Climate Change
Elevated Levels of Radium Found in Western Pennsylvania’s Freshwater Mussels
Researchers detected increased radioactivity in mussels downstream of oil and gas wastewater discharge points, raising concerns about effects up the food chain.
Sixty-two years ago, Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” connected disappearing populations of bald eagles to the presence of the pesticide DDT in the birds’ food chain. Because bald eagles are apex predators, their dose of the toxic chemical was magnified and became fatal to their ability to reproduce.
Elevated Levels of Radium Found in Western Pennsylvania’s Freshwater Mussels