BioLargo, Inc.

Cargill Ground Turkey Recall is Third Largest in History- Highlights Industry Struggle with Salmonella & Another BioLargo Opportunity

2012-01-30T20:34:00.001-08:00

FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS

Salmonella Outbreak Was Costly Quarter for Cargill

BY NEWS DESK | JAN 18, 2012

Minneapolis-based Cargill is out with an earnings report showing the recall of 18,000 tons of ground turkey and the associated plant closure coincides with one of its "weakest quarters" ever for its meat business.

Cargill said it earned $100 million from continuing operations for the fiscal 2012 quarter ended Nov. 30, 2011 but it represents an 88 percent decrease from the $832 million earned during the same period a year earlier.

During the costly quarter, Cargill initiated the recall on Aug. 3 of ground turkey associated with a nationwide outbreak of drug resistant Salmonella Heidelberg. It also shut down its ground turkey plant at Springdale, AR.. It did not reopen until Dec. 19.

Cargill revenue during the quarter was up 17 percent, reaching $33.3 billion, up from 28.5 billion a year earlier.

"The second quarter was significantly below expectations, especially in contrast to last year when we posted our strongest quarter ever," said Greg Page, Cargill chairman and chief executive officer.

Page blames commodity and financial markets, the company's poor performance in the sugar market, and one-time costs along with the weak meat business for the earnings decline.

The quarter obviously was not a good one either for the 136 people from 34 states infected with the drug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg after eating ground turkey. One person died. The illnesses were contracted between July 29 and Aug. 3.

The Cargill ground turkey recall was the third largest meat recall in U.S. history.

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Feed the Plants Iodine Water-Method tackles IDD in China via Fertilization and Irrigation ("Fertigation")- Points to BioLargo Role with Isan System

2012-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

"Feed Plants Iodine Water - Sometimes the best ideas are the most simple ones" Dennis Calvert- BioLargo, Inc

BioLargo's Isan system has been honored as a Top 50 Water Technology by the Artemis Project and has been referred to as one of the most significant advancements in food safety in the past 20 years for its ability to deliver traceable and reliable results for sanitizing fruits and vegetables in a post harvest wash application. It also has been successfully deployed to sanitize water used in irrigation and hydroponics. It has been commercialized over the past seven years in Australia and New Zealand. The Isan System provides automated and precision dosing and tracking (traceability) for iodine into water. It even has the ability to remove the iodine for certain industrial applications where needed. The basic idea is so simple, as evidenced by this article below the concept of "Feed the Plant Iodine Water" - Fertilizer, Disinfection and Nutrition all in one all natural and essential nutrient delivered in an automated precise way. The simple idea using this natural element -Iodine - to deliver safer food, promote longer shelf-life, for growing healthier plants, using cleaner water and all the while, delivering better nutrition. Well.. that's why we call it "Nature's Best Solution". This article below illustrates another great example of the opportunity ahead for BioLargo as we march forward to help people, the environment and develop sustainable business. It is important? You bet it is, a report by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, as reported by the International Fertilizer Industry Association, states that eliminating micronutrient deficiencies could improve GDP by more than 5%, enhance intellectual capacity of populations by more than 10%, enhance worker productivity by 30 to 70% and reduce maternal deaths by up to 50%(abstract here). Our goal at BioLargo is to improve the quality of life for people worldwide. It is a big world, we better get busy!

This is a great article and we hope you enjoy it.

Dennis Calvert- President & CEO of BioLargo, Inc.

FarmingFirst.org

Link Here

Fighting Iodine Deficiencies in China through Fertilizer and Irrigation

Posted on February 3, 2011

Iodine is an essential micronutrient to sustain human and animal health, yet it is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies in malnutrition. Globally it is estimated that 2.2 billion people in the world are at a risk of iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiencies can cause a wide range of physiological abnormalities (Iodine Deficiency Disorders), mainly related to defective mental development and brain damage.

The content of iodine in food depends on the iodine content of the soils in which crops are grown. In the Western diet, the most common source of iodine is iodized salt however, in certain countries, iodization of salt is inefficient due to infrastructure or cultural problems. Moreover, iodized salt does not reach the root cause of iodine deficiency. People at risk from iodine deficiency are often the poorest populations living on subsistence agriculture and in an environment that is unable to provide the correct mineral balance.

In Xinjiang Province, in the North West of China, the soil is particularly poor in iodine with an associated high infant-mortality rate. In 1997, the Xinjiang Uiger Autonomous Region Health Bureau, with the support of the Thrasher Foundation, the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr Foundation, Kiwanis International and UNICEF, launched the Iodine Dripping Project (XIDP). This project aimed at supplying the water irrigation system with iodine using an iodine fertilizer dripping technique, called fertigation. With this technique, the iodine from the treated water is absorbed by the soil and progresses through plants and animals that eat the iodine-rich plants. At the top of the food chain, people eat these iodine–rich foods therefore increasing their iodine levels.

The iodine fertilizer dripping project has revealed unprecedented results. Not only did the iodine levels in women and children rose, halving the rates of infant mortality and improving children’s intelligence quotient, but also local livestock production increased by 40% in the first year. The livestock production increase contributed to raise the average family income by 5% annually.

The iodine dripping project in Xinjiang has also revealed that a single dripping can provide enough iodine for at least six years.

This experience demonstrates that micronutrient fertilizers can provide an efficient and cost-effective solution to malnutrition while improving the social and economical conditions of people in developing countries.

** The photo's below were taken at farms that use the Isan System for Fertigation & Post Harvest Sanitation-

Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD)- Water Under the Bridge Article from Harvard Medicine (2004)- Points to BioLargo Opportunity

2012-01-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Water Under the Bridge
A neurologist turns to hydrology, agronomy, and veterinary medicine to tackle the world’s most preventable cause of mental retardation.
by GORDON WORLEY

Link Here

As a young boy growing up in Indiana, G. Robert DeLong ’61 would toss sticks into creeks to gauge the speed of the water. Little could he have known how useful his childhood game would prove decades later, when he set out to eradicate a disease that for centuries had been devastating children in a remote corner of China.

DeLong traces his fascination with iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) to nearly 25 years ago, when his mentor, John Stanbury ’39, suggested that he join a medical trip to Ecuador. “I thought the reports would turn out to be exaggerated,” DeLong recalls. “But in a single month in an Andean mountain village I saw 120 cases of a disease that, until then, I’d only read about in textbooks. These were people in whom prenatal iodine deficiency—and the resulting fetal hypothyroidism—had caused cretinism, characterized by blighted physical and mental development, spastic-rigidity, and deaf-mutism. The disease just debilitated the entire community.”

DeLong remembers in particular one young woman whose limbs were so twisted that she had to use her elbows to drag her body across the floor of her family hut, with all the painful laboriousness of a beached mermaid. Her family members would often prop her up outside, then carry her in when it began to rain.

When this same young woman became pregnant, she might have given birth to a baby as impaired by iodine deficiency as she had been. But as part of the local IDD control project, she received an intramuscular injection of iodine-in-oil during the second trimester of her pregnancy. The daughter she delivered is now a college graduate who speaks three languages.

In the decades since his first encounters with IDD, DeLong, a professor of pediatric neurology at Duke University, has witnessed many other instances of the transformative power of even tiny doses of iodine in preventing the disorder. So when he encountered unusually high rates of the disease in Xinjiang, a province in northwestern China, he became determined to find a solution.

THE SALT OF THE EARTH

Symptoms of iodine deficiency have plagued humankind for millennia. A second-century frieze of Buddha and his disciples, for example, shows a figure with goiter. Drawings from the thirteenth century depict people with goiter and cretinism, and Renaissance painters from Dürer to Rubens captured on canvas many subjects with goitrous necks.

Today, iodine deficiency still condemns many thousands of children to cretinism, tens of millions to varying degrees of mental retardation, and hundreds of millions to milder degrees of mental and physical impairments. An estimated 1.6 billion people are at risk for IDD, now recognized as the most common preventable cause of mental retardation worldwide.

Nearly one-third of the globe’s inhabitants live in areas of natural iodine deficiency. The regions most affected are mountainous ones, where glaciation, snow, and rainfall leach the mineral from the soil; flood plains such as that of the Ganges; and inland continental expanses far from the world’s oceans, which are the primary sources of iodine.

Countries around the world have responded to the problem, adding iodine to tea in Tibet, bread in Australia, and fish paste in Thailand. Yet fortifying ordinary table salt with iodine, the most common method, is also considered the best. IDD was endemic in the Appalachian, Great Lakes, and mountainous western regions of the United States, for example, until the 1920s, when iodized salt consumption became widespread.

Iodized salt does not offer a solution for people living in many remote areas of the world, though. Some communities find it too expensive or difficult to obtain; others reject it as less flavorful than locally available salt. Efforts to provide oral or injected iodine-in-oil to people living in areas with endemic IDD often fail because of issues of cost, distribution, or sustainability. Cultural traditions and superstitions may create obstacles as well.

TESTING THE WATERS

The problem of iodine deficiency is hardly new to Xinjiang: while traveling through the region during the thirteenth century, Marco Polo recorded observations of people with diminished intelligence, deafness, spasticity, and enlarged throats. Throughout the intervening centuries, the tragic consequences of iodine deficiency have continued to plague Xinjiang, whose water and soil contain some of the planet’s lowest levels of naturally occurring iodine.

A constellation of factors had contributed to the failure of efforts to provide the people of Xinjiang with iodine. Some of the barriers were cultural. Forty percent of the region’s inhabitants are Uighurs, a Turkic people who comprise the largest of China’s minority groups. The Uighurs—most of whom live in villages dotting the perimeter of the Taklimakan Desert—find iodized salt not only less affordable, but also less savory than the rock salt so abundant in the desert.

“The Uighurs have a tradition of picking rock salt off the desert floor, dissolving it in big clay pots, and then using the brine for cooking,” DeLong says. “The desert salt has a ‘brighter’ flavor—likely from its magnesium content—but unfortunately it contains little iodine.”

Exacerbating the problem was the centuries-long contentious relationship between the Uighurs and the majority Han, who dominate the country’s central government. And so the Chinese authorities’ attempt to offer iodine pills failed, among other reasons, because the Uighur women suspected officials of trying to slip them contraceptives.

Efforts to introduce iodine intramuscularly had fallen short as well. Injections such as those used in Ecuador required medical expertise and supplies not widely available in Xinjiang. And local public health authorities were skittish about injections for another reason: in 1988, the area had suffered a hepatitis epidemic that had left 500 dead, and they wanted to avoid the risks of shared needles.

