#polychlorinated biphenyl

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Figure 14.16 shows ranges of KOW values for various classes of (usually synthetic) organic compounds.

"Environmental Chemistry: A Global Perspective", 4e - Gary W. VanLoon & Stephen J. Duffy

[ablabstesting]

The impact of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) on wildlife in Texas

PCB pollution and wildlife

Welcome to this informative article on the impact of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) on wildlife in Texas and what we can do to protect them! PCBs are a group of man-made chemicals that were widely used in various industrial and commercial applications until they were banned in the late 1970s due to their harmful effects on human health and the environment. Despite the ban, PCBs still persist in the environment and continue to pose a significant threat to wildlife, particularly in Texas.

Effects of PCBs on Texas wildlife

PCBs are highly toxic and persistent chemicals that can bioaccumulate in the food chain, leading to long-term exposure and detrimental impacts on both wildlife and humans. In Texas, various species of wildlife are at risk due to PCB pollution.

Migratory birds

One of the main groups of wildlife affected by PCB contamination in Texas is migratory birds. These birds rely on the diverse habitats found in the state during their annual migrations, but unfortunately, these habitats can contain high levels of PCBs. When migratory birds consume contaminated prey, such as fish or insects, they can accumulate PCBs in their bodies, leading to reproductive issues, weakened immune systems, and impaired ability to navigate during their long-distance journeys.

Marine mammals

The coastal waters of Texas provide vital habitats for several marine mammal species, including dolphins and manatees. PCB pollution in these waters can have severe consequences for these charismatic creatures. PCBs can interfere with hormone regulation, leading to impaired reproduction and developmental abnormalities in offspring. Additionally, exposure to PCBs can weaken the immune system, making marine mammals more susceptible to diseases and infections.

Reptiles and amphibians

Texas is home to numerous reptile and amphibian species, many of which face significant challenges due to PCB contamination. These chemicals can accumulate in the tissues of reptiles and amphibians, affecting their growth, development, reproduction, and immune function. PCBs have been linked to reproductive abnormalities in turtles, developmental issues in frogs, and compromised populations of endangered reptiles, such as the Texas horned lizard.

Protecting Texas wildlife from PCBs

While the impact of PCBs on Texas wildlife is concerning, there are several actions we can take to mitigate the harm and protect these vulnerable species:

1. Reduce PCB sources

Efforts should be made to identify and eliminate potential sources of PCB contamination in Texas. This can involve strict regulations on industrial processes, proper disposal of PCB-containing products, and encouraging the development and use of safer alternatives.

2. Enhance monitoring and research

Regular monitoring programs should be established to assess the levels of PCBs in different habitats across Texas. These programs can help identify areas of high contamination and prioritize conservation efforts. Furthermore, increased research on the specific effects of PCBs on different wildlife species can inform targeted conservation strategies.

3. Support habitat conservation

Protecting and restoring natural habitats is crucial for safeguarding Texas wildlife from the impacts of PCB pollution. By conserving various ecosystems, such as wetlands, forests, and coastal areas, we provide wildlife with healthier environments that are less likely to be contaminated with PCBs.

4. Promote public awareness and education

Raising awareness among the general public about the harmful effects of PCBs on wildlife can lead to collective action and support for conservation initiatives. Education programs, public campaigns, and community involvement can all contribute to a better understanding of the issue and foster a sense of responsibility towards protecting Texas wildlife.

5. Collaboration and policy changes

Addressing the issue of PCB pollution in Texas requires collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, environmental organizations, industries, and the public. By working together, it is possible to advocate for policy changes that prioritize the protection of wildlife and the reduction of PCB contamination.

A&B Labs : 

offers a wide range of organics testing on matrices for water, soils, sludges, and paints for trace chemical compounds and pollutants. We analyze organic contaminants including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Semi Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), Herbicides, Pesticides, PCBs, PFAS, water treatment byproducts and more.

Conclusion

The impact of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) on wildlife in Texas is a significant concern that requires urgent attention and action. By understanding the effects of PCBs on different species and implementing measures to reduce contamination and protect habitats, we can ensure the future well-being of Texas wildlife. Let's work together to safeguard these precious creatures and preserve the rich biodiversity that makes Texas so unique!

[invisibleicewands]

Please come and see me because I’ll be dead soon’: how Michael Sheen got sucked into a forever chemicals exposé

An opera-loving member of high society turned eco-activist who was forced into police protection with a panic button round his neck. A Hollywood actor who recorded said activist’s life story as he was dying from exposure to the very chemicals he was investigating. Throw in two investigative journalists who realise not everything is as it seems, then uncover some startling truths, and you have “podcasting’s strangest team” on Buried: The Last Witness.

On their award-winning 2023 podcast Buried, the husband and wife duo Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor dug into illegal toxic waste dumping in the UK and its links to organised crime. This time, they focus on “forever chemicals”, specifically polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and set out to discover whether one whistleblower may have been decades ahead of his time in reporting on their harmful impact.

“It’s amazing how big the scale of this story is,” says Ashby, as we sit backstage at the Crucible theatre, where they are doing a live discussion as part of Sheffield DocFest. “With this series, we don’t just want it to make your blood turn cold, we want it to make you question your own blood itself.”

