ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND HEALTH RISKS Two recent studies on the effect of electromagnetic fields on animals found that low-level magnetic fields caused damage to the DNA in rat brain cells while exposure to electromagnetic fields caused the animals to produce toxic amounts of ozone. Investigators at the University of Washington (Seattle, USA; http://www.uwashington.edu) found that rats exposed to a 60-hertz field for 24 hours showed a significant increase in DNA single and double strand breaks in their brain cells. Prolonging the exposure to 48 hours caused a larger increase, indicating that the effect was cumulative. Most house hold appliances - hair dryers, razors, electric blankets, ovens, coffee makers, and clocks - emit a 60-hertz field. Furhter experiments showed that treatment with Trolox (a vitamin E analog) or 7-nitroindazole (a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) blocked magnetic field-induction of free radicals was at least partially responsible for causing DNA damage. Treatment with the iron-chelator deferiprone also blocked the effects of the magnetic field on brain cell DNA, implying the involvement of iron. These findings were published in the January 26, 2004, online edition of Environment Health Perspectives. Senior author Dr. Narenda Singh, professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington commented, "People should do what they can to limit their exposure to as little as possible, especially in relation to electrical appliances that are used very close to the body." Extremely strong electromagnetic fields are also detrimental to the health of animals. Investigators at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, WA, USA; http://www.pnl.gov) exposed male rats to a corona discharge and measued the concentration of ozone produced. They reporterd in the February 2004 issue of Bioelectromagnetics that the resulting concentration of ozone ranged from ambient levels to 250 ppb when animals were located 1cm from a 10kV source. This high concentration is double the amount considered toxic at chronic exposure in human beings. "All this time, we were looking in the wrong place," said first author Dr. Steven Goheen, a researcher at Pacific Northwest Nation Laboratory. "We had been looking inside animals for an effect from the electromagnetic fields. Now it appears that the danger is in the air surrounding animals that are near a large electromagnetic field." Biotech News International

POLLUTING POISONS SLOWLY CHOKING SYDNEY HARBOUR The bed of Sydney Harbour is slowly being poisoned by heavy metals, pesticides and other toxic chemicals flushed into it each day from the city's stormwater system. A 15-year research project by the University of Sydney has found contamination in the sediment base of the harbour is many times higher than in other working harbours around the world. Copper, lead and zinc are washing into the harbour from industrial spills, illegal dumping, leaking oil and petrol from cars, and other vehicle emissions. The levels are higher than those found in San Francisco Bay, Scotland's Firth of Forth and China's Xiamen Harbour. "There is no doubt it is one of the most contaminated harbours in the world," one of the project authors, Gavin Birch, said. He is from the university's Environmental Geology Group. "This isn't any waterway. It's Sydney Harbour. The Government should be doing something about this icon of ours." Levels are highest in areas close to the outlets of stormwater channels that are not regularly flushed out by tides and currents. They include some of Sydney's most well known inlets, such as Homebush Bay, Rozelle Bay and Blackwattle Bay. The NSW Government's visiting professor for coasts, Bruce Thom, said the research findings were "long overdue". Although the harbour's health had improved in recent years, little had been done to tackle stormwater as a source of pollution. "The level of concentrations of some contaminants are amongst the highest in the world, but even more worrying is that continued inflow from stormwater is still capable of adding to existing high levels," Professor Thom said. Because little work has been done on sediment pollution, Australian researchers and regulatory bodies use the same levels set by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to those standards, Dr Birch's team found much of the upper, central and middle harbour exceeded the levels set for lead and zinc while significant areas also recorded extreme concentrations of copper. Most areas of the harbour, except the mouth, surpassed the international standard for at least one metal. The project team was surprised to discover that stormwater channels were the main conduits of pollutants. Results showed sewer outfalls, drains and licensed discharges were less significant sources of heavy metal run-off. While the levels of contamination in the harbour bed were not high enough to pose a direct risk to human health they are destroying benthic communities, an early step of the food chain. Dr Birch said the report should be considered as part of the Regional Environment Plan for Sydney Harbour. The public comment period on the draft plan closed this month. The report pushed for the recognition of contaminated sites, but did not recommend whether they should remain undisturbed or be cleaned up. The clean-up of Homebush Bay before the 2000 Olympic Games cost millions of dollars. Any work would be pointless unless the management of stormwater was addressed, the report noted. Regular testing for faecal coliforms and enterococci in the harbour seldom extends to the harbour bed.. Dr Birch said water quality was a distraction for governments not prepared to deal with managing stormwater: "It's difficult to deal with and analyse and people don't really want to know about it." PESTICIDES HEAVY METALS CHEMICAL POLLUTANTS       Johnstons Bay Homebush Bay Parramatta River Blackwattle Bay Hen and Chicken Bay Duck River Rozelle Bay Iron Cove Homebush Bay Rose Bay Blackwattle Bay Brays Bay Long Bay Rozelle Bay Majors/ Yaralla Bay Sugarloaf Bay   Iron Cove Article from SMH.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS ARE DEFICIENT IN MOST FOODS IN WESTERN SOCIETY Essential fatty acids, also known as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are present in moderate amounts in deepsea fish such as tuna, mackeral, salmon, sardines and trout, and hemp seeds and are in plentiful supply in flaxseeds (also known as linseeds). They have low melting points (below zero degrees Centrigrade). The most important are linoleic acid (LA) and alpha linolenic acid (LNA). Each molecule possesses 3 double bonds, which are very sensitive to heat, light and oxygen, so they should be extracted in the cold, in the dark with the surrounding atmosphere flushed with nitrogen gas to prevent the double bonds from oxidising and thereby damaging the fatty acid oils. When they are oxidised (rancid), they become toxic and their melting points rise to above human body temperature (37 degrees Centigrade). They should be purchased from a refrigerator and kept cold to prevent them becoming rancid. Most processed foods are manufactured with heating, chopping and chemically treating the starting food materials. This results in essential fatty acids being either removed or rendered rancid. Usually they are replaced during the manufacturing process with trans saturated fats which have high melting points (around 70 degrees Centigrade), which assists the food product having a long shelf life of weeks to months. This processing and replacement of fats in processed foods, their enormous popularity, along with the lack of consumption of foods rich in essential fatty acids contributes to the high deficiency of essential fatty acids in Western diets. It is estimated that over 90% of the British public are deficient in essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids improve energy levels, improve & hastens wound healing, improves immune function, are very important for brain development and the function of all body organs in general, lowers blood cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL, reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and diabetes, decrease inflammations in allergies and autoimmune diseases, protect our genes from the damaging effects of radiation and carcinogens, and assist in normal cellular functions, hemoglobin and general protein production. (Isn't that a great list!!!)

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