Vieques Island is an island-municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeast Caribbean Sea. The island can be found about eight miles east to Puerto Rican mainland, measuring about 20 miles long and 4.6 miles wide. 1 The Vieques population is around 14,000 (2013). Internationally, the island is known as a site for a series of protest against the United States Navy’s use of the island as a bombing range and testing ground with highly toxic substances. Today, Vieques is a wild life refuge that homes beaches that are commonly listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean. With azure-colored waters and white sand beaches, Vieques is a beautiful paradise with a treacherous history .Located in the island was the Vieques, Puerto Rico Naval Training Range, …show more content…
The Navy’s testing included napalm, a mixture of a gelling agent and petroleum or a similar fuel for use as an incendiary device; and depleted uranium, a radioactive strain of uranium with a lower content of a fissile isotope U-235, substances which the Navy originally denied using. In 1999, the Navy admitted that it tested 14 napalm bombs on Vieques in 1993 and that depleted uranium (DU) tipped ammunition was first testing in Vieques 1980. Between 300 and 800 DU weapons were tested during the Gulf War. Because of high temperatures, uranium is released in a radioactive cloud. A single particle of DU can be lodged in the human lung, where it will give off eight hundred times the radiation considered safe by US regulations. 3 DU exposure includes: reactive airway disease, neurological abnormalities, kidney stones, chronic kidney pain, rashes, vision degeneration, leukemia, lymphoma, birth defects, and gastrointestinal …show more content…
The study compared the crab tissue of Vieques crabs and Puerto Rican mainland crabs. Fiddler crabs collected in the firing range contained significantly higher concentrations of copper, zinc, nickle, cobalt, and cadmium. The crabs were found to have up to 20 times the normal levels of cadmium and cobalt, both carcinogenic metals, which means exposure, increases the risk of getting several cancers. Both birds and humans eat crabs. Human ingestion of cadmium, which isn’t easily digestible, may cause hypertension or nausea. Prior to 1979, cancer, birth defects, and mortality rates were lower in Vieques than in the mainland. From 1985-86 the incident ratios for Vieques exceeded alert levels, surveillance done by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. From 1990-1995, the likely hood of giving birth to underweight babies is 65.3% more than on the mainland. In 1997, the mortality rate was 47% greater than the mainland’s mortality rate. In April 2001, the Navy transferred 8,100 acres on the western side of Vieques Island to the Municipality of Vieques, which served as an ammunition storage and disposal facility, after it was cleaned up.4 In April 2003, the Navy transferred 14,669 acres on the eastern side of the island to the Department of the Interior, clean up on this side of the island is done but still under
Only three wolves now remain on Michigan’s Isle Royale, down from nine wolves last year, Michigan Technological University reported. This means that one of the most studied wolf packs in the world are in serious danger of extinction. Wolves on Isle Royale in Michigan have fluctuated over the past 50 years going from 11 wolves all the way to 50 in 1980. But now the wolves are at an all time low at only 3 wolves. Isle Royale is a natural habitat that should not be managed by man. Nature should be allowed to take its course, even if it means the loss of the population of wolves of Isle Royale in Michigan.
This summer was full of tons of fun activities and places! I went to Tennessee, Mackinac Island, the lake, and went camping. I also did other things like shopping, the fair, the movies, and cheer camp! Something very big that happened this summer is that I became a big sister! Even though becoming a big sister is very memorable, my favorite part of summer was going Mackinac Island and I have so many great memories there that I can’t wait to tell you about!
Right in the middle of the Detroit River is Belle Isle, an oasis of family-friendly activities. As part of the city of Detroit, Belle Isle is officially the largest city island park in the U.S. With 987 acres of things to do, the little island paradise could keep your family busy for days. It's a safe bet that your group will enjoy any of these Belle Isle treasures:
Located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River and surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, Quebec City is considered by many to be the most "European" city in North America. Dating back to 1608, Quebec's cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and French-speaking population will leave you wondering whether you really are still inside Canada! In many ways, it's like a country of its own.
Although there are many marine mammals, one of the smallest of all is also one of the most uncommon animals. The vaquita porpoise is highly endangered for many reasons. . There are approximately thirty vaquitas remaining in the ocean today. The vaquita porpoise is a very fascinating animal in a numerous amount of ways (“Vaquita, the World’s Most Endangered Marine Mammal”).
So I`ve finally left Quebec and I am currently in Scottsdale, Arizona. However, I felt I needed to do one more article on Quebec that covers some of the amazing places you need to go and checkout outside of the city. One of the best ways to check out the countryside is to rent a car or take a tour. Renting a car is nice because it gives you the choice to decide where you want to go and how long you want to be somewhere. The road signs in written in French can be intimidating for some though, especially without someone helping you navigate. We opted for a tour because we liked the structure and didn`t have to worry about getting lost. So without further ado let's jump in!