It all started when Taylor and Ashby were sent a lead about the work of former farmer’s representative Douglas Gowan. In 1967, he discovered a deformed calf in a field and began to investigate strange goings on with animals close to the Brofiscin and Maendy quarries in south Wales. He linked them to the dumping of waste by companies including the nearby Monsanto chemical plant, which was producing PCBs.

PCBs were used in products such as paint and paper to act as a fire retardant, but they were discovered to be harmful and have been banned since 1981 in the UK. However, due to their inability to break down – hence the term forever chemical – Gowan predicted their legacy would be a troubling one. “I expect there to be a raft of chronic illness,” he said. He even claimed that his own exposure to PCBs (a result of years of testing polluted grounds) led his pancreas and immune system to stop working. “I’m a mess and I think it can all be attributed to PCBs,” he said.

However, Gowan wasn’t a typical environmentalist. “A blue-blood high-society Tory and a trained lawyer who could out-Mozart anyone,” is how Taylor describes him in the series. He would even borrow helicopters from friends in high places to travel to investigate farmers’ fields. Gowan died in 2018 but the pair managed to get hold of his life’s work – confidential reports, testing and years of evidence. “I’m interested in environmental heroes that aren’t cliche,” says Ashby. “So I was fascinated by him. But then we started to see his flaws and really had to weigh them up. My goodness it’s a murky world we went into.”

The reason they were able to delve even deeper into this murky world is because of the award-winning actor Michael Sheen who, in 2017, came across Gowan’s work in a story he read. He was so blown away by it, and the lack of broader coverage, that he tracked him down. “I got a message back from him saying: ‘Please come and see me because I’ll be dead soon,’” says Sheen. “I took a camera with me and spent a couple of days with him and just heard this extraordinary story.”

What Gowan had been trying to prove for years gained some traction in 2007, with pieces in the Ecologist and a Guardian article exploring how “Monsanto helped to create one of the most contaminated sites in Britain”. One was described as smelling “of sick when it rains and the small brook that flows from it gushes a vivid orange.” But then momentum stalled.

Years later, in 2023, Ashby and Taylor stumbled on a recording of Sheen giving the 2017 Raymond Williams memorial lecture, which referenced Gowan and his work. Before they knew it, they were in the actor’s kitchen drinking tea and learning he had conducted a life-spanning seven-hour interview with Gowan before his death. So they joined forces. Sheen isn’t just a token celebrity name added for clout on this podcast; he is invested. For him, it’s personal as well as political. “Once you dig into it, you realise there’s a pattern,” he says. “All the places where this seems to have happened are poor working-class areas. There’s a sense that areas like the one I come from are being exploited.”

Sheen even goes to visit some contaminated sites in the series, coming away from one feeling sick. “That made it very real,” he says. “To be looking into a field and going: ‘Well, I’m pretty sure that’s toxic waste.’” Sheen was living a double life of sorts. “I went to rehearsals for a play on Monday and people were like, ‘What did you do this weekend?’” he says. “‘Oh, I went to the most contaminated area in the UK and I think I may be poisoned.’ People thought I was joking.” Sheen ended up being OK, but did have some temporary headaches and nausea, which was a worry. “We literally had to work out if we had poisoned Michael Sheen,” says Ashby, who also ponders in the series: “Have I just killed a national treasure?”

The story gets even knottier. Gowan’s findings turn out to be accurate and prescient, but the narrative around his journey gets muddy. As a character with a flair for drama, he turned his investigation into a juicy, riveting story filled with action, which could not always be corroborated. “If he hadn’t done that, and if he’d been a nerdy, analytical, detail-oriented person who just presented the scientific reports and kept them neatly filed, would we have made this podcast?” asks Taylor, which is a fascinating question that runs through this excellent and gripping series.

Ashby feels that Gowan understood how vital storytelling is when it comes to cutting through the noise. “We have so much science proving the scale of these problems we face and yet we don’t seem to have the stories,” he says. “I think Douglas got that. Fundamentally, he understood that stories motivate human beings to act. But then he went too far.”

However, this is not purely about Gowan’s story – it’s about evidence. The Last Witness doubles up as a groundbreaking investigation into the long-lasting impact of PCBs. “We threw the kitchen sink at this,” says Ashby. “The breakthrough for us is that the Royal Society of Chemistry came on board and funded incredibly expensive testing. So we have this commitment to go after the truth in a way that is hardly ever done.”

From shop-bought fish so toxic that it breaches official health advice to off-the-scale levels of banned chemicals found in British soil, the results are staggering. “The scientist almost fell off his chair,” says Ashby. “That reading is the highest he has ever recorded in soil – in the world. That was the moment we knew Douglas was right and we are now realising the scale of this problem. The public doesn’t realise that even a chemical that has been banned for 40 years is still really present in our environment.”

To go even deeper into just how far PCBs have got into our environment and food chain, Ashby and Taylor had their own blood tested. When Taylor found 80 different types of toxic PCB chemicals in her blood it was a sobering moment. “I was genuinely emotional because it’s so personal,” she says. “It was the thought of this thing being in me that was banned before I was even born and the thought of passing that on to my children.” Ashby adds: “We’ve managed physical risk in our life as journalists in Tanzania and with organised crime, but more scary than a gangster is this invisible threat to our health.”

