Going With the Flow
It was finally summer vacation, and Joe was excited about his first
quiet afternoon of fishing at his good friend Steve's favorite fishing
spot. Joe promised to bring home enough fish for dinner, so he was
ready to catch his limit for the day.
Looking over his shoulder as he cast his line in the water, Joe
noticed a disturbing sign posted behind him.
WARNING: Elevated levels of dioxin have been found in fish living
in this section of the river. To minimize health risks, avoid eating
fish caught from this section more often than once per month.
Joe wondered why this sign was posted there and about this chemical
mentioned in the sign. Just then, the game warden drove up in her
truck. She introduced herself, checked Joe’s fishing license,
and asked if he had any questions.
 
Dioxin from the paper mill entered the river
and ended up in the sediment |
Fish eating near the bottom of the river
can contain dioxin in their bodies |
 
People can be exposed to dioxin
by eating the contaminated fish |
Joe asked her about the sign and about eating fish from the river.
The warden explained, “The state health department posted
that warning to fishermen. Up until 1995, there was a paper mill
just upstream from where we are right now. The mill emptied its
wastewater into the river, and the wastewater contained low levels
of dioxin, an organic compound that is both natural and manmade.
At the time, it was not illegal or unusual for this to happen.”
“Current laws and better industrial processes have led to
significant reduction of dioxin release from pulp and paper mills.
But even though the mill no longer exists, there is still dioxin
in the river. Dioxin sticks to sediment in the bottom of the river
and takes a very long time to break down. Fish living in rivers
that contain dioxin can build up the chemical in their bodies by
eating plants and other food on the bottom of the river.”
Joe was very interested in knowing more about dioxin and how it
might harm his health. When he asked the warden if she knew where
he could learn more information, she replied, “You're in luck!
Dr. Nancy Kerkvliet at Oregon State University has done research
on dioxin for many years. She is an expert on the effects of dioxin
on the immune system. She can tell you about her research and give
you a tour of her lab.”
Joe wanted to learn more about dioxin and the immune system and
decided to visit Dr. Kerkvliet and her lab.
Your Task
Dr. Kerkvliet could use your help. Her research team has been
doing an experiment to test the effect of dioxin on the immune system
of mice and could use an extra hand in the lab. Before we get started,
let's learn more about dioxin
and our immune system.
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