When DeLong first visited Xinjiang in 1989, he found one in ten children suffering from severe IDD and one in three exhibiting symptoms of iodine deficiency. “We were examining literally hundreds of children,” he says. “Some showed extreme mental retardation and could not walk, stand, or even sit. Even the ones without severe signs were slack and dull-eyed. They simply lacked the natural vivacity of children.”

During repeated trips to Xinjiang, as DeLong pursued his initial goal of studying the impact of iodine deficiency on fetal brain development, he pondered ways to prevent the calamity from occurring in the first place. By then he had grown close to two Chinese colleagues, Ma Tai, a leading expert on IDD in China, and Cao Xue-yi, the head of Xinjiang’s Health and Anti-Epidemic Station. Together they explored—and rejected as impractical—possible solutions to the seemingly intractable problem.

Then, one day after working in the clinic, the collaborators happened to drive to the countryside to see the main irrigation dam, 20 miles upstream. “We looked out over the Hotien River with its complex system of irrigation canals, the basis of all human life there,” DeLong says. “It was fascinating, but I didn’t give it much thought. Back in the capital the next day, I chatted with a local water chemist about the concentrations of various minerals, such as iron and copper, in the water. But the penny still didn’t drop.”

That evening, DeLong says, “We were driving to a Uighur comedic performance when suddenly it hit me. I practically shouted, ‘We can drip potassium iodate into the irrigation water!’ Dr. Ma threw up his hands and cried, ‘We’ll all go to jail!’ But by the next day, he was thinking about it seriously. It quickly became clear that the idea could work.”

DeLong had realized that iodinating the irrigation water could protect entire villages. The plants would absorb the iodine that had leached from the treated water into the soil. The animals, in turn, would ingest the iodine-rich plants. At the top of the food chain, people would finally consume sufficient levels of iodine.

Obtaining approval for his proposal from suspicious local communities would be tricky, DeLong knew. But an incident that had taken place the previous year had helped convince the wider Uighur community of the physician’s good intentions.

Late one afternoon DeLong, Ma, and their team were working in a small clinic in the village of Tusala when a sandstorm swept in from the desert. DeLong’s wife, Nancy, who has shared his IDD work at every stage, recalls that day.

“About three o’clock the room suddenly became almost as dark as night, with an eerie yellow light,” she says. “A gale force wind was blowing the trees sideways and sending dust swirls skyward. The patients covered their mouths and noses with their headscarves and huddled along an inside corridor. The lights flickered and went out.”

Just as the medical team had begun examining patients again, a great commotion of people burst into the room; they were bringing in a young boy who had picked up a live cable blown down by the storm. For several long minutes DeLong desperately tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions but could get no response. Then someone mentioned that the boy’s father had transported him to the clinic in a donkey cart for six kilometers.

“I shined a light into the boy’s eyes,” Nancy DeLong says. “He was dead. Bob straightened up, told the father he was sorry, and stood helplessly in tears, as the father, fighting for control, gently lifted his child, wrapped a sheet—now a shroud—around him, and carried him from the room, clasped tightly to his breast.”

“Tragically, our sustained efforts couldn’t revive the boy,” Ma later recounted. “Yet his family bent down to express their heartfelt gratefulness. And the story about the American doctor spread, even to the capital.”

The reservoir of good will that DeLong generated that day may have helped his cause when, a year later, he and his team explained the proposal to iodinate the irrigation water to villagers in the chosen site of Long Ru township. Each phrase was painstakingly translated into Mandarin, then into Uighur. To the team members’ relief, they found a receptive audience. The villagers discussed the dilemma, then took a vote.

“When we met with the village leaders in Long Ru, the temperature was hovering near zero,” remembers Nancy DeLong. “They were all sitting around in their thin coats and wool hats. Their breaths sent tiny clouds into the air and their wonderful weathered faces looked like stone. Then suddenly everyone erupted: ‘Yes, we approve!’ ”

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

One of the first tasks facing DeLong’s team was calculating the flow rate of the canal. Impatient for the arrival of outside help, DeLong drew on his youthful penchants. In the eighth grade he had taken an interest inventory test that recommended he become a county agricultural agent. So it was with a sense of familiarity that he tackled the challenge.

“We stripped to our undershorts, waded into the canal to measure its cross-section, then threw sticks in the water and recorded how fast they floated by,” DeLong says. “I felt like I was back on my uncle’s farm in Indiana, tossing twigs into the creek. Much later, we learned that our estimate was within 10 percent of the official measurement.”

The team next devised a primitive delivery system: a 55-gallon oil drum coated with epoxy paint to prevent oxidation and rigged with a spigot that could be turned on and off. The spigot was not precise enough in regulating the output, though, so they used intravenous tubing and two clamps to cobble together a simple valve to provide a steady flow. They tested their contraption overnight in a hotel parking lot—and found that it worked.

Next they perched the oil drum on a wooden bridge spanning the irrigation canal. For two weeks during the spring of 1992, the team dripped a 5 percent solution of potassium iodate into the canal, which supplied four villages in Long Ru township with water. They hired a local villager to protect the drum from theft, refill the tank, and monitor the flow rate. At night, the man would unfurl his rolled-up blanket and sleep right on the rough-hewn bridge.

Soon more men were needed to safeguard more barrels. Decisions about the placement of the drums and the timing of the dripping were made with the input of local officials, particularly the kuai-ji, or water accountants, who oversaw all aspects of irrigation for the region. During the spring planting, as many as 20 tankfuls of potassium iodate solution were dripped into a canal from a single site.

THE TASTE OF SUCCESS

Measurements from samples sent to a laboratory in Ürümqi, the capital, revealed that iodine concentration in treated areas had increased four-fold in the soil within weeks and three-fold in the crops and animals within months. Within one year, nearly all local women of childbearing age had iodine levels well out of the danger zone. The results were most dramatic in children conceived after the program began. Within three years of the first dripping, the infant mortality rate fell by half. Later assessments showed that the average height of five-year-olds had increased by four inches. And the intelligence quotients of children born after the dripping averaged 16 points higher than those of children born before the dripping.

“When we first arrived in Xinjiang, I thought the children were withdrawn because they were afraid of us,” says Nancy DeLong. “But as time passed, and the treated water took effect, I realized that the children were growing livelier.”

Local livestock thrived too. Within a year, sheep production had increased by 40 percent. And as a result, the average annual family income rose 5 percent.

From their initial study, published in 1994, DeLong and his colleagues concluded that treating irrigation water was an effective and relatively inexpensive method of supplying iodine to people in irrigated areas where IDD is endemic. With the support of the Thrasher Foundation, the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, Kiwanis International, and UNICEF, the team undertook a major expansion of its program in 1997. Iodine dripping now protects 2.6 million people from IDD in the 16 most severely deficient areas of Xinjiang. Thirteen and one-half tons of potassium iodate have already been dripped, at a cost of less than six cents per person.

Iodine concentrations in soil, crops, meat, and human urine, monitored since the one-time dripping, indicate that a single dripping can provide iodine for at least six years. Iodination of irrigation water has now been undertaken in Inner Mongolia and is planned for Kyrgyzstan.

THE SALINE SOLUTION

But what about iodine-deficient areas of the world where widespread irrigation doesn’t exist? In the heart of Siberia, at the geographic center of Asia, lies Tuva, the poorest republic in Russia. Home to a Mongolian people, Tuva is renowned for its rich folklore, skilled artisans, andkhoomei, a form of throat singing whose haunting notes are said to mimic the wind sweeping across the steppes. The area is also known for its elevated rates of IDD.

There infant mortality runs high, and in some areas nearly half of the newborns have hypothyroidism caused by iodine deficiency. The lasting economic disruption that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union has made iodized salt an impractical solution. And, unlike the people of Xinjiang, the Tuvans do not rely on irrigation water. They depend instead on animal herding for their livelihood, raising sheep, cattle, horses, goats, and even camels on the elevated steppes of their ancestral homeland.

When DeLong reflected on the high rates of severe IDD in Tuva, he reasoned that the most efficient way to distribute iodine would be by adding potassium iodate to salt licks for the animals on whose products—mutton, beef, milk, cheese, and yogurt—the people relied. “We knew,” he says, “that iodinating salt licks had been successful in the Netherlands and England, where the iodine levels in cows rose dramatically.”

The plan required machinery for crushing rock salt, adding iodate, and making salt blocks. The Tuvan government approved the plan and promised to supply the potassium iodate and workers to operate the plant. Local authorities agreed to distribute free iodinated salt blocks to all herders in the region.

But the machinery still needed to be financed, manufactured in India, and transported by ship, the Trans-Siberian railway, and truck to Tuva. And all this had to be arranged from half a world away. DeLong secured financial support from friends and members of Kiwanis International. By the fall of 2002 the machinery had arrived. So DeLong returned to Tuva with his Kiwanian friends.

“One of them was a high school mechanical shop teacher,” DeLong says, “and he had that machine up and running in two days.” By the time the Kiwanians staged a repeat visit the following spring, local workers were turning out iodinated salt blocks and distributing them to Tuva’s mountain communities.

“Their sheep had been producing poor quality wool because of the lack of iodine,” DeLong says. “If we’re lucky, the salt licks should improve not only human health, but also the health of the local wool industry.”

DeLong and his team hope that, as knowledge of the health benefits, affordability, safety, and economic advantages of iodinating irrigation water and salt licks spreads to affected areas of the world, so will the adoption of their practical methods. “With all the medical technologies we have to work with today,” DeLong says, “it’s easy to forget the incredible difference an ancient trace mineral can make to a single life, to a community—even to the world.”

Gordon Worley ’73 is an associate clinical professor at the Duke University School of Medicine.

This article appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of the Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin.

Photo caption: Gordon Worley’s idea to introduce an iodine solution into the water systems of a remote part of China helped reduce the incidence of iodine deficiency disorders among residents.

Foodborne Illness poses a $77.7 billion economic burden the US- Points to BioLargo Opportunity

2012-01-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Annual Foodborne Illnesses Cost $77 Billion, Study Finds

BY HELENA BOTTEMILLER | JAN 03, 2012

Foodborne illness poses a $77.7 billion economic burden in the United States annually, according to a new study published in the Journal of Food Protection.

The new estimate is significantly lower than the oft-cited $152 billion figure, which was calculated by Robert Scharff, a consumer science professor at Ohio State University, in 2010. The new study, also by Scharff, reflects the most up-to-date estimates on foodborne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to estimate total annual health-related costs.

As Scharff notes in his study (Journal of Food Protection, subscription required), the new CDC foodborne illness estimates, though still concerning, are significantly lower than previously thought, thus making earlier economic estimates outdated and "obsolete."

