All posts tagged: poison

Animal poison experts explains whether rapeseed is dangerous to dogs | UK | News

Animal poison experts explains whether rapeseed is dangerous to dogs | UK | News

Published by skeptic

Leading experts in animal poisons have clarified the dangers of rapeseed flowers following concerns on social media. The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), which has been collecting poison data since 1992, responded to widely shared online reports about rapeseed, a bright-yellow flower primarily grown for its oil-rich seed containing erucic acid. Social media posts claimed that it is highly toxic to dogs and can cause symptoms such as haemolytic anaemia, blindness, nervous system damage, digestive disorders, and respiratory issues. However, the VPIS labelled these claims as “misinformation”, stating that while dogs may experience gastrointestinal upset and potential skin reactions if they ingest some of the plant, the effects are not as severe as described. Nicola Robinson, Head of Service at the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, said: “At this time of year posts circulating around social media regarding rapeseed are shared extensively and understandably worry many dog owners. “The posts usually state that rapeseed is highly poisonous to dogs and can cause signs including haemolytic anaemia, blindness, damaged nervous system, digestive disorders, and breathing problems.” “These …

Dozens of bags containing antisemitic flyers and suspected rat poison discovered in Chicago

Dozens of bags containing antisemitic flyers and suspected rat poison discovered in Chicago

Published by Sam

Chicago, Illinois ” data-medium-file=”https://i3.wp.com/openthewordblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/chicago-ic-6-19-2020.jpg?w=500&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i3.wp.com/openthewordblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/chicago-ic-6-19-2020.jpg?w=500&ssl=1″ width=”500″ height=”333″ fifu-data-src=”https://i3.wp.com/openthewordblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/chicago-ic-6-19-2020.jpg?w=500&ssl=1″ alt=”Chicago, Illinois” class=”wp-image-41358″ style=”width:503px;height:auto” srcset=”https://i3.wp.com/openthewordblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/chicago-ic-6-19-2020.jpg?w=500&ssl=1 500w, https://openthewordblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/chicago-ic-6-19-2020.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://openthewordblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/chicago-ic-6-19-2020.jpg?w=768 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px”/>Chicago, Illinois Chicago police have discovered bags containing hundreds of antisemitic flyers along with a substance that some suspect is rat poison in a city neighborhood, the NY Post reports. Eighty-four ziplock bags containing the flyers and a yet-to-be-determined substance were found by residents and reported to police. According to reports, the bags were located on top of cars and on the steps of homes. This is the third case of antisemitic behavior reported in Chicago so far this year. In both February and January, Jewish hate flyers were found on top of dozens of vehicles in the city.

‘Poison portal’: US and UK could send nuclear waste to Australia under Aukus, inquiry told | Aukus

‘Poison portal’: US and UK could send nuclear waste to Australia under Aukus, inquiry told | Aukus

Published by skeptic

Australia could become a “poison portal” for international radioactive waste under the Aukus deal, a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear safety legislation has heard. New laws to establish a safety framework for Australia’s planned nuclear-powered submarines could also allow the US and UK to send waste here, while both of those countries are struggling to deal with their own waste, as no long-term, high-level waste facilities have been created. The government introduced the Australian naval nuclear power safety bill in November last year. If passed, it will establish a nuclear safety watchdog, allow for naval nuclear propulsion facilities to be created, including for storing or disposing of radioactive waste from Aukus submarines. A second bill to enable the regulator to issue licenses was introduced at the same time. Both have been referred to a Senate inquiry, which is due to report on 26 April. Dave Sweeney, the Australian Conservation Foundation’s nuclear free campaigner, said the issue of waste disposal was “highly disturbing” and that the Aukus partners could see Australia as a “a little bit of …

Utah grief author Kouri Richins also tried to poison husband with Valentine’s Day sandwich, prosecutors say

Utah grief author Kouri Richins also tried to poison husband with Valentine’s Day sandwich, prosecutors say

Published by skeptic

A Utah grief author charged with spiking her husband’s drink with a fatal dose of fentanyl faces an additional charge of attempted murder after authorities said she allegedly drugged him with a Valentine’s Day sandwich in an attempt to kill him. Kouri Richins was arrested last year on charges that included aggravated murder after authorities said she killed her husband, Eric Richins, at their home in Kamas, about 40 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, on March 4, 2022. Eric Richins, 39, was found unresponsive in the home after having a drink to celebrate his wife’s business deal. A medical examiner said he had five times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system and that it was “illicit” and not medical grade. Kouri and Eric Richins. via Facebook Charging documents filed Monday allege that was not the first time Kouri Richins slipped her husband drugs. On Valentine’s Day 2022, authorities said Eric Richins nearly died after his wife brought him a sandwich. The documents state that Eric Richins texted his wife and said he was not feeling …

How poison dart frogs ship defense toxins to their skin

How poison dart frogs ship defense toxins to their skin

Published by skeptic

amphibians: A group of animals that includes frogs, salamanders and caecilians. Amphibians have backbones and can breathe through their skin. Unlike reptiles, birds and mammals, unborn or unhatched amphibians do not develop in a special protective sac called an amniotic sac.  biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things.  cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see with the unaided eye, it consists of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made of anywhere from thousands to trillions of cells.   chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O.   chemical reaction: A process that involves the rearrangement of the molecules or structure of a substance, as opposed to a change in physical form (as from a solid to a gas).  diet: (n.) The foods and liquids …

