Comment: Articles about problems of uranium and Mt. Top Removal coal mining on our water, they seem related, AC!
Accumulation of selenium in aquatic systems downstream of a uranium mining operation in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.
Muscatello JR, Belknap AM, Janz DM.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to investigate the accumulation of selenium in lakes downstream of a uranium mine operation in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.
Selenium concentrations in sediment and biota were elevated.
Groups Take Action to Hold Coal Mine Operators Accountable for Toxic Selenium Pollution
For Immediate Release – June 18, 2010
Groups Take Action to Hold Coal Mine Operators Accountable for Toxic Selenium Pollution
State Regulators Fail to Protect Streams and Communities
Charleston, WV: The Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Coal River Mountain Watch, and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy have taken legal action to hold three coal mining companies accountable for dumping harmful amounts of toxic selenium into local waterways.
“For far too long, these companies have put profits over people,” said Dianne Bady, Co-Director of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. “The companies need to learn that our streams and waterways are not their private dumping grounds.”
The companies, including Massey Energy, Arch Coal, and Patriot Coal, through their subsidiaries, are dumping unlawfully high amounts of toxic selenium into waterways from more than 20 coal mines and associated facilities in West Virginia. Selenium is a toxic heavy metal that causes deformities and reproductive problems in fish and amphibians. At very high levels, selenium can pose a risk to human health, causing hair and fingernail loss, kidney and liver damage, and damage to the nervous and circulatory systems.
BARC report too finds high uranium, heavy metal levels
Balwant Garg, TNN, Jun 27, 2010, 03.53am IST
BATHINDA: After reports from a German lab highlighted the threat of high uranium content in water, linking it with high incidence of abnormalities among residents of the Southern-West Malwa region of Punjab, another preliminary report by Baba Atomic Research Center (BARC), Mumbai, and researchers at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, has found unsafe concentrations of uranium and heavy metals in water samples collected from Bathinda, Faridkot, Muktsar and adjoining areas.
This comes at a time when the state health department is facing flak for its alleged attempts to play down this serious threat to people's health.
Dr HS Kushwaha, director health, safety and environment group of BARC, said, "235 water samples were collected from the region about a year back, and many of these were found to have high uranium content.
So, we assigned the task of exploring the possibility of uranium prospect and health risk assessments in area to physics department of GNDU, about six months back."
"We are conducting the study and a preliminary report of 250 samples showed concentrations of uranium in water samples collected from Bathinda. Apart from this radioactive element, many other heavy metals were found," said Dr Surinder Singh, the incharge of GNDU investigation team.
"Instead of paying heed to the damaging impact of metal pollutants, the health department has started targeting the voluntary organization which had unravelled the problem," said Umendra Dutt, executive director, Kheti Virasat Mission, an NGO.
On Friday many organizations in Punjab and some environmentalists announced their support to the voluntary organization, demanding a detailed study on the presence of uranium and heavy metals in the water.
Read more:
http://wvhighlands.org/wv_voice/?p=2756
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Chandigarh/BARC-report-too-finds-high-uranium-heavy-metal-levels/articleshow/6096678.cms
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18346828