In order to gauge the magnitude of what overexposure to PCBs can do, they headed to Anniston, Alabama, once home to a Monsanto factory. “As a journalist, you have an inbuilt scepticism and think it can’t be that bad,” says Ashby. “But when I got there I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I hate to use words like dystopian, but it was. There is a whole massive school that can’t be used. There’s illnesses in children and cancers. It truly was the most powerful vignette of the worst-case example of these chemicals.”

It’s bleak stuff but instilling fear and panic is not the intention. “Obviously, we’re really concerned about it,” says Ashby. “And although the environmental crises we face do feel overwhelming, it is incredible how a movement has formed and how individuals are taking action in communities. The lesson to take from Douglas is that the response doesn’t have to be resignation. It can be agency.”

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Neal Stephenson’s “Polostan”

NEXT WEEKEND (Novem<p>placeholder </p>ber 8-10), I'll be in TUCSON, AZ: I'm the GUEST OF HONOR at the TUSCON SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION.

Science fiction isn't collection of tropes, nor is it a literary style, nor is it a marketing category. It can encompass all of these, but what sf really is, is an outlook.

At the core of sf is an approach to technology (and, sometimes, science): sf treats technology as a kind of crux that the rest of the tale revolves around. The Bechdel test invites us to notice that in most fiction, stories revolve around men – that it's rare for two or more non-male characters to interact with one another, and if they do, that interaction is triggered by a man.

The sftnal version of this would go something like this: "a story gets increasingly stfnal to the extent that interactions among characters either directly relate to a technology, or are triggered by the consequences of such a relation, or fears, plans or aspirations for same."

(Note that this implies that science fiction is a spectrum: things can be more or less science fictional, and that gradient reflects the centrality of a technology to the narrative.)

No one's work demonstrates this better than Neal Stephenson. Stephenson's work covers a lot of settings and storytelling modes. His debut, The Big U, was a contemporary novel lampooning academic life. Then came Zodiac, another contemporary novel, but one where science – in this case, extremely toxic polychlorinated biphenyls – take center stage. Then came his cyberpunk classic, Snow Crash, which was unambiguously (and gloriously) science fiction.

A couple of books later, we got Cryptonomicon, a finance novel that treated money as a technology, and, notably, did so across both a near-future setting and the historic setting of WWII. In addition to being a cracking novel, Cryptonomicon is exciting in that it treats the technological endeavors of the past in exactly the same way as it does the imaginary technological endeavors of the future. Here's Stephenson fusing his contemporary sensibilities with his deep interests in history, and approaching historical fiction as an sf writer, doing the sftnal thing to gadgets and ideas that have been around for more than two generations.

Stephenson's next novel was Quicksilver, the first book of the massive "System of the World" trilogy, in which the extremely historical events of Newton and Leibniz's quest to discover "the calculus" are given a sweeping, world-spanning sftnal treatment. As "system of the world" suggests, Stephenson uses this sftnal trick to situate a scientific advancement in the context of a global, contingent, complex system that it both grows out of an defines. This is the pure water of science fiction, applied entirely to real seventeenth century events, and it's definitive proof that sf isn't a trope, a style or a category – but rather, it is a way of framing and understanding the world.

You can think of Stephenson's career up to this point as a series of experiments in applying the stfnal lens to events that are progressively less historical (and, with The Diamond Age, events that are atemporal inasmuch as the book is set in a futuristic revival of the Victorian Age). Experiments that range over contemporary settings, and then contemporary settings blended with historical settings, then a deep historical sf trilogy.

(It's rather exciting that these books came out right as William Gibson was entering his own "predicting the present" decade, where he exclusively published sf about the recent past, a prelude to a series of sf novels set in a future so far from our present that the characters literally have no record of which events led up to their own circumstances):

https://memex.craphound.com/2014/10/28/the-peripheral-william-gibson-vs-william-gibson/

Having proved how successful an historical sf novel could be, Stephenson then bopped around with a lot of stfnal historical ideas, from the "transmedia" 12th century setting of the Mongoliad to a madcap time-travel book (The Rise and Fall of DODO). Stephenson's work since then have been pretty straightforwardly sftnal, which means that he's a little overdue for a return to historical sf.

That's where Polostan comes in, the just-published inaugural volume of a new interwar series about the birth of atomic science:

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/polostan-neal-stephenson

Critics and even the publisher have called this a "spy novel" or a "historical novel" but it is neither of those. What Polostan is, is a science fiction novel, about spies in an historical setting. This isn't to say that Stephenson tramples on, or ignores spy tropes: this is absolutely a first-rate spy novel. Nor does Stephenson skimp on the lush, gorgeously realized and painstakingly researched detail you'd want from an historical novel (Stephenson has long enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with the brilliant researcher Lisa Gold, whom we can thank for much of the historical detail across his body of work).

But the overarching sensibility of this work is a world full of people who revolve around technology. You'd be hard-pressed to list more than a handful of actions taken by the characters that aren't driven by technology, and most of the dialog either concerns technology, or the actions that characters have taken in relation to technology. It's unmistakably and indelibly a science fiction novel.

It's great.