A 1999 CDC study -- which was widely cited until last year -- estimated that each year there were 76 million cases, 5,000 deaths, and 325,000 hospitalizations caused by foodborne pathogens. The latest study from CDC estimates that each year there are approximately 48 million cases, 3,000 deaths, and 128,000 hospitalizations.

Using the new data, Scharff's study utilizes two models to estimate total health-related costs.

The basic cost-of-illness model includes economic estimates for medical costs, productivity losses, and illness-related death. Using this basic model, Scharff estimates the total annual cost is $51 billion.

The enhanced model "replaces the productivity loss estimates with a more inclusive pain, suffering, and functional disability measure based on monetized quality-adjusted life year estimates," according to the study. Using this enhanced model, Scharff estimates the total annual cost is $77.7 billion.

The numbers may sound daunting, but they do not represent the total economic burden of foodborne illnesses. The study does not include costs to the food industry, including reduced consumer confidence, recall losses, or litigation, nor does it included the cost to public health agencies, local, state, and federal, that respond to illnesses and outbreaks.

Food Safety News - Last Years Top 10 Food Safety Stories- All Pointing to BioLargo Opportunity

2012-01-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

WORLD

Iodine is Critical - Feed your thyroid: Nutrients and foods that nourish the thyroid

2012-01-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Feed your thyroid: Nutrients and foods that nourish the thyroid

Want to ensure good thyroid function through what you eat? The following foods contain nutrients helpful for thyroid function.

Thu, Jan 12 2012 at 1:15 AM EST

Photo: Jeff Kubina/Flickr

Are you sluggish, stiff, have unexplained weight gain, and cold all the time? You may have an under-active thyroid. According to the Mayo clinic, these are some of the many signs that your thyroid is sluggish.

If you suspect you have thyroid issues, you should, of course, seek professional help. But what if you want to stave off future problems? Are there any foods or supplements that you can take to help give your body what it needs to have a healthy metabolic function?

Some experts say yes. According to John Dommisse, MD,certain minerals and vitamins play a supportive role in thyroid function. Iodine, selenium, zinc, magnesium and Vitamin A are all important nutrients the body uses to manufacture thyroid hormones. This means if you have serious thyroid issues, it could be helpful to have blood tests drawn to see what your nutritional status is. For the rest of us, eating specific, nourishing foods may help give our bodies the nutrition they need to have well-performing thyroids.

Let’s start with vitally important iodine. Iodine isn’t found in high amounts in many foods (which is why, if you are low, you may need to supplement with your health provider's supervision). Yet there is one food that is an excellent source if eaten on a regular basis: seaweed (check out this fact sheet for amounts of iodine in food).

However, unlike our Japanese friends, most Americans aren’t used to eating it on a regular basis. My family developed a taste for seaweed by enjoying sushi (we don’t eat a lot of raw fish, so we especially enjoy avocado sushi). We also like eating seaweed chips that are lightly fried in decent oil and salted or slightly sweetened (bought at the health food store). We buy dulse flakes and sprinkle it over rice, and you can also buy kelp salt replacers (add to soups and other dishes for a “salty taste”). Drop kumbu in homemade simmering broths, or in a pot of homemade beans during the beginning stages. It adds not only iodine, but other important minerals. It also seems to help make beans more digestible and less gas-causing.

For selenium, brazil nuts are one of the best sources. Eating 3-5 a days provides plenty. Other sources include crimini mushrooms, cod and mustard seeds. For a selenium feast, why not make a braised cod dish with a mustard sauce and Garlicky Sauteed Mushrooms on the side?

For zinc, eating calf’s liver, venison and beef top the list. Eating that steak may not be so bad for you after all (though I highly recommend you buy grass-fed beef). Lamb, spelt, scallops and sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds are also good sources. One zinc-rich favorite snack around here is pumpkin seeds with raisins. Pumpkin seeds are also one of the best sources for another important, thyroid-building nutrient, magnesium. Other food sources of magnesium include spinach, Swiss chard, sesame seeds and cashews.

Finally, for Vitamin A, I feel one of the very best natural sources is fermented cod liver oil. Read more about this super food here. Plant based food sources include sweet potatoes and carrots.

However, it’s not just important to build up your nutrient intake — it’s also important to avoid or limit certain foods that actually have a goitrogen effect (that is, they suppress the thyroid). Soy is the biggest offender. Even cruciferous vegetables, when eaten often raw, can be an issue.

While a serious thyroid issue needs professional help, we all need these nutrients for good health. Adding in foods rich in the above nutrients can help make us well-nourished and give our body needed nutrients for making thyroid hormones.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you have any recipes to share that would provide a nutrient rich, thyroid supporting meal?

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

Iodine Deficiency Strikes Again- The Times of India reports-After milk, salt under quality check scanner - 71 Million Affected 200 Million at Risk

2012-01-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Jan 16, 2012, 03.24AM IST

Link Here

NEW DELHI: After milk, salt - another most common food item - is under the Food Safety Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) scanner.

The FSSAI is collecting salt samples from across metros to check iodine levels. The study aims to find out how much iodine is available in the salt being sold to consumers.

"We want to see how much iodine is being consumed through salt by consumers. The study is being carried out in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Bangalaore and Guwahati among others. Around 100 samples of salt- both packed and being sold loose - are being tested from each city. The results will be available soon," a health ministry official told TOI.

According to the Coverage Evaluation Survey, adequately iodated salt consumption in the country was about 71% and the rest (29%) contained nil and inadequate iodine. About 71 million Indians are suffering from Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). IDD is the leading cause of mental retardation globally. Every year, 13 million Indian children are born unprotected from brain damage caused by iodine deficiency.

It is estimated that 200 million Indians are exposed to the risk of IDD.

Health ministry data says that out of 324 districts in all the 28 states, 263 districts are endemic, where the prevalence of IDD is more than 10%.

Under the 12th Five Year plan, India aims to bring down prevalence of IDD below 5%. By 2017, the Union health ministry wants to ensure 100% consumption of adequately iodated salt in households.

"We want to conduct a fresh IDD survey/resurvey of 643 districts of the country. It is estimated that an amount of Rs 643 lakh will be required during the entire Plan period for the survey. During the 12th Plan, we have asked the Planning Commission for Rs 1,225 lakh to set up one IDD monitoring lab with one laboratory technician and one lab assistant for every state," a ministry official said.

World's Healthiest Foods Highlights American's Risk of Iodine Deficiency- Essential Nutrient and Key to BioLargo Technology

2012-01-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Americans at High Risk for Iodine Deficiency: Sea Vegetables a Reliable Source

Research published in Environmental Science and Technology, (Dasgupta P, Liu Y, et al.) has revealed that iodized salt is not likely to contain the amount of iodine it's supposed to, and even if it did, many Americans are cutting back on salting home-cooked meals.

Because excessive sodium intake can increase hypertension risks, many agencies now recommend reducing salt intake. A 1995 report found 58% of men and 68% of women reported never using salt, using "lite" salt, or rarely using ordinary table salt.

In addition, the use of iodized salt is not mandatory in the U.S., and virtually all of the salt used in restaurants and processed foods in the U.S. is not iodized, leaving Americans at high risk for iodine deficiency.

Although product labels state that U.S. iodized salt contains 45 µg of iodine per gram, when University of Texas researchers analyzed 88 samples of iodized table salt from 40 states, 53% of samples contained less. Iodine values in freshly opened, top-of-the can samples ranged from as little as 12.7 to 129 μg/kg. And the amount of iodine within each can was not homogenous but varied as much as 3.3 times among the 5 samples taken at different depths from the same container. In addition, iodine was also found to decrease greatly during high humidity storage, although light or heat had little effect.

In sum, even if you don't eat out a lot and are using iodized salt, you have no idea how much iodine it is actually providing, and the longer you've had that container of salt, the more likely its iodine content has decreased.

Why should we be concerned? Iodine is necessary for the body's production of thyroid hormones, which, in addition to regulating metabolic rate, direct brain development, making iodine critical starting in the first trimester of pregnancy through adolescence.

Lack of sufficient iodine is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation in the world. Even a mild iodine deficit in pregnant women, infants, and children, can lower intelligence by 10-15 IQ points, lessening an individual's mental abilities throughout life.

Public-health studies over the past 30 years indicate that iodine levels in the U.S. population, particularly in women of childbearing age, are too low. Urinary iodine (the standard means of evaluating iodine levels in the body) has plummeted by almost 50% in adults, and the frequency of moderate iodine deficiency (urinary iodine excretion of less the 50 μg per liter) in pregnant women has jumped from 1% to 7%.

In an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled "Iodine Nutrition - More is Better," thyroidologist Robert Utiger of Harvard Medical School urges that the recommended daily intake of iodine be increased to 300 to 400 μg.

Practical Tip: Kelp, dulse, hijiki, and nori, can be relied upon as an excellent source of iodine (a mere ¼ cup supplies 415μg). To ensure you are getting enough iodine, make sea vegetables a staple in your healthy way of eating.

One important caveat: Purchase only certified organic sea vegetables to ensure they are free of contamination. Sea vegetables have a high affinity for heavy metals, and if grown in polluted waters, can soak up not only healthful minerals, but also contaminants such as arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury. (van Netten C, Hoption Cann SA, et al. Sci Total Environ)

Dasgupta P, Liu Y, Dyke J. Iodine nutrition: iodine content of iodized salt in the United States. Environ. Sci. Technol., 42 (4), 1315-1323, 2008.

Utiger RD, N Engl J Med. 2006 Jun 29;354(26):2819-21, PMID: 16807421

van Netten C, Hoption Cann SA, Morley DR, van Netten JP. Elemental and radioactive analysis of commercially available seaweed. Sci Total Environ. 2000 Jun 8;255(1-3):169-75. PMID: 10898404

Iodine- Part of the World's Healthiest Foods - Essential Nutrient - And Key Feature of BioLargo Technology

2012-01-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

iodine

(Link Here)

What can high-iodine foods do for you?

Help ensure proper thyroid gland functioning

What events can indicate a need for more high-iodine foods?

Goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland)
Fatigue
Weakness
Depression
Weight gain

Concentrated food sources of iodine include sea vegetables, yogurt, cow's milk, eggs, strawberries and mozzarella cheese. Fish and shellfish can also be concentrated sources of iodine.

Description

What is Iodine?

If you backpack in the mountains, you may have used iodine tablets to purify your drinking water. Or, perhaps you've used an iodine-based disinfectant to clean a minor skin wound. But did you know that iodine is essential to life?

Iodine, a trace mineral, is required by the body for the synthesis of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). (T4 contains 4 iodine atoms. When one of the iodine atoms is stripped off of T4, it becomes T3, with 3 iodine atoms remaining.)

