Worlds collide.

[angledge]

This morning, my friend Dr. Whisky sent me a link to what may possibly be the greatest BBC news story ever.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen (shout-out to hermiston!) have discovered a way to use byproducts from the whisky industry to treat contaminated groundwater. This process, which has a name that has been tortured to produce the acronym DRAM, is still in the research stages. Hmmm, I wonder if anyone has properly studied the side effects on human populations exposed to DRAM via the ingestion pathway?

Comments

[angledge.livejournal.com]

That same AP article (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hGsoyElv4ZL879LW6z2aZS0Pix7AD8VA14500) ran in the NYC papers this morning. Focus on the units: they found drugs in concentrations of parts per billion & parts per trillion.

I spoke to a chemist from one of our laboratories a few weeks ago about a particular analysis for mercury that is accurate to parts per trillion. He said that, in order to run that test without interference, they had to hire a chemist who had no mercury fillings in his teeth. That's how sensitive a parts per trillion assay is.

Personally, I am not concerned about drugs being detected in my drinking water at such low concentrations. I think it says more about the advanced state of our detection technology than it does about any risk to public health.

[thepikey.livejournal.com]

You shouldn't be worrying about trace amounts of drugs in your water supply - it's pretty minimal. Srsly.

Of much greater concern are the pesticides and herbicides that runoff into the water supply. There's LOTS of agriculture out there, and it has a much greater effect on your health and the environment than the unmetabolized ibuprofin people piss out.

[thepikey.livejournal.com]

Whaddya mean? The governor of NY was snorting coke off the ass of a $5000/night hooker!

(well, maybe not the coke part. but definitely seeing hookers!)

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Yeah..... it looks like we're gonna need a new governor, Pikey.

I'm kinda disappointed about this because (1) I'm afraid it will mess up the Democrats' chance to take control of the NYS Assembly in November, & (2) Spitzer had promised that if the Assembly passed a gay marriage law, he'd sign it. Don't know where his lieutenant governor stands on the issue.

Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

"Paterson generally has compiled a progressive record in public office. He’s a supporter of gay marriage and stem cell research. Julia Hurst, director of the National Lieutenant Governors Association, says that Paterson has focused on climate change and other environmental issues in working with his fellow lieutenant governors." (source (http://www.governing.com/news/0803paterson.htm))

He would be NYS' first black governor & the first legally blind governor in American history (Wikipedia knows everything (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Paterson)).

Re: Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson.

[thepikey.livejournal.com]

Nice! So not all that bad.

Re: Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

Here's a fun new wrinkle, though: (http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/03/lg_office_would_remain_vacant.html)

"If LG David Paterson becomes governor, after a Spitzer resignation or removal, then there is no provision in New York law for replacing Paterson or filling the LG vacancy until the next general election in, roughly, three years."

"So, if the Democrats gain one seat in November, the Senate will be deadlocked 31-31 and there won't be a tie-breaking vote until 2010."

Re: Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson.

[thepikey.livejournal.com]

Dohhh. (hopefully they gain, like, two seats? what's in the realm of possibility here, Ang?)

I'm just learning all kindsa shit about NY state politics today, ain't I?

Re: Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how tight the fight for control is, but I'm assuming it's pretty tight. The GOP has been the Senate majority for a long time, & this was supposed to be the year for the Dems to finally take it back.

It will certainly be interesting.

[thepikey.livejournal.com]

Yeah... why couldn't that have happened over here?
*sigh*

[aitkendrum.livejournal.com]

*hiccup* I'll tell you once I've finished this bottle

[angledge.livejournal.com]

You research slave, you.

My brother's take on the idea.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

From an IM conversation this afternoon:

[13:05] weedweasel: The plan is to keep enough whiskey in the tap water to residents don't know or care they are actually being polluted
[13:05] angledge: That would certainly be a popular plan in Scotland.
[13:05] weedweasel: no need to actually clean the pollution, just keep the peasants loaded
[13:15] angledge: Fire all the environmental scientists, hire more distillery workers.

[thepikey.livejournal.com]

I will start writing the grant proposal *immediately*

Since you're a chemist.....

[angledge.livejournal.com]

...can you weigh in on the thread started by xgreenjudasx above? THEN we'll write our grant proposal. Yes indeedy.

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

This is the job you were born to do: Drink whisky and clean shit up. It is your destiny.

[angledge.livejournal.com]

That IS the job I do! I just .... usually separate the two actions in that compound sentence into "drink whisky" & "clean shit up". I've never tried drinking & remediating.

[hermiston.livejournal.com]

Distilleries can't get enough of selling their by-products. Edradour have an agreement with coca-cola to sell excess carbon gas to their plant near Glasgow.

Good to see someone at Aberdeen University is spending their time doing something worthwhile.

[effrontery.livejournal.com]

Sweet! I love the Scots.

Of which, apparently, I'm one. ;) My cousin just sent me our genealogy, and he traced us back to Galloway in 1078!