Polostan raises the curtain on the story of Dawn Rae Bjornberg, AKA Aurora Maximovna Artemyeva, whose upbringing is split between the American West in the early 20th century and the Leningrad of revolutionary Russia (her parents are an American anarchist and a Ukrainian Communist who meet when her father travels to America as a Communist agitator). Aurora's parents' marriage does not survive their sojourn to the USSR, and eventually Aurora and her father end up back in the States, after her father is tasked with radicalizing the veterans of the Bonus Army that occupied DC, demanding the military benefits they'd been promised:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army

After the efforts of Communist organizers in the Bonus Army were mercilessly crushed by George S Patton, Aurora ends up living in a Communist commune in Chicago, where she falls into a job selling comfortable shoes to the footsore women who visit the Century of Progress, as the 1933 World's Fair was known:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_Progress

At the Century of Progress, Aurora sits at the junction where many global currents are mixing: she is there when Mussolini's air armada lands on Lake Michigan to the cheers of thronged fascist sympathizers; and also when Neils Bohr lectures on the newly discovered – and still controversial – neutron. She is also exposed to her first boyfriend, a young physicist from New York, who greatly expands her interest in nuclear physics and also impregnates her.

This latter turn in her life sends Aurora back into the American west, where, after a complex series of misadventures and derring-do, she embarks on a career as a tommy gun-toting bank robber, part of an armed gang of her cowboy shirttail cousins.

All of this culminates in her return sojourn to the Soviet Union, where she first falls under suspicion of being an American spy, and then her recruitment as a Soviet spy.

Also: she plays a lot of polo. Like, on a horse.

This isn't just an unmistakably sftnal novel, it's also an unmistakably Stephensonian novel: embroidered, discursive, and brilliantly expositional:

https://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/my-favorite-bit/my-favorite-bit-cory-doctorow-talks-about-the-bezzle/

It is funny, it is interesting, it is even daffy in places. It's sometimes absolutely horrifying. It skips around in time like a subatomic particle bouncing around in a theoretical physics model. It creates and resolves all manner of little subplots in most satisfying ways, but also ultimately exists just to tee up the main action, which will come in future volumes. It's a curtain raiser, and like any good opening number, it hooks you for what is to come.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/04/bomb-light/#nukular

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

No i am NOT going to Consume Polychlorinated Biphenyls they are HIGHLY Toxic and Carcinogenic

[exactinglywormish]

(@the-janitor-esc )

Darling Jan,

Ha... wow... you're so pretty and attractive and strong and clever and you're such a gentleman. I... Gentlejan? (sorry about the bad joke). How special and perfect you are. I don't have the words to describe how I feel...

You make me melt. I especially like when your bandages flutter... it looks a little like how you make my heart feel.

You're so utterly fascinating. Synthetics.. so fascinating. I've made you some polychlorinated biphenyls by the way, but they need to be stored with me for safety.

Even you eating was pretty.

Here I am, getting distracted (can you blame me?). You can send some of the cyberspiders to me, I've made about six little hats for them. They're all so cute.

Ah... what else was there to say... something. I don't have the words for it. How very frustrating.

Will you stop by mine soon? Or maybe someday I should visit yours! I haven't seen your office or quarters, and I'd like to. I crave your company. I have something for you, anyway. I hope it's an appropriate present.

James :)

[theambitiouswoman]

Hormone disrupters are chemicals 🧪 that interfere with your body’s endocrine system, which regulates hormones. They can be found in a lot of every day products like:

Plastic bottles and food containers

Pesticides in agriculture

Cleaning supplies

Chemicals used for clothing

Personal care products like lotions, shampoos & makeup

❌ These are hormone disrupters found in common every day products that you should stay away from ❌

- Bisphenol A (BPA) (plastics and can liners)

- Phthalates (personal care products, fragrances, flexible plastics)

- Parabens (makeup & personal care products)

- Triclosan (antibacterial soaps and cleaning products)

- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (older electrical equipment and industrial products)

- Flame Retardants (furniture, textiles, electronics)

- Pesticides (agriculture)

- Perfluorinated Chemicals (stain resistant treatments, non-stick cookware)

- Dioxins (industrial processes, combustion byproducts)

- Lead (older paints, pipes)

- Dye chemicals (textiles and clothing)

- Water repellents (outdoor clothing, upholstery)

- Stain repellents (carpets, fabrics)

- Formaldehyde (wrinkle free and anti-shrink treatments for fabric)

- Mercury (fish, some thermometers, dental amalgams)

- Cadmium (batteries, some fertilizers)

- Atrazine (herbicides)

- Glyphosate (weed killers)

- Perchlorate (rocket fuel, fireworks, fertilizers)

- Arsenic (contaminated water, pesticides)

- Styrene (plastics, rubber, insulation materials)

- Phosphates (detergents, fertilizers)

- Nonylphenol ethoxylates (industrial detergents, cleaners)

- Organotins (PVC plastics, marine antifouling paints)

- Benzophenone (sunscreens, plastics)

- Octinoxate (sunscreens, makeup)

- 4 Methylbenzylidene camphor (sunscreens, makeup)

‼️ Exposure to these can lead to health issues like reproductive problems, developmental issues and cancer.

🌿 Needless to say, that in order to protect our hormones 🫶 it’s important to recognize these risks and take measures to reduce our exposure them.