Under normal circumstances, your body contains approximately 20 to 30 mg of iodine, most of which is stored in your thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, just under your voice box. Smaller amounts of iodine are also found in lactating mammary glands, the stomach lining, salivary glands, and in the blood.

How it Functions

What is the function of iodine?

As a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), iodine is essential to human life. Without sufficient iodine, your body is unable to synthesize these hormones, and because the thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being.

Regulating thyroid hormones

The synthesis of thyroid hormones is tightly controlled. When the amount of thyroid hormone in your blood drops, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). As its name suggests, TSH then stimulates the thyroid gland to increase its uptake of iodine from the blood, so that more thyroxine (T4) can be synthesized. When necessary, thyroxine is then converted to the metabolically active triiodothyronine (T3), a process that involves removing one iodine atom from T4.

Several other physiological functions for iodine have been suggested. Iodine may help inactivate bacteria, hence its use as a skin disinfectant and in water purification. Iodine may also play a role in the prevention of fibrocystic breast disease, a condition characterized by painful swelling in the breasts, by modulating the effect of the hormone estrogen on breast tissue. Finally, researchers hypothesize that iodine deficiency impairs the function of the immune system and that adequate iodine is necessary to prevent miscarriages.

Deficiency Symptoms

What are deficiency symptoms for iodine?

In the early part of the 20th century, iodine deficiency was quite common in the United States and Canada. However, this problem has since been almost completely resolved by the use of iodized salt. In addition, iodine is now added to animal feed, which has increased the iodine content of commonly consumed foods, including cow's milk.

Unfortunately, in countries where iodized salt is not commonly consumed, iodine deficiency remains a signficant problem. Dietary deficiency of this vital mineral results in decreased synthesis of thyroid hormone.

Goiter, or enlargement of the thyroid gland, is usually the earliest visible symptom of iodine deficiency. (Goiter can occur for many other reasons as well, but iodine deficiency is among the most common causes worldwide.) The enlargement of the thyroid results from overstimulation of the thyroid gland by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), as the body attempts to produce increased amounts of thyroid hormone.

Goiter is more common in certain geographical areas of the world where iodine is lacking in the diet and where selenium is lacking in the soil. (Selenium is directly involved with certain activities of the thyroid gland.)

Iodine deficiency may eventually lead to hypothyroidism, which causes a variety of symptoms including fatigue, weight gain, weakness and/or depression. Interestingly, iodine deficiency can also cause hyperthyroidism, a condition characterized by weight loss, rapid heart beat, and appetite fluctations.

Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy or infancy causes cretinism, a condition characterized by hypothyroidism leading to failure of the thyroid gland and/or severe mental retardation, stunted physical growth, deafness, and spasticity. If discovered in its initial stages, cretinism can be corrected with iodine supplementation.

Toxicity Symptoms

What are toxicity symptoms for iodine?

Accidental overdose of iodine from medications or supplements in amounts exceeding one gram may cause burning in the mouth, throat and stomach and/or abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dirarrhea, weak pulse, and coma.

It is difficult to take in too much iodine from food sources alone. It is estimated that men and women consume at most 300 mcg and 210 mcg of iodine per day, respectively. In general, even high intakes of iodine from food are well-tolerated by most people.

However, in certain circumstances, excessive consumption of iodine can actually inhibit the synthesis of thyroid hormones, thereby leading to the development of goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) and hypothyroidism. Excessive iodine intake may also cause hyperthyroidism, thyroid papillary cancer, and/or iodermia (a serious skin reaction).

In an attempt to prevent these symptoms of iodine toxicity, the Institute of Medicine established the following Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (TUL) for iodine:

1-3 years: 900 mcg
4-8 years: 300 mcg
9-13 years: 600 mcg
14-18 years: 900 mcg
19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
Pregnant women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
Pregnant women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
Lactating women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
Lactating women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg

It is important to note that if you have an autoimmune thyroid disease (for example, Grave's disease or Hashimoto's disease) or if you have experienced an iodine deficiency at some point in your life, you may be more susceptible to the dangers of excessive iodine consumption, and may, therefore, need to monitor your intake of iodine more carefully.

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

How do cooking, storage, or processing affect iodine?

Food processing practices often increase the amount of iodine in foods. For example, the addition of potassium iodide to table salt to produce "iodized" salt has dramatically increased the iodine intake of people in developed countries. In addition, iodine-based dough conditioners are commonly used in commercial bread-making, which increases the iodine content of the bread.

Factors that Affect Function

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of iodine?

Since absorption of iodine from the digestive tract is very thorough, deficiency of iodine typically occurs from too little intake of iodine-containing foods. However, there has been some controversy surrounding the impact of diet not on iodine absorption, but on iodine utilization by the thyroid gland. Since the thyroid requires iodine to make thyroid hormones, this utilization is essential. Two groups of substances found in food - isoflavones, most commonly found in soy foods, and thiocyanates, most commonly produced in the body from glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli - have been shown to interfere with iodine utilization by the thyroid gland, but only under very specific circumstances. These circumstances involve simultaneous dietary deficiency of iodine or selenium (or both) and imbalanced overall dietary intake. We're not aware of any evidence showing problems with iodine metabolism by the thyroid gland when either soy foods or cruciferous vegetables are eaten in moderate amounts in an overall balanced diet that also contains appropriate amounts of iodine and selenium. Since soy foods and cruciferous vegetables provide so many well-documented health benefits, we do not believe there is ordinarily any reason to eliminate these foods from the diet for iodine-related reasons. However, for individuals with a history of thyroid problems, poor dietary balance and deficient intake of iodine and/or selenium, we recommend consultation with a healthcare provider to decide about the role of these foods in health support.

Drug-Nutrient Interactions

What medications affect iodine?

Amiodarone, a drug most commonly sold under the brand name Cordarone (TM), is sometimes used to treat irregular heart beat. This medication contains iodine and can disrupt proper thyroid function.

Similarly, erythrosine, a red coloring agent commonly used in foods and medications, also contains significant amounts of iodine and may also impact thyroid activity.

Nutrient Interactions

How do other nutrients interact with iodine?

The conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodthyronine (T3) requires the removal of an iodine molecule from T4. This reaction requires the mineral selenium. The iodine molecule that is removed gets returned to the body's pool of iodine and can be reused to make additional thyroid hormones.

If your body is deficient in selenium, the conversion of T4 to T3 is slowed, and less iodine is available for the thryoid to use in making new hormones.

Animal studies have shown that arsenic interferes with the uptake of iodine by the thyroid, leading to goiter. In addition, dietary deficiency of vitamin A,vitamin E, zinc and/or iron can exaggerate the effects of iodine deficiency.

Health Conditions

What health conditions require special emphasis on iodine?

Iodine may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:

Cognitive impairment
Cretinism
Fibrocystic breast disease
Goiter
Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Multiple miscarriages

Form in Dietary Supplements

What forms of iodine are found in dietary supplements?

The elemental form of iodine is available in dietary supplements as iodine caseinate and in products that contain kelp. Many supplements contain iodine complexed with potassium or sodium, called potassium iodide or sodium iodide, respectively.

Food Sources

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

The following chart shows the World's Healthiest Foods that are either excellent, very good or good sources of this nutrient. Next to each food name you will find the following information: the serving size of the food; the number of calories in one serving; DV% (percent daily value) of the nutrient contained in one serving (similar to other information presented in the website, this DV is calculated for 25-50 year old healthy woman); the nutrient density rating; and the food's World's Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that summarizes how the ratings were devised. Read detailed information on ourNutrient Rating System.

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the World's Healthiest Foods that are either an excellent, very good, or good source of iodine. Next to each food name, you'll find the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition, the calories contained in the serving, the amount of iodine contained in one serving size of the food, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of: iodine
Food	Serving Size	Cals	Amount (mcg)	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
Sea Vegetables	0.25 cup	8.6	415.00	276.7	579.1	excellent
Yogurt	245 g	154.3	87.22	58.1	6.8	very good
Milk	1 cup	122.0	58.56	39.0	5.8	very good
Eggs	1 each	77.5	27.00	18.0	4.2	very good
Strawberries	1 cup	46.1	12.96	8.6	3.4	very good
Cheese	1 oz-wt	72.0	10.09	6.7	1.7	good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating	Rule
excellent	DV>=75%	OR	Density>=7.6	AND	DV>=10%
very good	DV>=50%	OR	Density>=3.4	AND	DV>=5%
good	DV>=25%	OR	Density>=1.5	AND	DV>=2.5%

Public Health Recommendations

What are current public health recommendations for iodine?

In 2000, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences developed new Dietary Reference Intakes for iodine. Adequate Intakes were established for children up to one year old, and Recommended Dietary Allowances were determined for all people over one year old. These recommendations appear below:

0-6 months: 110 mcg
7-12 months: 130 mcg
1-8 years: 90 mcg
Boys 9-13 years: 120 mcg
Girls 9-13 years: 120 mcg
Boys 14-18 years: 150 mcg
Girls 14-18 years: 150 mcg
Men 19 years and older: 150 mcg
Women 19 years and older: 150 mcg
Pregnant women 14 years and older: 220 mcg
Lactating women 14 years and older: 290 mcg

In an attempt to prevent these symptoms of iodine toxicity, the Institute of Medicine established the following Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) for iodine:

1-3 years: 900 mcg
4-8 years: 300 mcg
9-13 years: 600 mcg
14-18 years: 900 mcg
19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
Pregnant women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
Pregnant women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg
Lactating women 14-18 years: 900 mcg
Lactating women 19 years and older: 1,100 mcg

For more details on this, see the Toxicity Symptoms section above.

References

Delange F. The role of iodine in brain development. Proc Nutr Soc 2000 Feb;59(1):75-9 2000. PMID:15560.
Dunn JT, Dunn AD. Update on intrathyroidal iodine metabolism. Thyroid 2001 May;11(5):407-14 2001. PMID:15530.
Feldt-Rasmussen U. Iodine and cancer. Thyroid 2001 May;11(5):483-6 2001. PMID:15510.
Groff JL, Gropper SS, Hunt SM. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. West Publishing Company, New York, 1995 1995.
Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. National Academy Press: Washington DC, 2001 2001.
Lininger SW, et al. A-Z guide to drug-herb-vitamin interactions. Prima Health, Rocklin, CA, 2000 2000.
Mahan K, Escott-Stump S. Krause's Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy. WB Saunders Company; Philadelphia, 1996 1996.
Rasmussen LB, Ovesen L, Bulow I et al. Relations between various measures of iodine intake and thyroid volume, thyroid nodularity, and serum thyroglobulin. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Nov;76(5):1069-76 2002.
Roti E, Uberti ED. Iodine excess and hyperthyroidism. Thyroid 2001 May;11(5):493-500 2001. PMID:15500.
Ruwhof C, Drexhage HA. Iodine and thyroid autoimmune disease in animal models. Thyroid 2001 May;11(5):427-36 2001. PMID:15520.
Spitzweg C, Heufelder AE, Morris JC. Thyroid iodine transport. Thyroid 2000 Apr;10(4):321-30 2000. PMID:15570.
Venturi S, Donati FM, Venturi A, et al. Role of iodine in evolution and carcinogenesis of thyroid, breast and stomach. Adv Clin Path 2000 Jan;4(1):11-7 2000. PMID:15550.

