Bird Deaths Continue

Mass Seagull Deaths along the Kwinana Industrial Strip continued today with reports that around 34 more silver gulls were found dead. Bringing the total bird deaths in the area to around 200.

Pollution has been highlighted as the likely source of the problem. See the latest media report and yesterday's reports on Perthnow, in the West and the Australian.

The Health Department has not yet become involved because the cause of deaths is still unknown the risk to public health is unknown.

As was found in Esperance surely these birds are our first warning sign?

Having done a bit of lab work, I am at a loss to explain why the authorities are claiming that it could be 2 weeks before results are available. Maybe someone can enlighten me why it takes so long to do tests for known pollutants?

It seems all we can do is wait for the results to come back - it has been suggested by some that we may also then have to wait for the Government to consult those responsible and come up with a PR plan, I would hope this is not the case.

So again let's wait and see and in the mean time hope that communities aren't also being poisoned.

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Update: Thanks to Dave for reminding me of the In My Community link for good coverage of the story here.

Tonight’s Best of the Worst

Tiwest are in fine form again tonight with two visible out of the ordinary plumes, one from the emergency stack around 7pm - suspected Titanium Tetrachloride and the biggest from the finishing building stack suspected Titanium Dioxide (Ti02) which has been listed as an IARC-2B carcinogen.

Emissions like this from Tiwest have become an all to common occurrence of late, so what is actually going on at Tiwest?

Runners up:–

BP for its highly visible particulate plume from the cat cracker stack – what happened to the filter that BP won the awards for?

Wesfarmers CSBP for its highly visible ammonium nitrate plume that has become the norm but never should have done had our so called protectors not continued to ignore our concerns.

All this from our "Green and Clean" Kwinana Industry.

Mystery of mass seagull deaths along Kwinana Industrial Strip

It gives some of us a sick feeling when we hear of the mass silver gull deaths, could this turn into another Esperance? Let’s hope not!

More coverage tonight on channel 9 and 10 news.

As this story shows, since Staurday over 140 seagulls have been found dead around the Woodmans Point area from adjacent to Cockburn Cement's shell sand washing facility to the Ship Building yards.

The DEC seem to have responded quickly and efficiently, however the deaths of the birds at this time remains a mystery. The birds that have been analysed so far have had empty stomach’s likely to indicate a strong poison a day or so before they died and they have not been able to eat since.

No other reports of for example fish deaths have been heard.

People will now be even more nervous about Lead previously shipped through Esperance coming through Fremantle and eventually the new Kwinana port.

For now we have to keep an open mind on this and just wait for the DEC's analytical results to determine the cause of deaths.

So let's wait and see. Hopefully we will learn more soon.

Micro materials could pose major health risks

Further concern has been expressed over the potential dangers posed by the rapidly expanding number of products containing nanomaterials.

The warning comes from the Council of Canadian Academies in one of the most authoritative reports to date about the risks of engineered nanomaterials, which companies are adding to products ranging from sunscreens to diesel fuels.

The Council cautions that the tiny substances might be able to penetrate cells and interfere with biological processes. The Council, which was asked by Health Canada and several other federal agencies to study the state of knowledge about nanomaterials and the regulatory changes needed to oversee their use, concluded that "there is inadequate data to inform quantitative risk assessments on current and emerging nanomaterials." Their small size, the report says, may allow them "to usurp traditional biological protective mechanisms" and, as a result, possibly have "enhanced toxicological effects."

Report from Globe and mail
Council of Canadian Academies
PDF - The potential risks of nanomaterials

Thanks to NTN