[dragonsdendoodles]

i’m taking a construction course which has a module on waste management, so i now know depending on how old the house is, there are a load of different contaminants which could be floating about and have probably ruined the soil (rip fiona’s plants). according to my revision sheet, some of them could be:

- heavy metals (lead pipes, old plumbing, arsenic-treated wood)

- volatile organic compounds like solvents, alcohols, and formaldehyde, (paint thinners, varnishes, wood + wallpaper chemical treatments)

- asbestos (literally everything that needed to be fireproof or insulating, ie tiles, plaster, pipes, insulation, flooring, etc)

- polychlorinated biphenyls which are pollutive but can also affect your immune and reproductive systems (early elec systems, paints and varnishes)

- technically pesticides but i personally doubt they’d be allowed within a ten mile radius of the house

- creosote + wood preservatives, carcinogenic and also toxic to plants, sorry fiona (railway ties, treated beams and floorboards)

- chlorinated solvents (early cleaning products and degreasing agents)

- i cannot overstate the investment of lead all of those kids have heavy metal poisoning in some way. my notes specifically note ‘neurological damage especially in children’

- coal dust and soot (fireplaces)

in conclusion the reason the ruins were still there when jacob arrived was because nobody was investing to remediate a deeply contaminated brownfield site in the middle of nowhere, and it’s a miracle they didn’t die from the toxicity of everything around them before they made it to london

These children are ticking time bombs in more ways than one and they are so incredibly lucky they did not just immediately die anytime they left the loop oh my god

[themotherofhorses]

paloma: first meeting

— simon "ghost" riley x oc!silentdove reyes.

summary: he's not annoyed, per se, but ghost is just not really in the mood to chit-chat with the american airman scurrying around the base. at best, he tolerates them.

(or the first exchange between ghost and his montanan woman.)

warnings: none, aside from explicit language.

note: okay, so despite this being an obvious OC-insert series, i invite anyone and everyone to read it :D this is actually my first time tackling an OC-insert fanfic (as well as writing ghost) so im still trying to get the rhythm of things.

dividers by: @saradika

paloma (masterlist) | main masterlist

[2021] 

Simon Riley won’t ever admit it — never aloud, anyway — but every time he steps foot on American soil, he feels more akin to a wolf draped in sheep’s clothing. 

In his mind, he sticks out like a sore thumb. He is not a hero, really; unlike the lot teetering around the military base he is currently stationed at for the next five or so weeks, he is less flesh and blood, and more a phantom. Or something along those lines. Actually, that could explain why there is such little traffic aimed his way. But he doesn’t particularly care. His schedule lacks the room to voice any complaints. 

Right now, his main concern is doing his job, and doing it right. 

Two weeks back, Price had him fishing out his passport tucked away inside his bedside table. “Fancy a two month getaway to the States?” Great Falls, Montana, to be exact. High west, nearing the border of Canada, and surrounded by land he’s only ever seen in those silly ass spaghetti western movies. 

The view is nice, he’ll admit. Beautiful, even. Exhilarating. He now understands why they refer to Montana as “Big Sky Country.” 

Malmstrom is much smaller than he imagined, and homier too. The Air Force base is nestled within the city’s east side, offering its own museum and park. He’s quite grateful for the latter; the trails allow for his nighttime walks when the nightmares prove too shitty to sleep. 

Great Falls is pretty as well. Price would like it, maybe Garrick too. He knows the two are big on history, and almost every inch of the city is drenched with some memory belonging to the old frontier days. 

Upon arriving, the yanks provided him with his own private office, housed in the back of the 341st logistics readiness squadron. It’s nothin’ fancy, really, just a wee room furnished with a dark mahogany desk, two windows, a steel cabinet, the Montana flag to his left, and the American to his right. 

Again, he’s not one to complain. Something’s something. 

Earlier, one of the higher-up airmen, a Staff Sergeant Benson (he believes is the name), had handed him a folder jam-packed with a shit ton of mission statements — logistics, strategic planning, reports of previous global concerns, and reviews of the base’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. All the documents are dated in a time range varying between two months ago to 0800 this morning. 

In the back of his mind, he can already hear Price chuckling.

“Have fun, Simon.”

Bloody bastard. 

So now, Ghost sits hunched over the desk, feeling a little too damn big for it. All the paperwork is strewn about messily around him, with sticky notes, a pen, and some other random shit of his. No one has yet to visit him; until that happens, he feels little need to remain organized. 

His boot taps against the floor. “—Initial efforts to clean polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from launch facilities at Malmstrom AFB are ongoing but seeing success…” Ghost reads under his breath. PCBs? That’s nice to hear.

“...after PCBs were detected on surfaces in launch facilities at all three of the command’s missile wings.” 

PCBs. Polychlorinated biphenyls — man-made and highly toxic, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine atoms. He clicks his tongue, shaking his head as he flips onto the next page.

“We know they’re present on what appears to be otherwise pristine surfaces, due to the survey—” 

—a sudden knock interrupts his reading. 

With a curse on his tongue, Ghost sets down the report. He quicks a sneaking glance at his watch. 1342 hours. He’s due in a meeting at 1700. 

“Come in.” His voice sounds low and raspy, the two words sounding more like a growl than a greeting. He’s not annoyed, per se, but Ghost is just not really in the mood to chit-chat with the American airmen scurrying around the base. At best, he tolerates them.

(In his mind, they’re all little Graves, ready to stir up a headache.) 

The door slowly cracks open.

“Lieutenant Riley?” A female voice calls out — soft and cautious; Ghost’s chin drops against his knuckles. “Apologies for the disruption, sir, but I have some additional paperwork I need to drop off with you, at the request of my superior.” He grunts, and the airman then steps into his office, quickly shutting the door behind her before meeting his eyes. 

