associated with fish consumption. Ciguatoxins and #maitotoxins, the two major toxins produced by Gambierdiscus, act on voltage-gated channels and TRPA1 receptors, consequently leading to poisoning and even death in both humans and animals. Over the past few decades, the occurrence and geographic distribution of CFP have undergone a significant expansion due to intensive #anthropogenic activities and global #ClimateChange, which results in more human illness, a greater public health impact, and larger economic losses. The global spread of CFP has led to Gambierdiscus and its toxins being considered an environmental and human health concern worldwide."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35878223/

#Extinction #ToxicAlgae #Fish #ClimateCrisis #WarmingOceans #WaterIsLife #WaterTemperatures