Radioactivity spreads over Europe

No one can figure out where the radioactive Iodine-131 comes from. Wikipedia says:

It has a radioactive decay half-life of about eight days. It is associated with nuclear energy, medical diagnostic and treatment procedures, and natural gas production. It also plays a major role as a radioactive isotope present in nuclear fission products, and was a significant contributor to the health hazards from open-air atomic bomb testing in the 1950s, and from the Chernobyl disaster, as well as being a large fraction of the contamination hazard in the first weeks in the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

It was first found near the Norway Russia border in January 2017. Perhaps there is a nuclear site near there. It also appeared in Finland, Poland, Czechia (Czech Republic), Germany, France and Spain but details of the problem were only release recently.


Source
ScienceAlert.

EPA to reevaluate Neonics, as possibly responsible for bee deaths around the US

1/16/2017

EPA documents say that the EPA will reevaluate neonicotinoids as they are possibly responsible bee devastation around the US. Assessments to be finished in 2018.

On Jan 12, 2017, the EPA released its preliminary pollinator-only risk assessments for the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin (Poncho), thiamethoxam (Cruiser), and dinotefuran, a preliminary aquatic risk assessment for imidacloprid (Gaucho). The risk assessment plan is open to public comment until about Mar 12, 2017. The actual risk assessments wil be released in mid-2018.


Source
DTNPF.
EPA risk assessment for neonics. This is just a timeline that shows they are reassessing several pesticides. Alt link.
Comment on the EPA's risk assessment plan here.

DIY Magnesium, graphite, and salt water battery

Here's a Youtube video about making a DIY battery from magnesium, graphite, and salt water as the electrolyte.

1. I got magnesium ribbon from Ebay. 
2. Graphite is what's in most US pencils these days, it's not actually lead, the metal. So carefully cut away the wood from a pencil, and you are left with a graphite core. 
3. Any saltwater solution can be made. You can start with a weak one: 100ml water, 1tsp salt. Take a voltage reading with a multimeter. 
4. Add another 1tsp of salt and stir well. Take another voltage reading. 

• How good is this battery compared to other DIY batteries in this series? 
• What if you change the electrolyte to vinegar? Lemon juice? Soda? Do the volts go up or down?

DIY penny and nickel battery

This battery is made from some US pennies, and nickels. It also uses a saltwater electrolyte.

Source
Instructables.

Meijer cheese recalled

Meijer brand colby and colby jack cheese has been recalled. Contamination by listeria was suspected but there have been no known illnesses reported.

The product has deli packaging with  labels that begin with the UPCs 215927xxxxxx or 215938xxxxx.

Source
US Food Safety.

Canadian test: gluten free foods have high levels of glyphosate

The (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) tested 7600 foods for presence of Glyphosate and AMPA (a glyphosate metabolite). Some of the foods with the highest levels of this poison are: chickpeas, wheat, gluten free foods, lentils. 


Source
Tonu.org.

More DIY battery links

Looking for more fun to make your own batteries at home? Here are some more links.

DIY battery from Scitoys.com. Uses copper and zinc in an acid electrolyte.

India: spinach from Hyderabad contains pesticides

Spinach can be good for you, if it doesn't contain pesticides.

A survey by some research scholars of Jayashankar Agricultural University revealed this startling reality after testing the samples secured from Rythu bazaars in Mehdipatnam, Gudimalkapur and Shamshabad. The survey found that the leaf vegetable contains 11 types of pesticides, including five commonly used, like chlorpyrifos, triazophos, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and profenofos, Dr Narasimha Reddy, a scientist of Pesticide Action Networks India told The Hans India. He said the pesticides were found to have been sprinkled on the leaves of the vegetable to prolong its longevity post-harvest, after cutting.

Pesticides are in more foods than you think, which is why it's time to have a portable pesticide detector for consumers to check all food. Not all organic food is pesticide- or gmo-free.

Source
Freshplaza.

DIY aluminum air battery

This aluminum air battery is made from aluminum foil, and activated charcoal, with a paper towel between them soaked in an electrolyte.

Terms:

• Cathode: the negative terminal
• Anode: the positive terminal

To test the battery, follow the directions from the site. Then take a multimeter and put the negative (-, black) probe on the charcoal, and the positive end (+, red) on the aluminum foil.

1. How many volts does it produce? 
2. How many amps? 
3. What happens if you crush the charcoal into a powder? Do volts or amps increase? 

Source
Exploratorium.

DIY penny battery

This DIY penny battery needs some US pennies with a zinc core (after 1982) and some cardboard soaked in an electrolyte.

When making the cardboard pieces, make sure they do not touch any other cardboard pieces. This will cause a short and the battery will not work.

From Exploratorium.edu.