The Indiana Business Journal reports that proteins from genetically modified crops are showing up in Indiana waterways.

The Indiana Business Journal reports that proteins from genetically modified crops are showing up in Indiana waterways.

According to the Journal, the University of Notre Dame and Loyola University looked at 217 streams, drains and ditches near Indiana cornfields and found genetically modified (GM) bug-killing protein in 50 of them.

The protein is in genetically modified corn and other crops that are engineered to produce their own pesticide when insects bite them. But when farmers mow the fields, the residue remains from the crushed plants – and it's finding its way to the waterways.

"The protein is carried to surface water by runoff and by the leaves and stalks that sometimes wash into streams," the Journal said. "And the protein lingers. The study was conducted six months after harvest."

The paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says it is not known whether the trace levels of the protein are a threat to invertebrates in the water.

But either way – it's still poison, and it's a poison that was in 85 percent of the U.S. corn crop last year.

Sources:

Indianapolis Business Journal September 29, 2010
USAToday.com September 28, 2010
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 27, 2010

The Research on Bt Toxin is Very Clear ……

And this is not a substance you want in your food or waterways. Jeffrey Smith, a leading spokesperson on the health dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods, has written extensively about Bt toxin, and explains firsthand what the research shows:

"Mice fed natural Bt-toxin showed significant immune responses and caused them to become sensitive to other formerly harmless compounds. This suggests that Bt-toxin might make a person allergic to a wide range of substances.

Farm workers and others have also had reactions to natural Bt-toxin, and authorities acknowledge that "People with compromised immune systems or preexisting allergies may be particularly susceptible to the effects of Bt."

In fact, when natural Bt was sprayed over areas around Vancouver and Washington State to fight gypsy moths, about 500 people reported reactions—mostly allergy or flu-like symptoms. Six people had to go to the emergency room."

Please see:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/25/doctors-warn-avoid-genetically-modified-food.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/17/everything-you-have-to-know-about-dangerous-genetically-modified-foods.aspx