It is entirely unlike him, Ghost knows, but his brain almost short-circuits right then and there. Two dark brown eyes, framed by thick lashes, peering up at him. Shit. He’d always thought brown was such a pretty eye color on a woman, but hers stretched further across common compliments. 

Both of  ‘em — they held no animosity, no uneasiness or fear, nothing. 

That, itself, is quite fucking bizarre. He’s not used to that.

Ghost is .... well, Ghost. He knows the mask he is always donning on his face isn't exactly a sign of welcomeness. Just his mere presence is enough to startle the living shit out of rookies, baby recruits, wide-eyed sergeants, and the like. There is something inherently unnerving when you are unable to get a good reading of the person you're standing across from.

She’s brave, he thinks. Or merely oblivious to who he is. 

“Here you go, sir,” the airman says while placing the packet of new documents down on his desk. Her lips are shaped prettily, plump and shining with a fresh layer of gloss, and across her nose is a splatter of faint freckles. Under a different circumstance, maybe he would’ve taken the time to try and count them all.

Ghost swallows hard, incapable (for what feels like the first time in his life) of mustering up an appropriate reply. “Ah, thank you, ma’am.” 

The airman's brow lifts.

“Reyes,” she then corrects him with a kind smile, gesturing to the name badge sitting above her right chest pocket. Sure enough, in bold military lettering, reads Reyes. “My name is Senior Airman SilentDove Reyes. I am actually a cryptologic linguist analyst here on base; but sometimes I run errands for others, when not needed for a translation, of course.”

There is a slight chirp in her voice that Ghost picks up, along with the way she casually rocks back and forth on her feet. She seems awfully young, no older than 22, possibly 23, but even that's cutting it; a kid, compared to him. Maybe 5'7, with dark hair pulled back into two tight braids that fall at her belted waistline.

A stark contrast compared to him.

He's oddly curious now — about her age and first name and those long braids and why she stands before him, calm, collected, and sure — but he knows damn well this is not the time nor place for any questions. Both of them are on the clock, and it is likely she’ll need to report back to her supervisor soon. 

He offers her a curt nod. “Well, thank you again, Reyes,” he states, keeping his voice flat. 

“You are welcome, sir.” She turns to leave, but when her hand latches onto the doorknob, Reyes glances over her shoulder at him, “—oh, and Lieutenant? If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

–

The successful cleaning came after a bioenvironmental team at Malmstrom AFB …. Malmstrom AFB .. consulted with engineers and ….. and medical experts on the cleaning …. cleaning processes and– 

–and agents most likely to effectively remove the chemicals…. 

He knows his mind is wandering off, in desperate search of that pretty senior airman from fifteen minutes ago. “Bloody fucking hell,” Ghost grumbles, leaning back in his chair. His head lolls back as he blinks upward, studying the ceiling overhead. The texture is popcorn, a creamy color, with a simple fan jutting down. One light bulb, probably a recent replacement. 

Fuck. He doesn’t need this shit. Not one bit. 

Five more weeks and he’ll be gone from here. 

Ghost rechecks his watch, feeling a bit peeved at the time. 1411. He has several more hours until he can leave all this work shit behind for the evening, and maybe catch a short walk before hunkering down for the night. He doesn’t like sitting down for too long; it causes him to become restless. Agitated. Overthinking.

He doesn’t want distractions. He doesn’t need ‘em. Distractions ruin work ethic; clouding up the mind while fucking up all sense of responsibility. Price will have his ass if he – somehow – becomes compromised. And he'll never hear the end of it from Johnny. 

Settling back into the paperwork, he decides that he won’t allow himself another second thinking about all that – the American airman and her pretty brown eyes and high cheekbones and first name. 

Something tells him that’s easier said than done. 

[rjzimmerman]

Interesting twist of the recent US Supreme Court decision that effectively substitutes the judgment of the courts for the judgment of administrative agencies. (The decision that tossed out the old "Chevron rule" that required courts to defer to the judgment of administrative agencies.) In this case, the administrative agency (the US Army Corps of Engineers) supported the continued dumping of toxic crap onto a site jutting into Lake Michigan on the southeast side of Chicago. So the locals said, well how about just using the recent Supreme Court decision and shove that in the face of the Corps of Engineers, and let the court decide. Clever.

Excerpt from this Chicago Tribune story:

Environmentalists were distressed by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month limiting the power of federal agencies and putting regulations like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act at risk.

But in Chicago, the Environmental Law and Policy Center plans to leverage the ruling, commonly referred to as the Loper decision, to protect neighborhoods on the Southeast Side and the Lake Michigan shoreline.

“This is not a good decision by the court. It is ideologically driven to hamstring sensible environmental regulations and agencies that protect public health. However, there’s an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade,” said Executive Director Howard Learner.

In March last year, on behalf of two community organizations, the center filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ plans to expand and continue dumping toxic sediment in a now-full containment site along the shoreline.

The center ​is using the ​Supreme Court’s decision, which overturned 40 years of legal precedent called the Chevron doctrine, to support its lawsuit. The doctrine required courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous statutes.

However, ​a July 2 court filing by the plaintiffs said the judge now has full discretion to determine whether the Army Corps overstepped when determining it could keep and expand the dump site, which contains mercury, arsenic and polychlorinated biphenyls.