Editorial: The rat poison bans aren’t working. Wildlife and pets are still dying

Editorial: The rat poison bans aren’t working. Wildlife and pets are still dying

Published by skeptic

For at least a decade, California has tried to restrict the use of rat poison so it stops killing all manner of creatures besides rats. So far, it hasn’t worked. When a wild animal preys upon a rat that has ingested anticoagulant rodenticide, it can end up dead or sickened by the toxin as well. The poisoning continues up the food chain from predator to predator. Mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, hawks as well as endangered species including the northern spotted owl and San Joaquin kit fox are among the wildlife that have been either killed by these rodenticides or made so ill that they can’t navigate their environment, hunt for food or dart across a road efficiently. Anticoagulant rodenticides didn’t kill P-22, the beloved Griffith Park mountain lion, but they turned up in his system a couple of times — once causing a bout of mange for which he was lucky enough to receive treatment. Several different rat poisons were found in his system after he was euthanized in 2022, including diphacinone, a first-generation …

Biden or Trump? China can’t pick its American presidential ‘poison’

Biden or Trump? China can’t pick its American presidential ‘poison’

Published by Sam

BEIJING — In the United States, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have launched presidential campaigns focused on how different they and their leadership styles are. But China sees very little contrast between the two of them. Nearly every Chinese foreign policy expert agrees that neither is a great option for Beijing. Whether these experts, when pressed, pick Trump or Biden as the better of bad options often comes down to how salvageable or dispensable they consider China’s difficult relationship with the United States. “Biden and Trump are like two bowls of poison for China,” said Zhao Minghao, a professor at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies. “No matter who comes to power, the pressure on China will continue to exist.” Relations are in a “structural and chronic depression,” he added. Beijing fears that a Trump win on Nov. 5 would result in an all-out trade war — extending the one Trump launched in his first term — and derail its efforts to put a sluggish economy back on track. But a Biden reelection, while offering …

Labour rattled by Galloway win as Sadiq Khan slams PM over racist ‘poison’ | Sadiq Khan

Labour rattled by Galloway win as Sadiq Khan slams PM over racist ‘poison’ | Sadiq Khan

Published by skeptic

Sadiq Khan has condemned Rishi Sunak for failing to call out “racist, anti-Muslim and Islamophobic” remarks by a senior Tory MP, following the prime minister’s Downing Street address in which he criticised political extremists. In a blunt response to Sunak’s unusual intervention, the London mayor said the prime minister had still not fully addressed the nature of the remarks made by former Tory vice-chair Lee Anderson, who said Islamists had “got control” of Khan and London. Khan, one of the most powerful Muslims in public life, warned that the past few weeks had seen “a concerted and growing attempt by some to degrade and humiliate minorities for political and electoral gain”. This follows another fractious week, in which George Galloway won the Rochdale byelection after a bitter contest. Following the result, the prime minister made an impromptu speech on Friday night stating that democracy was under attack and criticising voters for backing Galloway – whose pitch was focused on Gaza and heavy criticism of Israel. However, Khan said Sunak and his team had still not …

UK’s Rishi Sunak warns against ‘poison’ of extremism in rare Downing Street speech – POLITICO

UK’s Rishi Sunak warns against ‘poison’ of extremism in rare Downing Street speech – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

Sunak’s address comes after chaotic scenes in the British parliament in recent weeks, as well as the testy Rochdale by-election. A House of Commons vote calling for a cease-fire in Gaza last month descended into chaos after Speaker Lindsay Hoyle ignored long-standing precedent, citing concern for MPs’ safety. Lawmakers have faced vocal protests about the war outside constituency offices, parliament and, in some cases, their homes. Some have faced death threats. Sunak — who is battling to stay in office in the upcoming election amid dire polling for his governing Tories — warned that “long-standing parliamentary conventions have been up-ended because of safety concerns,” and warned there were now “forces here at home trying to tear us apart.” “Islamist extremists and far-right groups are spreading a poison,” he said. “That poison is extremism. It aims to drain us of our confidence in ourselves as a people and in our shared future.” ‘Let us prove these extremists wrong’ Senior members of Sunak’s government have also hit out at Pro-Palestinian protesters in recent days, although Sunak himself …

Poison frogs tap-dance to rouse prey and make them easier to catch

Poison frogs tap-dance to rouse prey and make them easier to catch

Published by skeptic

Dyeing poison frogs tap their toes the most when standing on leaves in their natural habitat Sarah Westrick Poison frogs have a curious habit of tapping their toes, and scientists may have finally uncovered why – to create vibrations that flush out unsuspecting prey. Colourful and highly toxic poison frogs dwell in warm, moist habitats, such as rainforests and swamps, in Central and South America. One common behaviour of these animals is toe tapping. Previous studies have proposed it may be linked to feeding for the yellow-striped poison frog (Dendrobates truncatus). … Source link