Wall Street Journal- Shale-Gas Boom Spurs Race- Points to Huge Opportunity for Chemical Companies Like BioLargo- Water is Key

2012-01-01T10:48:00.001-08:00

Business December 27, 2011

Shale-Gas Boom Spurs Race -States vie for new Chemical Factories - and Jobs - Powered by Lower Energy Costs By James R. Hagerty

The boom in low-cost natural gas obtained from shale is driving investment in plants that use gas for fuel or as a raw material, setting off a race by states to attract such factories and the jobs they create.

Enlarge Image

Daymon Gardner for The Wall Street Journal

Ethylene cracker at Dow Chemical plant in Hahnville, La.

Shale-gas production is spurring construction of plants that make chemicals, plastics, fertilizer, steel and other products. A report issued earlier this month by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC estimated that such investments could create a million U.S. manufacturing jobs over the next 15 years.

West Virginia is vying with Pennsylvania and Ohio to attract an ethylene plant thatRoyal Dutch Shell PLC said it plans to build in the Appalachian region to take advantage of the plentiful new gas supplies.

Shell is due to announce a site early in 2012. Ethylene, produced from ethane in natural gas, is used to make plastics and other materials that go into an array of products, including pipes, paint and antifreeze.

West Virginia's legislature, meeting in a special session, passed a bill this month setting rules for shale gas drilling and production. The legislation ensures "a reliable supply" of shale gas in West Virginia and should dispel regulatory uncertainty that could slow investment, Keith Burdette, the state's commerce secretary, said in an interview.

The U.S. chemical industry is the biggest potential winner from the shale boom—which involves a technique opposed by some environmentalists called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to obtain gas locked in rock formations—but other industries also see benefits.

Enlarge Image

Development of shale gas has been ramping up over the past two years and now accounts for more than one-third of all U.S. natural-gas production, according to IHS Global Insight, an economic think tank that earlier this month released a shale-gas study financed by energy-production companies.

"This shale gas development is a game-changer of huge proportions," said Dan DiMicco, chief executive officer of Nucor Corp., a steelmaker based in Charlotte, N.C. Nucor is building a $750 million plant to make iron from natural gas and iron-ore pellets near the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, La. Mr. DiMicco said the investment wouldn't have been possible without the lower costs that have come with shale gas.

The surge in production has pushed down U.S. natural-gas prices. After climbing to as high as about $15 per million British thermal units six years ago, near-term futures prices have fallen below $3.20 in recent days.

Because electric utilities often burn gas, that price drop has helped bring down average electricity costs.

However, long-run energy price and supply projections always are suspect. "Anything we think is going to be a 20-year trend has never turned out to be a 20-year trend," said Amy Myers Jaffe, a senior energy adviser at Rice University's Baker Institute.

There's another big caveat: shale-gas production volumes will depend on environmental-protection rules being set by state and federal regulators. Many environmentalists say that the chemicals pumped into the ground to unlock shale gas are a threat to water supplies, though energy companies say they take precautions to protect water sources.

Even so, Shell and other big companies are proceeding on the assumption that shale gas production is likely to keep growing. Jim Fitterling, an executive vice president atDow Chemical Co., said the U.S. now has the lowest cost for natural gas outside of the Middle East. The cheap gas makes the U.S. "dramatically more competitive" as a place to produce petrochemicals used in plastics and a variety of other products. As a r esult, Dow plans to build two new chemical plants near the U.S. Gulf coast and upgrade or reactivate others as part of a planned investment of $4 billion over the next six years. Some of the chemicals will be exported to Latin America.

U.S. production of ethylene, valued at about $21 billion a year, is heavily concentrated in Louisiana and Texas, which have large supplies of conventional gas. But the new supplies of shale gas in the Appalachian region are luring some of the industry there.

For producers of nitrogen fertilizers, "the economics have changed radically," said Stephen R. Wilson, CEO of CF Industries Holdings Inc. of Deerfield, Ill. Natural gas is by far the biggest raw-material cost for making anhydrous ammonia, the base nitrogen fertilizer made by CF. The company, which has gone from a high-cost producer by world standards to a low-cost producer, plans to spend $1 billion to $1.5 billion over several years to boost capacity at some of its North American plants.

Even foreign manufacturers are joining in. Low U.S. electricity and natural gas costs were a factor in the decision by Brazil's Santana Textiles to build a $180 million denim plant now under construction in Edinburg, Texas. Santana initially considered putting the factory in Mexico but found that electricity costs would be 30% lower in Texas.

Write to James R. Hagerty at bob.hagerty@wsj.com

Wall Street Journal- The Inevitable Keystone Pipeline- Points to Importance of the Pipeline and BioLargo's Role in Oil Sands Environmental Safety

2012-01-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

THE BUSINESS
DECEMBER 9, 2011

An Inevitable Keystone Pipeline

If the Prohibition Era taught us anything about business, it's that demand has a way of finding supply. That was true of whiskey. It will likely also be true of Canada's oil sands and the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

Keystone XL, or a similar pipeline and set of worries, isn't just inevitable. It's something we should accept to prevent worse alternatives from coming to pass.

WSJ Assistant Managing Editor John Bussey and Mean Street host Evan Newmark discuss the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline. Bussey makes the argument that Canada will have no problem finding customers for the oil from the pipeline, which will run from Alberta to Houston, Texas. (Photo: AP)

Big corporate names have stakes in the Canadian oil sands: ConocoPhillips, Exxon, Shell, Chevron, Marathon, Statoil, Total, Sinopec and BP among many others.The 1,700-mile pipeline, proposed byTransCanada Corp. and blocked for the moment by the White House, is back in the news. Lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are seeking to override the administration and start construction of the pipeline, which would carry oil from the oil sands of Alberta to refineries in Houston. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper discussed the matter on Wednesday.

Environmentalists say the pipeline is a bad idea: "It locks the U.S. into a high carbon form of energy," says Nathan Lemphers at the Pembina Institute in Calgary. "Until there's a national energy policy, these sorts of pipelines will become the surrogate battleground for the environmental movement."

Susan Casey-Lefkowitz of the National Resources Defense Council says the pipeline would promote a dirty and energy-intensive form of oil extraction, pipe that oil through environmentally sensitive areas and aquifers in the U.S., and ultimately keep the U.S. addicted to the wrong sort of fuel, speeding climate change.

Theirs is a compelling argument for abstinence: Until Washington stops dithering and charts a clear road to cleaner energy, remove the temptation to burn more oil by preventing access to supply.

Last month, the White House delayed a yes-or-no decision on the pipeline—conveniently until after the 2012 presidential election.

Markets, however, won't delay. Global demand for energy, driven by growth in developing countries, is expected to rocket 33% over the next 25 years, says the International Energy Agency. By 2035, China is likely to consume almost 70% more energy than the U.S.

Fossil fuels such as oil will still account for 75% of energy consumed in 2035, says the IEA. And these numbers assume positive steps toward conservation and the adoption of renewable and other fuels.

Where will the new energy come from? Globally, reliance will grow on a relatively small number of producers, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, and the oil will be shipped along vulnerable supply routes, says the IEA. By 2035, the agency says, OPEC's share of global production will rise to above 50%.

If you wonder why China is currently running sea trials for its first aircraft carrier, these vulnerable supply routes and China's own energy insecurity provide an answer.

Frustrated with the U.S., Canada is talking with China about piping its oil west instead of south. Enbridge Inc. has proposed a pipeline to a port at Kitimat, British Columbia, where the oil would be loaded on ships bound for Asia. Native communities in the region are resisting the project.

Somehow, though, demand will eventually pull the oil to market. "That oil is going to get produced, it's going to get refined somewhere, and it's going to get consumed," says Larry Nichols, executive chairman of Devon Energy. Devon produces about 30,000 barrels a day in the oil sands now and plans to more than quintuple production by 2020.

Until cleaner energy sources are cheap, effective and available enough to supplant oil—until pipelines like Keystone are no longer needed—the options for the U.S. are difficult but clear:

On supply:

The U.S. can continue to rely on dicey regimes in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Or it can buy more oil from its ally Canada and companies it knows, with the added short-term benefit of generating jobs to build new pipelines to U.S. refineries.

On the environment:

The U.S. can let oil-sands oil go to Asia with all the carbon emissions that entails: pollution from shipping, possible substandard refining, and use of the product in Chinese industries with weak emissions rules. Scientists have already found that mercury and other effluents from China's power plants and factories drift across the Pacific and contaminate North American waterways. Expect more.

Or the U.S. can pipe the oil to Houston where regulators scrutinize refiners over emissions, where ever-greater economies of scale help companies create best practices in refining, and where the U.S. can earn money exporting refined products to the rest of the world.

The choices seem inevitable. Why wait?

Write to John Bussey at john.bussey@wsj.com

*Note- BioLargo was recently selected to join a number of top Oil Sands producers to solve the contaminated water issues associated with the tailings ponds. Often considered to be one of the most important environmental issues in the western hemisphere.

Top Allergy Myths: There is no such thing as an Iodine Allergy-

2011-12-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

plate of oysters

©iStockphoto.com/jganser

Myth: Iodine Allergy is a Myth - Example: People Who Are Allergic to Shellfish Are Not Actually Allergic to the Iodine in the Shellfish, rather research indicates its the muscle protein.

Some people who are allergic to seafood avoid certain skin medications and diagnostic medical tests that use iodinebecause they fear an allergic reaction. But there is no connection between allergies to fish and shellfish and allergies to iodine. Allergies to fish and shellfish are caused by the protein in them, not the iodine.

DiscoveryHealth.com writers

Research Paper Debunks the Myth

The relationship of radiocontrast, iodine, and seafood allergies: a medical myth exposed.

Schabelman E, Witting M.

Source

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.

"Conclusions: Iodine is not an allergen. Atopy, in general, confers an increased risk of reaction to contrast administration, but the risk of contrast administration is low, even in patients with a history of "iodine allergy," seafood allergy, or prior contrast reaction. Allergies to shellfish, in particular, do not increase the risk of reaction to intravenous contrast any more that of other allergies."