The plaintiffs would like to see the 43 acres of prime shoreline transformed into a park for the largely Black and Latino, low-income communities on the Southeast Side, as originally promised once the site was full.

At the heart of the lawsuit is a disagreement over whether the Army Corps of Engineers adequately assessed the environmental risks of expanding the dump or alternative locations, as required by law, before deciding to expand the current site.

The plaintiffs — Friends of the Park and Alliance of the Southeast — argue the agency did not consider the outsized burden of industrial pollution the Southeast Side has historically endured.

Formerly a hotbed for the steel and petroleum coke industries, the Southeast Side remains an industrial hub: home to assembly plants, scrap processing yards and bulk cargo handling facilities. Since 2014, 75 companies on the Southeast Side have been investigated for noncompliance with the Clean Air Act, and it has Chicago’s only area zoned to store hazardous waste.

The Army Corps has been depositing sediment dredged from the Calumet River and Lake Michigan at the shoreline dump site since 1984. The federal agency promised the lakefront property would be returned to the Chicago Park District when the disposal facility reached capacity or after 10 years, whichever came first.

Forty years later, the site is full but the Army Corps is refusing to let it go. Instead, it plans to raise the dump site 25 feet in the air and extend it 4 acres so it can hold an additional 1 million cubic yards of toxic sediment over another 20 years.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Why the next pandemic could come from the Arctic — and what to do about it - Published Sept 4, 2024

By: Christian Sonne

Only a unified approach across disciplines can reduce the underappreciated threat of emerging diseases arising in the north.

The Arctic is under stress, that much is known. Between 1979 and 2021, the region warmed four times faster than the global average, with effects — as yet poorly understood — on its ecology and ability to store carbon, on global sea levels and on wider ocean-circulation and weather patterns.

Add in the effects of biodiversity loss and pollution, and people often refer to a triple planetary crisis. I think we should actually be talking about a quadruple crisis. Since starting research in the Arctic in 1997, I have spent nearly all of my summers there, monitoring changes in pollution levels, habitats and food webs using a ‘One Health’ approach that integrates effects on wildlife, humans and ecosystems. And it’s becoming clear that, as the Arctic warms, its environment degrades and human activities increase, new health threats are emerging. In particular, the Arctic is likely to become a hotbed for zoonotic diseases that spill over into humans from other animals. That threat was brought home to all of us by the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to take seriously the possibility that the next pandemic could come from the north.

Some 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. Their emergence and spillover is in general highly interlinked with habitat degradation, biodiversity loss and food-web changes — all of which are present in the Arctic. But a warming Arctic harbours other risks. As sea ice thaws, ‘forever chemicals’ are increasingly being transported into Arctic environments. These include mercury, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and polychlorinated biphenyls, all known to modulate human and animal immune systems and increase vulnerability to respiratory infections. Invasive fish and whale species are also bringing in industrial chemicals and their own diseases.

The pathogens enter an environment in which some native species, such as polar bears (Ursus maritimus), have not been exposed to them, and so are at increased risk. The release of ancient microorganisms long frozen in ice and sediments as the landscape thaws adds to this danger: humans and other wildlife are likely to lack any immune defences against them.

These risk factors are set to increase. The first ice-free Arctic summers could come as early as the 2030s. The Arctic Ocean has huge potential for energy, fishery and tourism sectors, and is not subject to any global treaty regulating its exploitation. Further wildlife disturbance, pollution, overfishing and jurisdictional conflicts are the likely result.

The current perception is that the Arctic possesses relatively low microbial activity. Compared with temperate and tropical latitudes, many fewer resources are devoted to studying zoonoses in the Arctic, with sparse surveillance for emerging threats in most areas. This needs to change — taking account of human, animal and wider environmental perspectives.

When it comes to logistics, low-tech is high-tech in the Arctic. On the human side, Canadian researchers have already started taking samples from sewage and other sources that can easily be analysed for the presence of viral pathogens. This kind of approach should be combined with better access to community health care, clinical inspections and consultations with local doctors. A particular flash point is the handling and consumption of raw or dried animal meat in subsistence-hunting communities. Hygiene courses, meat inspection and better disease surveillance developed in partnership with those communities can help to both sustain food security and prevent spillover events.

On the wildlife side, long-term finance is needed for yearly and seasonal surveillance programmes. These schemes should collaborate with local communities using existing techniques that don’t rely on technologies such as cryogenics and so are easy to use in situ. Such activities could be embedded into the ongoing Arctic Council monitoring and assessment programmes on pollution, biodiversity and climate change, as laid out in the council’s ‘One Arctic, One Health’ project.

On the broader environmental front, efforts to reduce pollution, safeguard biodiversity and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions through international agreements play their part. Efforts spearheaded by various Arctic Council working groups, and other initiatives such as the ongoing negotiations for a United Nations-backed treaty on plastic pollution, show how intergovernmental and interdisciplinary collaboration across public health, biodiversity conservation, pollution and food security can help with achieving sustainability.

To make a true difference, there is need for a broader Arctic monitoring and assessment plan, underpinned by treaty, that combines surveillance of pollution and of disease. This is currently difficult to achieve through the Arctic Council, given the absence of Russia and Russian data since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A better opportunity to establish a holistic understanding and action plan might be afforded by the proposed pandemic-preparedness treaty, currently under negotiation at the World Health Organization. This could build on the efforts of almost 200 globally recognized One Health Networks, including those in the Arctic.