Rock island is a nature park up in door county right next to Washington island.People go to take pictures and have fun and just to relax.It is a very calming place.The man that owns it is very kind and accualy we are family friends with him. Unfortunately he is in the hospital right now though. Rock island is a sacred place, It even has its own graveyard for the people who owned the island first there was a whole family but the two daughters died when they were very very young.Rock island has trails all around the island and one from by were the old japanese garden was, next to the old house, There is a trail that leads to the lighthouse. by the outhouse to the lighthouse there is a trail that leads to “the windows”. The windows are by the
As I mentioned, the only places outside the United States I have traveled are Caribbean islands. I, As a result, I have seen the quality of engineering in these places. Whether it comes from a lack of funding, skill, or knowledge these places are in desperate need of strong engineering; especially now. Recent hurricanes have unfortunately caused widespread destruction, displacement, injury, and death. It was hard for me to put these disasters into perspective. On TV, I see spots that I have taken family pictures, and places I ate lunch in ruin. My girlfriend’s family lives in Puerto Rico and they were unable to contact any of their family members for days after Hurricane Maria hit. So, if given the chance, I would love to go to these Caribbean
When uranium enters our body through inhalation, the uranium has the ability to dissolve within the lungs, which can lead the uranium to be transported by the blood to other parts of the body such as the spleen, brain, kidney, and other organs. Uranium can remain within the kidney and brain for a significant amount of time because of its high concentration, while remaining for a shorter period of time within the plasma. A previous study on the action of salt has lead researchers to discover that sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate can lessen the toxicity of uranium. Citric acid and citrate salts have the ability to protect the body from uranium toxicity with possible side effects such as diarrhea and nausea. While researchers have tried to develop different methods to reduce or remove uranium toxicity, not all chelating compounds can treat uranium effects [3]. These researchers have found that some metals have many biological functions in contrast to uranium which has limited biological activity. Considering that many researches focus on the biological aspect to find ways to remove heavy metals such as uranium, this has led to the detection of the uranyl species and treatment of radioactive waste. Because of this few bacteria have the ability to reduce the oxidation state of uranium in salts such as soluble +6 oxidation to
Depleted Uranium is a significant problem that is harming innocent people. People who are living in heavily militarized areas are getting the worst of it. The people living in the city of Fallujah are trying simply wanting to live and the use of DU as a conventional war weapon is destructive by killing people, or compromising their health. It makes it difficult to go to work when a person develops cancer and is too tired and sick to get out of bed. For a women to be pregnant and after giving birth realizes her baby has serious deformities is heartbreaking. Fallujah is one example of a population severely affected by the use of depleted uranium. Furthermore, the lack of information and unwillingness by the United States government to recognize
In a sample of 200 fish from the Madre de Dios River near mining operations, 56% of the fish had mercury levels which exceeded the World Health Organization’s acceptable guidelines by 0.5 mg kg-1 subsequently posing a health hazard to local communities (Diringer et al., 2015).
During this six-month high season, the temperatures are milder, averaging between eighty-one and eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, there are fewer storms, and the humidity decreases. But during this high season tourism peaks at roughly three times what you’ll find the other half of the year when the sun does shine but may disappear for days at a time. Also during the off-season, the average temperature increases to around eighty-six degrees and the humidity increases as well. Generally speaking though, Tahiti enjoys beautiful, mild weather for most of the
Depleted uranium is used for military purposes because of its incredible density (HPS, 2010, p.1). The material is harder than steel and serves as an excellent armor piercing round. The material is not used for its radiation producing properties or to poison the target. It has been used around the world for military purposes since before the 1980s. Health risks to soldiers using the depleted uranium ammunitions are considered low because the round produces very low radiation which is not in excess of acceptable levels (HPS, 2010, p.2). However depleted uranium can be dangerous in two ways: if it is embedded in the body or material near the impact site is inhaled. Both ways require that the material enter the body. This means that residual radiation put off by an RDD explosion using depleted uranium would not be an issue, just the debris and dust created by the explosion. If a person inhales the dust or gets a piece of the depleted uranium lodged under the skin the radiation produced will, over time, lead to significant health effects, most
The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the 15 century, when Portuguese explorers discovered and colonized the islands, establishing the first European tropical settlement. Ideally located for the atlantic slave trade, the islands grew prosperous throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, and it attracted, merchants privateers and pirates. the end of slavery in the 19 century led to the economic decline and emigration. Cape verde gradually recovered as an important commercial center and stop over and shipping routes. Incorporated as an overseas department of Portugal in 1951, the island continued to agitate for independence,
There is a vast amount of literature which indicates that the mineral nutrition has an important role in the toxicity of metals (Pond and Walker, 1972, 1975; Larson and Piscator, 1971; Petering et al., 1971, 1974; 1977; Hamilton and Valberg, 1974; Doyle and Pfander, 1975; Hastings et al., 1976; Waldron and Stofen, 1974). It is true, especially to those micronutrients which are essential such as zinc, copper, iron with respect to toxicity of certain metals like cadmium, arsenic, lead etc. It is assumed that the dietary intake of metals in excessive such as copper, iron and zinc will be protective against the toxic effects of the heavy metals like lead. The deficiency of calcium and other essential elements result in the enhanced toxicity of lead and cadmium [ref]. There had been difficulty in evaluating the role of essential nutrients like zinc, iron, copper etc on the toxicity of heavy metals, perhaps due to differences in the animal models choosen, the route of administration and other metabolic and physiological differences which leads to variable results between studies.