June 2010 · Vol. 59, No. 06: 314

LETTERS

Shellfish-iodine nexus is a myth

I read with interest the Florida case with the $4.7 million verdict (Iodine contrast media kills man with known shellfish allergy, What’s the Verdict? J Fam Pract. 2010;59:244). As a dermatologist who deals with many allergy issues, I was surprised that the verdict was based on the “supposed” cross-reaction of a shellfish allergy with contrast iodine material. Unfortunately, this is a medical myth that has been propagated for many years.

An excellent review on this subject recently appeared in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.¹ The authors surveyed 231 physicians at 6 academic medical centers and found that 89% of cardiologists and two-thirds of radiologists routinely ask their patients if they are allergic to shellfish before administering an iodinated contrast agent. They also noted that 35% of radiologists and 50% of cardiologists would withhold radiocontrast or premedicate patients with shellfish allergies.

When an individual has a seafood or shellfish allergy, it is the protein in the animal that the individual is allergic to. The allergens from fish and shellfish are actually 2 different types of proteins, and have absolutely nothing to do with iodine. Iodine is an essential element that is found throughout the body and is essential to the production of thyroid hormone and various amino acids in the body. One could not survive without iodine. It is, therefore, impossible to have a true allergy to iodine. Although an individual could react to the various allergens contained in iodine skin preps, it is not the iodine that is causing the allergy.

It is the general opinion of experts in the fields of radiology and allergy/immunology that any “allergic” individual has a 3-fold increase in the likelihood of an allergic reaction to radiocontrast material, and more than 55% of individuals have at least 1 or 2 allergies. It is not reasonable to withhold needed treatment, whether it be contrast dye, anesthesia, or any medication, for fear of a potential reaction—particularly in an emergency like the case in question, in which the procedure was done in an attempt to save the life of a 41-year-old patient. The risk of dying from cardiac arrest is great, while the risk of death from contrast dye is miniscule.

Propagating the myth of the seafood-iodine-contrast material connection not only disseminates misinformation, but also breeds multimillion dollar lawsuits.

Melinda F. Greenfield, DO
Albany, Ga

Schabelman E, Witting M. The relationship of radiocontrast, iodine, and seafood allergies: a medical myth exposed. J Emerg Med. 2009; Dec. 31 [E pub ahead of print].

Wall Street Journal- EPA's Fracking Scare- Wyoming Water Scare- Review Points to BioLargo Oportunity

2011-12-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

The EPA's Fracking Scare

Breaking down the facts in that Wyoming drinking water study.

The shale gas boom has been a rare bright spot in the U.S. economy, so much of the country let out a shudder two weeks ago when the Environmental Protection Agency issued a "draft" report that the drilling process of hydraulic fracturing may have contaminated ground water in Pavillion, Wyoming. The good news is that the study is neither definitive nor applicable to the rest of the country.

"When considered together with other lines of evidence, the data indicates likely impact to ground water that can be explained by hydraulic fracking," said the EPA report, referring to the drilling process that blasts water and chemicals into shale rock to release oil and natural gas. The news caused elation among environmentalists and many in the media who want to shut down fracking.

More than one-third of all natural gas drilling now uses fracking, and that percentage is rising. If the EPA Wyoming study holds up under scrutiny, an industry that employs tens of thousands could be in peril.

But does it stand up? This is the first major study to have detected linkage between fracking and ground-water pollution, and the EPA draft hasn't been peer reviewed by independent scientific analysts. Critics are already picking apart the study, which Wyoming Governor Matt Mead called "scientifically questionable."

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Associated Press

Natural gas wellheads and other production facilities are shown around the rural community of Pavillion, Wyoming in 2007.

The EPA says it launched the study in response to complaints "regarding objectionable taste and odor problems in well water." What it doesn't say is that the U.S. Geological Survey has detected organic chemicals in the well water in Pavillion (population 175) for at least 50 years—long before fracking was employed. There are other problems with the study that either the EPA failed to disclose or the press has given little attention to:

• The EPA study concedes that "detections in drinking water wells are generally below [i.e., in compliance with] established health and safety standards." The dangerous compound EPA says it found in the drinking wells was 2-butoxyethyl phosphate. The Petroleum Association of Wyoming says that 2-BE isn't an oil and gas chemical but is a common fire retardant used in association with plastics and plastic components used in drinking wells.

• The pollution detected by the EPA and alleged to be linked to fracking was found in deep-water "monitoring wells"—not the shallower drinking wells. It's far from certain that pollution in these deeper wells caused the pollution in drinking wells. The deep-water wells that EPA drilled are located near a natural gas reservoir. Encana Corp., which owns more than 100 wells around Pavillion, says it didn't "put the natural gas at the bottom of the EPA's deep monitoring wells. Nature did."

• To the extent that drilling chemicals have been detected in monitoring wells, the EPA admits this may result from "legacy pits," which are old wells that were drilled many years before fracking was employed. The EPA also concedes that the inferior design of Pavillion's old wells allows seepage into the water supply. Safer well construction of the kind normally practiced today might have prevented any contaminants from leaking into the water supply.

• The fracking in Pavillion takes place in unusually shallow wells of fewer than 1,000 to 1,500 feet deep. Most fracking today occurs 10,000 feet deep or more, far below drinking water wells, which are normally less than 500 feet. Even the EPA report acknowledges that Pavillion's drilling conditions are far different from other areas of the country, such as the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania. This calls into question the relevance of the Wyoming finding to newer and more sophisticated fracking operations in more than 20 states.

***

The safety of America's drinking water needs to be protected, as the fracking industry itself well knows. Nothing would shut down drilling faster, and destroy billions of dollars of investment, than media interviews with mothers afraid to let their kids brush their teeth with polluted water. So the EPA study needs to be carefully reviewed.

But the EPA's credibility is also open to review. The agency is dominated by anticarbon true believers, and the Obama Administration has waged a campaign to raise the price and limit the production of fossil fuels.

Natural gas carries a smaller carbon footprint than coal or oil, and greens once endorsed it as an alternative to coal and nuclear power. But as the shale gas revolution has advanced, greens are worried that plentiful natural gas will price wind and solar even further out of the market. This could mean many more of the White House's subsidized investments will go belly up like Solyndra.

The other big issue is regulatory control. Hydraulic fracturing isn't regulated by the EPA, and in 2005 Congress reaffirmed that it did not want the EPA to do so under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The states regulate gas drilling, and by and large they have done the job well. Texas and Florida adopted rules last week that followed other states in requiring companies to disclose their fracking chemicals.

But the EPA wants to muscle in, and its Wyoming study will help in that campaign. The agency is already preparing to promulgate new rules regulating fracking next year. North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple says that new EPA rules restricting fracking "would have a huge economic impact on our state's energy development. We believe strongly this should be regulated by the states." Some 3,000 wells in the vast Bakken shale in North Dakota use fracking.

By all means take threats to drinking water seriously. But we also need to be sure that regulators aren't spreading needless fears so they can enhance their own power while pursuing an ideological agenda.

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page 16

LiveStrong- Salt and Iodine Deficiency in a Diet- Essential Nutrient and At Same Time World's Gold Standard Disinfectant - Point to BioLargo

2011-12-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Jul 10, 2011 | By Lindsay Boyers

Iodine deficiency is a lack of the trace mineral iodine in the body. According to the World Health Organization, iodine deficiency is the leading cause of preventable brain damage and mental retardation worldwide. Because your body cannot make iodine, it is imperative to consume adequate amounts of iodine in your diet. In the United States, iodized salt is the greatest source of iodine in the diet.

History

Prior to the 1920s, iodine deficiency was common in many areas of the United States, including the Great Lakes and Appalachian, and Canada. Because of this, many Americans suffered from an iodine deficiency disease called goiter, which is characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland. As a solution to this problem, American manufacturers began to add iodine to salt. According to the World Health Organization, salt was chosen because it is consumed regularly, widely available and the cost to iodize it is low. In 1993, universal salt iodization was adopted, lowering the rates of iodine deficiency, especially in the United States. The American Thyroid Association notes that approximately 40 percent of the global population still remains at risk of iodine deficiency, because of lack of access to iodized salt.

Thyroid Symptoms Alternative Thyroid Therapy Natural Thyroid Treatment www.orangecountythyroid.com

Prevalence

Iodine deficiency occurs in women more often than men. Iodine deficiency is also more common in pregnant women and adolescents. If a pregnant woman develops iodine deficiency, her baby may be born with neurological damage and severe mental retardation.

Symptoms

Goiter is a common symptom of iodine deficiency. When the body does not have enough iodine, the thyroid gland works extra hard to try to produce thyroid hormone. This leads to a visible enlargement of the thyroid gland and, in some cases, the development of nodules.
Iodine deficiency can also cause hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, muscle cramps, leg swelling and muscle pain.

Prevention

To prevent iodine deficiency, it is important to consume adequate amounts of iodine in your diet. Adults require 150 micrograms of iodine per day, whereas children require 90 to 120 micrograms daily, depending on age. Iodized salt, which is the greatest contributor of iodine in the diet, contains approximately 400 micrograms of iodine per teaspoon. According to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake, naturally occurring iodine in foods is low, usually between 3 to 75 mg per serving. Foods that contain iodine include cod, sea bass, haddock, kelp and dairy products. Plants grown in soil that contains iodine also contribute iodine to the diet. Consult your doctor regarding the amount of salt in your diet, as consuming too much sodium, a component of salt, can lead to serious health consequences

References

Livestrong- Iodine Food Sources, Essential Nutrient & Gold Standard Disinfectant is Foundational for BioLargo Technology

2011-12-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Link Here Mar 28, 2011 | By Tracey Roizman, D.C.

Photo Credit seetang image by knirzporz from Fotolia.com

Iodine is an essential trace mineral required for proper thyroid function. iodine might also play a role in immune function. Iodine is present in some foods naturally and is added to some foods to ensure adequate intake for people who live in places where iodine levels in the environment are low. Levels of iodine vary considerably among foods.

Kelp

Seaweed earns the gold standard among food sources for iodine content. A study published in the October 2004 issue of the journal "Thyroid" evaluated iodine levels in 12 species of commonly consumed seaweed and found wide variability. At the low end was nori, a popular seaweed that is used to make sushi in Japanese cooking, at 16 mcg per gram. The highest levels in the study were obtained from a commercial salt substitute made from processed kelp granules that contained 8,100 mcg per gram. Harvesting methods influenced iodine concentrations in samples of kelp from Namibia, which showed that sun-bleached kelp contained about 500 mcg per gram, while fresh samples contained more than 6,500 mcg per gram. The researcher also noted that iodine is water soluble and that cooking and storage in humid conditions decrease iodine content in foods.

