Sabar, Ariel,

A Military Base's Last Line of Toxic Defense: Bluegills. Ariel Sabar. - Baltimore Sun, 2003. - SIRS Enduring Issues 2004. Article 41, Environment, 1522-3205; .

Articles Contained in SIRS Enduring Issues 2004. Originally Published: A Military Base's Last Line of Toxic Defense: Bluegills, Jan. 20, 2003; pp. n.p..

"In a small laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, eight bluegills put their tails on the line every day in the name of clean water. The fish swim in tanks of treated water piped from beneath the Army base's most toxic dump, a melange of decaying chemical warfare agents such as napalm, cyanide and sarin. If electrodes pasted to the tanks detect an unusual wriggle or cough, a computer alerts engineers that toxins may be getting past a multimillion-dollar water treatment system. Enough sick fish, and the engineers investigate. Enough dead fish, and they shut off the discharge into the Gunpowder River. This is how quality control works at the filthiest dump on one of the nation's most polluted military bases." (BALTIMORE SUN) This article presents the challenges of ridding Maryland's Aberdeen military base of toxins.

1522-3205;


United States Army


Chemical weapons
Groundwater pollution
Hazardous waste site remediation
Hazardous wastes
Military bases--Environmental aspects
Military weapons
Water--Purification
Water quality management


Aberdeen Proving Ground (Md.)
United States--Armed Forces--Environmental aspects

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