Pits and Starts

Organisms living in toxic waste pit may help fight cancer

Posted at 3:05 PM on 09 Oct 2007

Montana's Berkeley Pit, containing 40 billion gallons of poisonous copper-mine runoff including arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, and zinc, has two claims to fame. One, it once killed a flock of hundreds of geese the moment they touched down on its surface. Two, the 40-billion-gallon pit houses 142 organisms -- some of which have shown success in killing breast and ovarian cancer cells. Remind us of this the next time we get all Debbie Downer on toxic waste.

source: The New York Times

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	Read more about: Montana \| news \| scientific research \| toxics \| all of these topics Tools: print \| email \| write to the editor \| subscribe \| RSS Share: digg \| hugg \| stumbleupon \| reddit \| newsvine \| fark \| facebook Bookmark: del.icio.us \| google \| yahoo Pits and Starts Organisms living in toxic waste pit may help fight cancer Posted at 3:05 PM on 09 Oct 2007 Montana's Berkeley Pit, containing 40 billion gallons of poisonous copper-mine runoff including arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, and zinc, has two claims to fame. One, it once killed a flock of hundreds of geese the moment they touched down on its surface. Two, the 40-billion-gallon pit houses 142 organisms -- some of which have shown success in killing breast and ovarian cancer cells. Remind us of this the next time we get all Debbie Downer on toxic waste. source: The New York Times ADVERTISING POLICY < Previous \| Next > Comments: There are no comments. Be the first to post! You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five. Username: Password: Forgot your password? Enter your username and click: The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?	Also in Grist Be Cool Is it better to use AC or fans? Umbra advises. Take a Page Out of My Book What the leaders of the green movement are reading. Good Home Cooking A bean soup recipe, and how one author coped with a finicky family. Cover the Waterfront A list of green books you can actually read at the beach. The Week's Most Popular Viewed Commented Emailed Ask Umbra on fans versus AC 15 green books you can actually read at the beach An interview with author James Howard Kunstler Ask Umbra on exerting yourself in traffic Only if you flagrantly cherry pick More than half of today's electricity, more than 16 percent of today's energy Lester Brown unveils plan for 80 percent cuts by 2020 McCain just not that into Amtrak BLM reverses stance on solar-project moratorium 15 green books you can actually read at the beach Chemical in flat-screen TVs is worsening climate change How the organic movement can regain its relevance Ask Umbra on fans versus AC An interview with author James Howard Kunstler From the Archives What a Revelation. Publisher will produce first eco-friendly Bible. One Tin Solder. Electronics makers lament E.U. phaseout of lead. The Procter Is In. Big-biz coalition will pressure suppliers to report emissions. News Archives