Action must be taken now. If it isn’t, it will become more difficult to mitigate wildlife interactions and diagnose, treat and isolate people with an infection — and the risk of a future pandemic with an Arctic ground zero will only increase.

Nature 633, 10 (2024)

doi: doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02830-7

[misforgotten2]

Zippo made a lighter that was fueled by polychlorinated biphenyls?

Esquire - December 1974

[rabbitcruiser]

Cessation of hostilities was achieved in the Korean War when the United States, China, and North Korea sign an armistice agreement on July 27, 1953. Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refused to sign but pledged to observe the armistice. 

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

Each year both America and South Korea observe National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day on July 27. This day was started as a way to commemorate and recognize the peace treaty that triggered a cease-fire in a long-standing war. The Korean War is a significant chapter in American history in which approximately 50,000 American troops died in the conflict, over 100,000 were wounded, and thousands of others were held captive as prisoners of war. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day we are encouraged to take some moments for reflection on the service and sacrifices of American troops during this conflict.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL KOREAN WAR VETERANS ARMISTICE DAY

The Korean War lasted for three years — from June June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. The service members of the war had to overcome unique risks and experiences that set them apart from previous generations of veterans. The National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day presents us with the opportunity to remember and honor the service of these men. After being colonized by Japan, the southern part of the Korean peninsula was liberated soon after World War II. With the support of the Soviet Union, communist North Korea invaded democratic South Korea in 1950. In the wake of these events, America deployed troops to support South Korea to keep the land that was truly theirs and protect the nation’s democratic interests. After three years, an armistice was signed and the two Koreas have since then remained divided. 

The fighting resulted in more than 36,000 casualties for America and more than 103,000 service members were wounded in action. The US Department of Veterans Affairs says that the extremely cold climates during the Chosin Reservoir Campaign in the winter of 1950 posed serious risks to those serving and accounted for more than 5000 American deaths. The temperatures dipped to 50 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -100 degrees Fahrenheit! This meant that the Korean War veterans are more likely to face health issues such as trauma to the nervous system, skin, and muscles, vascular conditions, foot-related injuries such as trench foot, frostbite scars, and skin cancer as compared to veterans of other wars. These veterans may have also been exposed to hazardous substances such as asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyl, and ionizing radiation during this long war. These substances are responsible for certain illnesses and cancers long after exposure. In fact, the nature of this exposure can be so serious that may be passed down to the next generations.

NATIONAL KOREAN WAR VETERANS ARMISTICE DAY TIMELINE

1894–1895

First Sino-Japanese War

Imperial Japan destroys the influence of China over Korea to usher in the short-lived Korean Empire

1948

First Socialist Uprising

Guerrillas profess support for the North Korean government in April 1948.

1945

National Liberation Day of Korea

South and North Korea commemorate the end of 35-year Japanese colonial rule.

1950

North Korea Invades South Korea

North Korea’s Korean People's Army forces cross the border and drive into South Korea on 25 June.

NATIONAL KOREAN WAR VETERANS ARMISTICE DAY FAQS

How many Korean War veterans are still alive in 2019?

As many as two million Korean War veterans are still alive as of 2019.

Is there a Korean Veterans Day?

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day or Korean Veterans Day is observed each year on July 27. The day honors the sacrifices of Korean War veterans and their families. 

Do Korean War veterans get a pension?

Korean War Veterans may be eligible for a wide variety of benefits available to all American military veterans. These benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial.

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL KOREAN WAR VETERANS ARMISTICE DAY

Donate to organizations: Many organizations help in the treatment and rehabilitation of army veterans. You can either volunteer your time or donate funds to these organizations.

Brush up on your history: Today is a great day to brush up on American history. You can read books, newspaper clippings, or digital archives of the Korean War. Reading is a great way to learn more about the war and the events leading up to it.

Visit a veteran: Do you know a veteran who served in the Korean War? You can take some time off your day to go visit them. Surprise them with a meal or take them out for a movie.

5 FACTS ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

It’s one of the biggest recruiters: The U.S. Army employs over a million people.

Dogs are an important part of it: Presently, around 500 dogs are serving in the U.S. Army.

It has many military bases: It has 800 military bases and these bases are spread over 74 countries.

The presidents have served, too: As many as 16 U.S. presidents have served in the U.S. Army

The army is older than the country: George Washington created the Continental Army in 1775.

WHY NATIONAL KOREAN WAR VETERANS ARMISTICE DAY IS IMPORTANT

It celebrates American history: The Korean War is an important part of American history. This is a great day to learn more about the country’s rich past and how it continues to affect the present.

A way to say thanks: This is also a day to say thanks to all the brave servicemen who have made the ultimate sacrifice for America. The day recognizes the achievements of veterans and those who continue to serve in the army.

Celebrates international unity: The Korean War celebrates the triumph of democracy. It shows how great nations can come together to protect the rights of their people. National Korean War Armistice Day is ultimately the celebration of a global kinship.

Source

[moniquill]

...Do I get to know WHEN the archeologists find me? Because I'm making a list of chemicals to be avoided starting with the burning of fossil fuels and including Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Glyphosate, Chlorofluorocarbons and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, Bisphenol A.... I can go on and on with this.

[owlservice]

Don't talk to me until I've had my morning polychlorinated biphenyls