Selemium from coal mine killing in fish in river in SE B.C.

Bjay · #1 10-31-2014, 12:24 AM

Hi guys Have a read on this article below
Apparently there is large amounts of selenium leaking from a coal mine in the Elk valley in SE B.C. According to the report 180,000 fish have died off in the Fording river that runs into the Elk River near Elkford. Apparently the complete Cutthroat trout population could be killed off in the Fording and Elk rivers from the selenium. Also, what about the water wells in the Elk valley, could they also have selenium in them.? What does selenium do to people? The Fording river runs into the Elk river and that runs into Kokanoosa Lake south of Fernie B.C. and then runs into the USA which in turn runs into Kootenay Lake near Nelson B.C. Make sure this gets passed on.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle21158283/

cody c · #2 10-31-2014, 06:22 AM

OMHFG! Selenium!!

from google:

Although it is toxic in large doses, selenium is an essential micronutrient for animals. In plants, it occurs as a bystander mineral, sometimes in toxic proportions in forage (some plants may accumulate selenium as a defense against being eaten by animals, but other plants such as locoweed require selenium, and their growth indicates the presence of selenium in soil).[3] See more on plant nutrition below.

Selenium is a component of the unusual amino acids selenocysteine and selenomethionine. In humans, selenium is a trace element nutrient that functions as cofactor for reduction of antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidases[66] and certain forms of thioredoxin reductase found in animals and some plants (this enzyme occurs in all living organisms, but not all forms of it in plants require selenium).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium

Sushi · #3 10-31-2014, 07:09 AM

I'm sure you already knew but...
Selenium is indeed a natural element. It's plant food. A long time ago, some plants died and compressed into coal. The Selenium and other minerals became concentrated in coal. Selenium, like many other substances is toxic at certain concentrations. It's a tricky problem.

Don Andersen · #4 10-31-2014, 07:10 AM

Alberta has same problem!

Quick search got this.

The present study compared selenium in fish tissues from flowing water systems near three west- central Alberta mountain coal mines in the upper McLeod and Smoky River systems to the toxicity effects thresholds developed by Lemly (1996). Overall, data for fish tissues collected in 2000 and 2001 by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development showed that selenium concentrations in rainbow and brook trout were usually greater than toxicity effects thresholds in the exposed streams compared to reference streams, particularly in the tissues of fish collected from waters draining the Luscar and Gregg River mines. General patterns for selenium concentrations in the remaining fish species sampled (bull trout, mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling, and longnose sucker) compared to effects thresholds were not always as apparent. This was to some extent due to the potential influences of spawning migrations of mountain whitefish and bull trout among the exposed and reference sampling locations, and the limitations of the dataset (i.e., small sample size and limited sample locations for some species).

Dewey Cox · #5 10-31-2014, 07:28 AM

I bet none of those fish have dandruff, though.

walking buffalo · #6 10-31-2014, 10:03 AM

Who wouldn't want two headed trout? Gotta be twice as easy to catch.

Just waiting for selenium induced two headed bighorn sheep. Those will be a real trophy.

Blinky, the Idaho mining mascot.

greylynx · #7 10-31-2014, 06:26 PM

There is a place called the Coal Branch in Alberta.

The coal branch has been intensively mined for coal for over a century.

Where is documentation of two headed fish from this area for over one hundred years?

There might be a few given the population area, and time span.

Help me out.

http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/its-no...wo-headed-fish

Don Andersen · #8 10-31-2014, 08:22 PM

Grey...

Do you actually believe that anyone in the mining industry or Govt would say anything.
You should take some pills for this condition. Belief in Govt is a cure able disease.

Don

Sushi · #9 10-31-2014, 08:45 PM

I don't believe metals like selenium would cause mutagenic effects. Sorry to disappoint those watching for two headed fish.

greylynx · #10 10-31-2014, 10:54 PM

When I see a two headed fish the little 5 watt light bulb between my ears starts to flicker and think about the effects of radiation on neoplastic cells in the post gastrulation period of egg devopment.

One also might want to refer to the salamander limb regeneration experiments of the 1960's

But what do I know.