November 14, 2003

Frogs, fish and pharmaceuticals a troubling brew
Prozac, other drugs detected in streams and their inhabitants

(CNN) -- A number of aquatic and amphibian species are being exposed to small amounts of everything from Prozac to perfume to birth control pills that make their way into U.S. rivers and streams.

And scientists now have evidence that this "cocktail" of pharmaceuticals, in high enough quantities, can lead to problems that may be serious enough to prevent wildlife from reproducing. It's not yet clear how the buildup over time could affect the species.

October 29, 2003

Antidepressants delay fish, frog development
Researchers find Prozac slows fish growth and frog metamorphosis

Researchers at the University of Georgia have found that low-level exposure to a common class of antidepressants found in streams and ponds delays both development in fish and metamorphosis in frogs.

September 19, 2003

How does air pollution affect unborn babies?
Scientist goes to developing country to answer an important health question.

A pregnant woman walks down the street of a large city. She doesn't know it, but the air she's breathing could be hurting her unborn baby.

A University of Georgia scientist, Dr. Luke Naeher, wants to know how air pollution affects unborn babies. He believes some answers are in Peru. Peruvian cities have higher levels of air pollution than most U.S. cities. Standards and regulations there on vehicle emissions, the leading cause of air pollution, are weakly enforced and 30 years behind those in the United States.

August 26, 2003

UGA professor joins minority Ph.D. network
Environmental health researcher to recruit Sloan Scholars
 
Minority students who want to pursue graduate work with a cutting-edge researcher will want to take a good look at Mary Alice Smith, a University of Georgia environmental health science professor.

Smith was recently made a member of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Minority Ph.D. network. As a member, she can recruit minority students to become Sloan Scholars under her direction.

The Sloan Foundation Ph.D. Program offers $30,000 scholarships to minority students starting their doctoral work in engineering, natural science or mathematics. The Sloan Ph.D. network is composed of faculty members and departments from 49 participating universities that recruit students for the scholarships.

July 28, 2003

Scientists check coral for human waste clues
Researcher studies human fecal contamination of water around Florida Keys

How extensive is fecal contamination of water surrounding the Florida Keys and how harmful is it to humans and the environment? These are questions troubling both University of Georgia scientists and residents of the string of more than 1,800 tropical islands arcing off the southern tip of Florida.

July 17, 2003

Scientists study link between weather, Salmonella
Connection between heavy rains and pathogens in watersheds examined

If Salmonella were a good thing, Georgia would have bragging rights. The number of cases reported in the state is much higher than the national average.

Areas in South Georgia have an unusually high number of cases. And often public health officials haven't found a foodborne source.

"If it's not coming from food, then chances are the source is water," said Erin Lipp, a University of Georgia environmental microbiologist.

Lipp is the lead scientist in a group studying whether waterborne bacteria levels, specifically Salmonella and Campylobacter, rise in Georgia watersheds during periods of heavy rain.