Thyroid Symptoms Alternative Thyroid Therapy Natural Thyroid Treatment www.orangecountythyroid.com

Meats

Some meats and fish are good sources of iodine. Iodine content in fish varies, depending on the concentrations in the water they inhabit. Saltwater fish tend to have about six times as much iodine, on average, as freshwater fish, providing as much as 6 mcg per gram, while freshwater fish contain an average of 0.375 mcg per gram. Poultry contains 66 and beef contains 59. Processed meats, such as sausage and ham, contain 335, again due to their high salt content.

Eggs and Dairy

Eggs are an excellent source of iodine, with 1.6 mcg per gram. Milk and yogurt contain about 0.7 mcg per gram, and cheese contains about 0.47 mcg per gram, values that reflect a form of enrichment through iodine added to animal feed. A seasonal variation exists in iodine levels in milk, with lower levels in the summer months, when more animals have access to grass pastures and less supplemental feeding, and higher levels in the winter months when commercial feeds are used. Cheese is low in iodine because, being water-soluble, iodine leaves with the water that is drained off during production.

Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts

Vegetables tend to have low iodine levels. Frozen and canned vegetables provide modest amounts of iodine, at 1.2 mcg per gram, largely due to iodized salt used in processing. Leafy salad vegetables offer about 0.24 mcg per gram, and nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes and potatoes, provide about half that amount. Mushrooms and nuts both offer about 0.2 mcg per gram.

References

The OTC Investor Article- BioLargo (BLGO): Enters Billion Dollar Markets with Nature’s Best Solution(R)

2011-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

By Justin Kuepper · Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 Link Here

BioLargo, Inc. (OTCBB: BLGO) is focused on leveraging Nature’s Best Solution® - iodine – to solve a variety of common problems around the world. In an industry containing billion dollar companies like Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX), Colgate Palmolive (NYSE: CL ) and maker of Lysol, Reckitt Benckiser (LON: RB), the company’s all-natural iodine is a safe, environmentally friendly, economical and efficacious molecule for odor control disinfection related uses and even enhanced moisture control when combined with a variety of other absorbent materials.

The company’s CupriDyne® is a proprietary technology that delivers iodine by incorporating many of the same safe ingredients found in multivitamins. The result is that BioLargo can deliver an iodine wash product that is just as powerful as competing household cleaners and disinfectants, but is also non-toxic, “green”, part of a natural cycle, has no known capacity for acquired resistance, and is made completely of ingredients that are generally regarded as safe by the FDA and are commonly used in food products. And as the first to market with this technology, the company is in a unique position to profit.

A Highly-Promising Proof-of-Concept and Landed Its First Major Commercial License

BioLargo’s first major license is in the pet industry with an initial focus on odor and moisture control applications for pets. Its technology has application across multiple product categories within the pet industry like bedding products, puppy pads, stain and odor remover and even cat litter. The market for cat litter alone is massive with 92 million cats and an estimated annual turnover at $1.9 billion US per year and growing. Environmentally safe cat litter alone represents 20% of the $1.1 billion per year eco-friendly cat products market, according to a report by MarketResearch.com called “Natural, Organic and Eco-Friendly Pet Products in the U.S.” Future products will include liquids, puppy pads, litters, bedding and more.

After winning awards, including a ‘Product of the Year’ award in the equine market, the company attracted the attention of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT), which is the largest seller and distributor of pet products in the U.S. Under the terms of a recent agreement, disclosed in an 8-K filing with the SEC, the company has secured a $100,000 down payment and significant future minimum purchases in order for Central to maintain its exclusive rights in the pet industry:

$100,000 over the initial six months.
1,250,000 pounds over the next 18 months.
2,000,000 pounds over the next 12 months.
2,750,000 pounds over the next 12 months.
3% annual increases thereafter.

The minimum run rate from this agreement and sales into this pet industry category could take the company to $3.5 to $5 million per year, using sales figures from competing products and standard industry margins. The opportunity appears to far exceed the minimums of the agreement and the products developed appear ready to launch in early 2012. These near-term revenues could equate to significant value for shareholders as the firm’s management expects to transition to positive cash flows and net income. Given the nature of the platform technology and the platform business relationship with the industry leader, sales could expand and grow for decades to come.

Significant Long-term Potential in Many Verticals

The revenues from this agreement and the pet industry related sales may be significant, but they pale in comparison to BioLargo’s long-term potential. The company already has a number of new products on the launch pad and has identified dozens of additional products over the long run. If these new products experience just a fraction of Odor-No-More’s success, like being recognized in its industry segment as a top performing product, then the new products could spell strong top and bottom line growth ahead as the company seeks to build distribution alliances with industry leaders in various industry sectors.

Beyond the pet supplies market, the company is also diligently working to develop their iodine technology for various “CleanTech” segments. Many industries are in need of disinfectants, odor and moisture control, and contaminated water solutions, ranging from medical to food and beverage to oil and gas. As a result, the revenue potential for these products is virtually endless.

The company’s plan to capitalize on these new verticals is simple: They do enough work to prove commercial viability and recruit one or more of the vertical’s market leader and then they become the supplier. With a partnership agreement already in place with The Horn Group, (that just celebrated its 50^th anniversary as a leading distributor in the specialty ingredients and materials supply industry) the company has the supply chain established with a proven ability to execute on these agreements to what appears to be substantial scale.

In the end, BioLargo Inc. (OTCBB: BLGO) represents an attractive investment opportunity at these levels with near-term revenues and long-term potential. To learn more about this company, please see the following links:

Wall Street Journal- EPA's Fracking Scare- Points to BioLargo

2011-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
DECEMBER 19, 2011
The EPA's Fracking Scare

Breaking down the facts in that Wyoming drinking water study.

Associated Press

Natural gas wellheads and other production facilities are shown around the rural community of Pavillion, Wyoming in 2007.

***

BioLargo selected as CoFounder of Canadian Backed Research Chair for Sustainable Oil Sands Water and Tailings Pond Solutions

2011-12-01T16:14:00.001-08:00

via link to Marketwire

BioLargo Selected as Founding Member of Canadian Government Backed Research Chair to Develop Sustainable Solutions for Oil Sands Industry Contaminated Water and Tailings Ponds Problems

La Mirada, CA (December 1, 2011) – BioLargo, Inc. (OTCBB: BLGO), creator of patented iodine technologies, today announced that it has been selected as a founding member of a Canadian NSERC “research chair” formed to solve the contaminated water and tailings ponds problems associated with the oil sands industry. Led by University of Alberta Professor Mohamed Gamal-El Din, a leading expert in the area of water treatment and advanced oxidation, and funded by the Canadian

government through the University of Alberta’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the primary area of focus of the “NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Oil Sands Tailings Water Treatment” is to develop proactive water management strategies to dramatically reduce the footprint and environmental impact of existing tailings ponds operations.

The Canadian Oil Sands are the second largest deposit of oil in the world. Extracting oil from the Oil Sands creates high volumes of contaminated water (between 2 and 4.5 barrels of water to produce one barrel of synthetic crude oil), currently discharged in “tailings” ponds, sometimes for years, to separate the solids from the liquids for eventual recycling or safe discharge into the environment.

With Canadian oil production estimated to increase from 1.9 million to over 6 million barrels of oil a day over the next 20 years, the released water from oil sands operations is estimated to reach one billion cubic meters in the Athabasca oils sands region by 2025. An innovative solution that can reduce the water treatment time, and thus the overall footprint and environmental impact of the tailings ponds, is required for Canada to meet its production goals.It is widely believed that the future of oil sands exploration, its social and economic contribution as the second largest oil reserve in the world, and its contribution to the public good of both Canada and the Unites States, hinges on industry's ability to manage the wastewater in tailings ponds.

In addition to BioLargo, the new Research Chair is sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), as well as a number of related researchers and industry stakeholders that include world-leading oil companies and the regional water district for the Province of Alberta.

“We are honored to be part of this important work for Canada and the United States,” stated BioLargo President and CEO Dennis Calvert. Ken Code, the company’s Chief Technical Officer added, “The Chair objectives are perfectly aligned with our goal to improve the quality of life for people worldwide, while we work to protect the environment, and produce positive economic results for our customers, partners, and stockholders. We look forward to serving with the other founders.”

About University of Alberta’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Professor Gamal-El Din

Dr. Mohamed Gamal El-Din, head of the new Research Chair, is a Professor with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. His expertise and research in the area of water and wastewater treatment places him amongst the top scientists in the world. He has been published in peer-reviewed journal a substantial number of times, and written and presented extensively on these subjects. In 2005, he received the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award and was the recipient of the Alberta Ingenuity New Faculty Grant in Alberta. In 2008, he was awarded one of the 2008 NSERC Accelerator Discovery Grants. Dr. Gamal El-Din has been acting as an editorial board member for the Ozone Science & Engineering Journal and has been also acting as a reviewer for many referred journals. He is a current member of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), American Water Works Association (AWWA), International Water Association (IWA), International Ozone Association (IOA), International UV Association (IUVA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), and Egyptian Syndicate of Civil Engineers.

Edmonton Journal Article - December 1, 2011- University of Alberta Adds Six New Chairs

Interview with Dr. Gamal El-Din - Movie - YouTube

Industry Partners

Syncrude Canada, Ltd.

Suncor Energy, Inc.

Shell Canada, Ltd.

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd.

Total E&P Canada Ltd.

EPCOR Water Services, Inc.

BioLargo, Inc.

Alberta Innovates

Alberta Environment

Message to Fellow Shareholders-Dennis Calvert- BioLargo President & CEO

2011-11-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Message

November 24, 2011

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

I write to say thank you for your support of our company as we march forward to improve the quality of life for people worldwide. Our journey has not been easy or fast. It reminds me of the times as a youngster with my sister riding in the back seat of the family wagon, heading off for the long anticipated family vacation. My dad just kept driving for what seemed an eternity. About every half hour, we would ask 'Are we there yet?" I suspect most of us can relate to the feeling and, how that once we arrived at the long anticipated vacation oasis, we soon forgot how long the journey was, we could not remember the bumps along the way and the 'prize' was worth it all. Our BioLargo® journey is like that.

Sometimes the journey may seem a little long. Our Chief Technology Officer and inventor Ken Code was entrusted with the gift of the BioLargo Technology discovery, and the requisite responsibility for its stewardship, that comes with such a gift, more than ten years ago. I remember our first meeting back in 2004, being presented with an opportunity to do something so important for people worldwide and the diversity of its commercial applications. Ken is the man for this job, and his passion is contagious.

