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contamination

Man builds model human colon, studies what comes out

Science stinks, literally. At least it does when you build a model human colon to follow the life cycle of E. coli and other bacteria.

After noting that scientists tend to study bacteria in isolated environments with carefully crafted growing conditions, engineer Ian Marcus, who recently earned his PhD from UC Riverside, decided to take matters into his own hands.

He built a system that models a human colon, a septic tank, and groundwater; fed the colon three times a day for weeks; let the bacteria grow alongside other microorganisms such as protozoa and fungi; and took copious notes.… Read more

After contamination, U.S. naval fleet repositions

U.S. Navy officials in Japan announced early today that they have repositioned their 7th Fleet after 17 Navy personnel aboard three helicopters tested positive for low levels of contamination from a radioactive plume that rose above the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group were roughly 100 miles northeast of the plant at the time of the explosion, but three helicopters had flown closer to help with relief efforts, reported the fleet's public affairs office.

Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Jeff A. Davis told The New York Times that the levels of … Read more

Say sayonara to salmonella

On April 10 of this year, hospitals recorded the first case of what would become a three-month possibly tomato-linked (though now the suspected culprit is the dreaded jalapeno pepper) salmonella outbreak. By the time the FDA lifted the warning on July 17,1220 people in 42 states had been affected by the virus, leading to an estimated $100 million loss recorded by the tomato industry. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com)

The outbreak served as a rude awakening for some that food safety is still something worth caring about. In the 1980s, salmonella poisoning presented itself as a threat to people eating … Read more