Sparrow study raises mercury concerns on Plum Island

Local News

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus

May 22, 2007

By Nick Pinto , Staff Writer The Salem News Tue May 22, 2007, 12:00 PM EDT

PLUM ISLAND - Biologists studying mercury contamination on Plum Island have found unusually high levels of the dangerous element in local birds, raising questions as to whether it could end up working its way higher in the food chain and threatening humans.

Oksana Lane, a research biologist at the BioDiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine, has been studying mercury levels in the blood and eggs of Saltmarsh Sharp-Tailed Sparrows at locations throughout coastal New England. The study started in 2004, but lab results that came back last month showed the highest levels of mercury yet. Read this article in full with a
Plus Edition account.Click here to learn more

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local News

Ruling: city must pay cop

The city must pay a retired police captain more than $17,000 in benefits for time he did not work following his retirement because those payments have been "past practice" in the Salem Police Department for more than 25 years, an arbitrator ruled.

Feb 9, 2012 4:50 am
'Her name is going to change things'

PEABODY — Dozens of family, friends, lawmakers and social workers came out to a candlelight vigil last night at Buckley Field to remember and honor the life of Stephanie Moulton, who was killed last year, allegedly by an ill patient at a group home in Revere where she worked.

Feb 9, 2012 4:49 am 2 Photos
Salem State lands Valentine, Cooper for Speaker Series

SALEM — For its 30th year, the Salem State Series has hit a home run.
The university announced yesterday it has signed new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine for its 2012 Speaker Series.
Better yet, it landed Hall of Fame sports journalist Peter Gammons to interview Valentine during his appearance here on Nov. 8 — right after the World Series.

Feb 9, 2012 4:48 am
Peabody squelches mulch operation

PEABODY — Peabody officials have issued a cease-and-desist order for the J. D. Raymond site on Farm Avenue, where a mulch fire on Monday spewed heavy smoke and slowed traffic on three major highways, Interstate 95 and Routes 128 and 1.

Feb 9, 2012 4:47 am 1 Photo
Rep tackles health care reform at chamber breakfast

SALEM — Health care is like an open bar, says state Rep. Steven Walsh: "Everybody's drinking but no one's paying."
The Lynn Democrat's quip drew laughs from the more than 200 people packed into the Grand Ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel for yesterday's North Shore Chamber of Commerce breakfast forum.

Feb 9, 2012 4:46 am
Peabody council to debate new health care law Feb 9, 2012 4:45 am
Town moves to solve dispatch center's space crunch Feb 9, 2012 4:44 am
Ipswich gets money for Farley Brook project Feb 9, 2012 4:43 am
School schedule changes, fees on agenda in Ipswich Feb 9, 2012 4:42 am
Teller blocks attempt to cash stolen checks Feb 9, 2012 4:41 am
police Feb 9, 2012 4:40 am
New Sox manager to speak at Salem State Feb 8, 2012 11:38 am
Keeping track of road races Feb 8, 2012 4:57 am
Ruckus over street crossing Feb 8, 2012 4:56 am 1 Photo
Vigil tonight remembers slain Peabody social worker Feb 8, 2012 4:55 am
DeFranco unabashedly liberal in Senate run Feb 8, 2012 4:54 am 1 Photo
Alternative school settles in at new home at the Gables Feb 8, 2012 4:53 am
High school to keep interim principal another year Feb 8, 2012 4:52 am 1 Photo
Driver undone by vanity plate Feb 8, 2012 4:51 am
Danvers, SSU win grants for water protection Feb 8, 2012 4:50 am
Boxford woman scratches Monopoly ticket for $1M Feb 8, 2012 4:49 am
Gunshot victim has no answers Feb 8, 2012 4:48 am
Clarification Feb 8, 2012 4:47 am
police Feb 8, 2012 4:46 am
St. John the Baptist School honor roll Feb 8, 2012 4:29 am
Romney leads area in funds Feb 7, 2012 4:59 am
Blaze likely caused by spontaneous combustion Feb 7, 2012 4:56 am 1 Photo
Police identify crash victim Feb 7, 2012 4:54 am
Scanlon to focus on repair projects Updated Feb 7, 2012 6:35 am 1 Link
Court settlement with Salem power plant ends city's coal era Feb 7, 2012 4:50 am

Click here for more Local News stories

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Sparrow study raises mercury concerns on Plum Island

Site Map

Reader Access