We certainly had a few bumps to manage with along the way. After getting organized, we advanced the science through a maze of third party proof of claims, made important discoveries along the way and filed more than 25 patent applications. That work will continue for years to come. We had a few global multi-nationals turn us away, which at the time was a hard blow, but now we see it as a blessing in disguise. Surviving the global economic crisis and being alive to thrive again as we are now, is a rare testimony to the power of a driving purpose to keep us focused on the goal. Our current work with industry leading companies that prepare to launch products into the national and global marketplace, all require a level of service, patience and dedication that is demanding and sometimes slower than we all prefer.

Is the prize worth it? You bet it is. It is important to remember that we help solve some of the world's most important problems that threaten our water, food, agriculture, healthcare and energy by delivering products and services that feature our BioLargo Technology. Our innovative technology delivers Nature's Best Solution® - free iodine, an essential nutrient and all natural broad spectrum disinfectant with no known microbial resistance, to help keep people safe from disease and infection and to help keep our water, earth, and air clean, safe, and healthy. We do all that while we balance our key goals to improve the quality of life for people worldwide, to protect the environment, and to produce positive economic results for our customers, partners, and shareholders.

Our technical capabilities and claims are accepted and recognized. As an example, you may recall, we had mentioned in prior communications that we were selected as a founding member of a new research chair at the University of Alberta sponsored by the Canadian government and joined by six of the top Canadian oil companies and the regional water district to solve the oil sands contaminated water problem in tailings ponds. Details will be available about this work very soon.

About a week ago, Harry DeLonge, our senior advisor, former top scientist and 40 year technical executive from Pepsi and life-time achievement honoree from the two leading technical societies from the Food and Beverage Industry, said it so clear and so simply: "Free iodine is the 'good-guy', and BioLargo can deliver it, [free iodine], in just about any form or fashion that industry needs to do the job." Clear? You bet it is!

So, are we there yet? In many ways, like in terms of scientific prowess and proof of claims, or in terms of building out an exceptional management team to execute the business, the answer is unequivocally yes. In terms of financial performance, the foundation is set. World events continue push industry to seek a viable sustainable alternative to the status quo and in our minds-eye, financial success appears inevitable and close at hand.

We are thankful to be part of such a worthy goal, for the exceptional team that is assembled and for you and your support for our company.

It is one of the most exciting times in the history of our journey. Please tell your friends.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Dennis Calvert
949-643-9540

Symbol: BLGO.OB

BioLargo Mission and Purpose Statements- Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people wordwide

2011-11-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

Mission Statement

Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people worldwide.

Our Purpose

We help solve some of the world's most important problems that threaten our water, food, agriculture, healthcare and energy by delivering products and services that feature our BioLargo Technology. Our innovative technology delivers Nature's Best Solution, Free Iodine, an essential nutrient and all natural broad spectrum disinfectant with no known microbial resistance, to help keep people safe from disease and infection and to help keep our water, earth, and air clean, safe, and healthy. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people worldwide, to protect the environment, and to produce positive economic results for our customers, partners, and shareholders. Our technology is a "Genuine Discovery" which feature non-carbon-based compounds that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS), and can be incorporated into end-use products and processes that are environmentally safe and effective.

Water.org - Water Facts - Global Water Challenges

2011-10-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Water.org helps expose the global water crisis and its worth your time, energy and money! Take a moment to learn ... - Link Here

References

2006 United Nations Human Development Report.
Number estimated from statistics in the 2006 United Nations Human Development Report.
Asian Development Bank web site. 2009.
The Discovery Channel web site. 2009.
UNICEF/WHO. 2008. Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation: Special Focus on Sanitation.
UN. 2007. International Year of Sanitation Global Launch
UN Water. 2008. Gender, Water and Sanitation: A Policy Brief.
UN Water. 2008. Tackling a Global Crisis: International Year of Sanitation 2008
Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). 2008. A Guide to Investigating One of the Biggest Scandals of the Last 50 Years.
Rajesh Shah of Blue Planet Run Foundation.
World Health Organization. 2008. Safer Water, Better Health: Costs, benefits, and sustainability of interventions to protect and promote health.
World Health Organization Fact Sheet Health in Water Resources Development.
Diarhhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done. UNICEF, WHO 2009
United Nations World Water Development Report, “Water in a Changing World”
DfiD [Department for International Development] Sanitation Reference Group. 2008.
2004, Wastewater Use in Irrigated Agriculture
(sewer illustration) Boston Water and Sewer Commission

Wall Street Journal- Copper's Newest Job: Germ Fighter - Points to BioLargo Opportunity

2011-10-26T05:38:00.001-07:00

COMMODITIES
OCTOBER 24, 2011

Copper's Newest Job: Germ Fighter

By TATYANA SHUMSKY

NEW YORK—A study that showed copper kills bacteria on contact points to an expansion of possible uses for the industrial metal, which is already found in a range of products.

The prospect of hospitals around the world installing copper surfaces, amid other applications of the metal, have copper producers predicting an increase in demand.

However, efforts to use more copper in medical environments are still largely in the research stage, and it's unclear whether a significant increase in consumption of the metal will result.

"Certainly, it's one of several potential sources of demand growth for copper over the next few years," said Nicholas Snowdon, a base-metals analyst with Barclays Capital. "It's something that's been on the radar for some time, but it's still not known what degree of uptake there's going to be."

Concerns about demand for copper have driven futures prices for much of this year. Strong demand from China, the world's No. 1 consumer of the metal, helped futures traded in New York settle above $4.60 a pound in February, an all-time high, while concern that the euro zone's debt crisis would cause a global economic slowdown sent prices to just above $3 Thursday. On Friday, copper for October delivery settled at $3.2190, up 5.4%.

The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, found copper surfaces in rooms in intensive-care units cut the amount of bacteria in the rooms by 97% and reduced the rate of hospital-acquired infections by 41%. The copper was tested on a variety of bacteria, including a strain of E. coli and MRSA, a type of staph bacteria that can be difficult to treat.

"If this research translates…we could potentially cut the cost of hospital-acquired infections," said Dr. Michael Schmidt, vice chairman of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, who led the study.

Approximately one out of every 20 hospitalized patients will contract an infection related to their health care while in the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mr. Schmidt said copper's superior ability to conduct electricity is what helps the metal prevent the spread of germs. All living things generate electricity, and when bacteria come in contact with a copper surface, the metal siphons off their electrons, leaving them without energy, he said.

The metal does this naturally, requiring no human intervention, he said.

Global adoption of antimicrobial copper by the health-care industry could see world copper demand increase by upward of 500,000 metric tons a year, said Jurgen Leibbrandt, executive vice president of commercial development at the world's largest copper-mining company, Chilean state-owned Corporacion del Cobre de Chile, or Codelco. Codelco donated copper to intensive-care units across Chile last year.

The company also signed a collaboration agreement with Chile's rapidly expanding subway network to ensure future stations will be outfitted with copper handrails instead of stainless steel or plastic.

"If you add in the public-transport sector, that number could be one million metric tons" a year of increased demand, Mr. Liebbrandt said.

Analysts are more cautious about the impact of antimicrobial applications on the global copper market.

Write to Tatyana Shumsky at tatyana.shumsky@dowjones.com

BioLargo, Inc.

Cargill Ground Turkey Recall is Third Largest in History- Highlights Industry Struggle with Salmonella & Another BioLargo Opportunity

FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS

Salmonella Outbreak Was Costly Quarter for Cargill

Feed the Plants Iodine Water-Method tackles IDD in China via Fertilization and Irrigation ("Fertigation")- Points to BioLargo Role with Isan System

Fighting Iodine Deficiencies in China through Fertilizer and Irrigation

Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD)- Water Under the Bridge Article from Harvard Medicine (2004)- Points to BioLargo Opportunity

Foodborne Illness poses a $77.7 billion economic burden the US- Points to BioLargo Opportunity

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Annual Foodborne Illnesses Cost $77 Billion, Study Finds

Food Safety News - Last Years Top 10 Food Safety Stories- All Pointing to BioLargo Opportunity

WORLD

Top Food Safety Stories of 2011: No. 1

Germany was epicenter for world's largest HUS outbreak

Iodine is Critical - Feed your thyroid: Nutrients and foods that nourish the thyroid

Feed your thyroid: Nutrients and foods that nourish the thyroid

Want to ensure good thyroid function through what you eat? The following foods contain nutrients helpful for thyroid function.

Iodine Deficiency Strikes Again- The Times of India reports-After milk, salt under quality check scanner - 71 Million Affected 200 Million at Risk

World's Healthiest Foods Highlights American's Risk of Iodine Deficiency- Essential Nutrient and Key to BioLargo Technology

Iodine- Part of the World's Healthiest Foods - Essential Nutrient - And Key Feature of BioLargo Technology

What can high-iodine foods do for you?

What events can indicate a need for more high-iodine foods?

Introduction to Nutrient Rating System Chart

Wall Street Journal- Shale-Gas Boom Spurs Race- Points to Huge Opportunity for Chemical Companies Like BioLargo- Water is Key

Wall Street Journal- The Inevitable Keystone Pipeline- Points to Importance of the Pipeline and BioLargo's Role in Oil Sands Environmental Safety

An Inevitable Keystone Pipeline

Top Allergy Myths: There is no such thing as an Iodine Allergy-

Myth: Iodine Allergy is a Myth - Example: People Who Are Allergic to Shellfish Are Not Actually Allergic to the Iodine in the Shellfish, rather research indicates its the muscle protein.

The relationship of radiocontrast, iodine, and seafood allergies: a medical myth exposed.

Source

Shellfish-iodine nexus is a myth

Wall Street Journal- EPA's Fracking Scare- Wyoming Water Scare- Review Points to BioLargo Oportunity

The EPA's Fracking Scare

Breaking down the facts in that Wyoming drinking water study.

***

LiveStrong- Salt and Iodine Deficiency in a Diet- Essential Nutrient and At Same Time World's Gold Standard Disinfectant - Point to BioLargo

Livestrong- Iodine Food Sources, Essential Nutrient & Gold Standard Disinfectant is Foundational for BioLargo Technology

Kelp

Meats

Eggs and Dairy

Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts

References

The OTC Investor Article- BioLargo (BLGO): Enters Billion Dollar Markets with Nature’s Best Solution(R)

Wall Street Journal- EPA's Fracking Scare- Points to BioLargo

Breaking down the facts in that Wyoming drinking water study.

***

BioLargo selected as CoFounder of Canadian Backed Research Chair for Sustainable Oil Sands Water and Tailings Pond Solutions

Message to Fellow Shareholders-Dennis Calvert- BioLargo President & CEO

BioLargo Mission and Purpose Statements- Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people wordwide

Water.org - Water Facts - Global Water Challenges

References

Wall Street Journal- Copper's Newest Job: Germ Fighter - Points to BioLargo Opportunity

Copper's Newest Job: Germ Fighter

By TATYANA SHUMSKY