SALT LAKE CITY — Scientists have revealed a surprising discovery made at the bottom of the Great Salt Lake that could affect the health of many Utahns.
The sheer volume of neurotoxin samples taken from the dried-up lake floor shocked scientists who had been studying it for years.
“There was a very loud signal in the air sample, one of the largest I’ve ever seen, and it was very worrying,” said Sandra Banack, a senior researcher at the Brain Chemistry Institute. the doctor said.
Banack said toxins in non-human primates can cause the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. She and her colleagues are concerned about what the exposed lakebed could mean when the wind picks up toxins and people breathe them in.
“What we don’t want to see is an increased risk of ALS among residents here on the Wasatch Front,” explained Dr. Paul Alan Cox, executive director of the Brain Chemistry Institute.
Studies show a possible increase, but it’s difficult to prove.
“We’re talking about a disease that can take 10 to 20 years to develop. You can’t just say, ‘Yes, that’s the cause,'” says a senior at the Institute for Brain Chemistry. said researcher Dr. James Metcalfe.
This study only tells scientists that more research is needed.
“And that may give us a link as to which people are vulnerable to the effects of this toxin and whether it contributes to increased rates of disease and ultimately protects people.” “We can’t do that,” Metcalfe said.
But what worries scientists is the unknown risks residents of the Wasatch Front continue to take while breathing air.
“As scientists, we feel strongly that every effort should be made to refuel the Great Salt Lake, raise its water level, and keep dust from being blown away from the dry lake bed.” said Cox.
Utah political leaders and state officials tasked with helping the Great Salt Lake expressed concerns in interviews with FOX 13 News.
What can you do to protect yourself from the risks already proven and the potential for more risks identified in this study?
“Research alone cannot create change,” explains O2 Utah Policy Director Eliza Cowie.
Cowie encourages people to pay attention, read up on the issues and be there when decisions that affect the lake and the state’s air quality are made at the Utah State Capitol.
“It’s really important to engage people to gather that information and create policy solutions. We can’t just rely on researchers and scientists to save us,” she said. We need to leverage information to create unique outcomes. ”
