In 2014, the nerds at the Forest Services wandered around Portland, Oregon, testing samples of moss for metals contamination. Some types of moss and lichen uniquely inhale metals out of the air and retain them. Thus, testing lowly moss can reveal accumulations of toxic poisons.
The moss startled the Forest Service. It revealed massive concentrations of virulently toxic and cancer-causing materials, namely cadmium, arsenic, and lead. The Forest Service promptly relayed those results to the State Health Department. Neither the Health Department or the Department of Environmental Quality told the thousands of folks, including several schools and day care centers, that toxic materials were raining down on their heads.
Finally a newspaper reported blew the whistle a month ago. Belatedly, the two glass factories that were permitted to emit several tons of these hazardous metals, offered to cease their use. But these thousands of people were needlessly exposed for an additional eighteen months.
Thank you moss! Thank you Forest Service! D-— you to h-—, Oregon Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality!
www.oregonlive.com/...
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Now It's Your Turn
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