Tag Archives: toxic levels

New Research Shows Elevated Mercury from in-Ground Wastewater Disposal

By Guest PostMarch 15, 2014Environmentanoxic, biogeochemist, carl lamborg, chemical changes, denitrification, doug kent, east falmouth, elevated mercury, green pond, hg, human health, local groundwater, massachusetts military reservation, mercury, mmhg, monomethylmercury, organic matter, plume, toxic levels, toxic trace metal, waste eating microbes, wastewater disposal, whoi

As towns across Cape Cod struggle with problems stemming from septic systems, a recent study by a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientist focuses on one specific toxic by-product: mercury. In a study of local groundwater, biogeochemist Carl Lamborg found microbial action on wastewater transforms it into more mobile, more toxic forms of the element.

His findings were published in Environmental Science and Technology in November 2013. (more…)

Zinc Helps against Infection by Tapping Brakes in Immune Response

By Guest PostFebruary 13, 2013Healthaction, against infection, andrew rudawsky, animal studies, beans, bug, cell culture, charlie pyle, collateral damage, dairy products, daren knoell, excessive inflammation, fortified cereals, human monocytes, ikkb, immune response, inflammatory pathway, invading pathogen, key cells, mark wewers, ming jie liu, nf kb pathway, nuts, ohio state university, protein, shengying bao, some shellfish, sustain human life, tapping brakes, toxic levels, united states, vulnerability to infection, whole grains, zinc, zinc deficiency, zinc deficient mice, zinc supplementation, zinc transporter, zip8

COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research suggests that zinc helps control infections by gently tapping the brakes on the immune response in a way that prevents out-of-control inflammation that can be damaging and even deadly.

Scientists determined in human cell culture and animal studies that a protein lures zinc into key cells that are first-responders against infection. The zinc then interacts with a process that is vital to the fight against infection and by doing so helps balance the immune response. (more…)