Measuring Pollutants
Many investigations into Nature have proven beneficial overall for the planet, and for the humans who live upon it.
The study of food staples, such as fish and other wildlife, has been toward how pollution has affected these delicate organisms and their environment. Some fish species, for example, have a tendency to accumulate certain elements in their bodies, making them hazardous for consumption by humans and other organisms that depend on them for food.
Salmon is a good example of this, as they not only live in the ocean, but in fresh water areas as well, leaving them exposed to too many harmful chemicals in the process. There are methods for determining the amount of pollution in these waters, but what about the fish. Harmful chemicals such as Bisphenol A has been found, using a process known as liquid scintillation counting, at high levels for those fish who are landlocked.
The use of tritium, or radioactive water, for the detection of soluble pollutants has been an ongoing development in many countries, as these pollutants find their way to the seas and oceans humans depend on for food. The tritium is mixed with a sample taken from the fish's tissues, mainly the muscle, and another substance that will glow when reacting with the beta particles involved in the tritium's decay. The liquid scintillation counter detects these faint light sources and digitally displays the amount of the suspected material.
This can be an excellent method for quantifying the amounts of known pollutants being ingested and absorbed by a major food source. Consumption of the tainted fish by humans can lead to many phealth issues, including birth defects and brain damage.
