Going with the Flow
It was finally summer vacation, and Joe was excited about his first quiet afternoon of fishing at his good friend Steve's favorite fishing spot. Joe promised to bring home enough fish for dinner, so he was ready to catch his limit for the day.
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Looking over his shoulder as he cast his line in the water, Joe noticed a disturbing sign posted behind him. WARNING: Elevated levels of dioxin have been found in fish living in this section of the river. To minimize health risks, avoid eating fish caught from this section more often than once per month. |
Joe wondered why this sign was posted there and about this chemical mentioned in the sign. Just then, the game warden drove up in her truck. She introduced herself, checked Joe’s fishing license, and asked if he had any questions.
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  Dioxin from the paper mill entered the river and ended up in the sediment
 Fish eating near the bottom of the river can contain dioxin in their bodies
  People can be exposed to dioxin by eating the contaminated fish
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Joe asked her about the sign and about eating fish from the river. The warden explained, “The state health department posted that warning to fishermen. Up until 1995, there was a paper mill just upstream from where we are right now. The mill emptied its wastewater into the river, and the wastewater contained low levels of dioxin, an organic compound that is both natural and manmade. At the time, it was not illegal or unusual for this to happen.” “Current laws and better industrial processes have led to significant reduction of dioxin release from pulp and paper mills. But even though the mill no longer exists, there is still dioxin in the river. Dioxin sticks to sediment in the bottom of the river and takes a very long time to break down. Fish living in rivers that contain dioxin can build up the chemical in their bodies by eating plants and other food on the bottom of the river.” Joe was very interested in knowing more about dioxin and how it might harm his health. When he asked the warden if she knew where he could learn more information, she replied, “You're in luck! Dr. Nancy Kerkvliet at Oregon State University has done research on dioxin for many years. She is an expert on the effects of dioxin on the immune system. She can tell you about her research and give you a tour of her lab.” Joe wanted to learn more about dioxin and the immune system and decided to visit Dr. Kerkvliet and her lab. |
Your Task
Dr. Kerkvliet could use your help. Her research team has been doing an experiment to test the effect of dioxin on the immune system of mice and could use an extra hand in the lab. Before we get started, let's learn more about dioxin and our immune system.
What is Dioxin? |
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