Why B-cells go bad...

The national incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas has increased 10-fold over the last decade and NHL is sometimes regarded as an epidemic cancer. What is behind this rapid increase? What are the key environmental factors? Such questions have, of course, been nagging at me over the last month but I just haven't had the time to get into the literature.

Today as I was trying to get my head above water with work and school, I was struck by the myriad ways in which my experiences somehow reflect a fundamental unity. Yesterday, I had read an insightful paper for my doctoral class at the U which included this quote: "Writing is not simply a tool we use to express a self we already have; it is a means by which we form a self to express" (Harris, J. 1987). This morning, as I was working on re-writing tomorrow's lecture for my People & the Environment course this fact came through with special force. Tomorrow's talk is about the biological, economic, and social ramifications of potato farming in central Minnesota. In previous renditions of this presentation I have focused on the high incidence of "blue baby syndrome" in areas where groundwater nitrate levels are high. As I was reviewing my notes, I came across this:

• "An epidemiological study of nitrate in well water in Nebraska showed an association between nitrate contamination and non-Hodgkins lymphoma (Weisenburger 1990). The study reported that NHL incidence was twice as high in counties where more than 20% of the wells were contaminated by nitrate or in the 33% of counties with highest fertilizer use."

Interestingly, the report also notes that there is a long latency between exposure and appearance of disease. Childhood exposures correlate with increased NHL incidence in adults. Growing up in a county as agriculturally oriented as Otter Tail this struck me as more than a little bit interesting. The area centered on Otter Tail, Wadena, & Todd Counties has some of the highest groundwater nitrate levels anywhere in Minnesota. Not surprisingly, groundwater nitrate levels are usually highest in areas with shallow water tables since such areas are especially sensitive to contamination from agricultural activity at the land surface (especially center-pivot fertigation and feedlots). As a side note, prolonged expose to nitrates in water is also correlated with the appearance of high blood pressure in people with no other known genetic or environmental risk factors (e.g., my Mom).

The current biggest single nitrate polluter in central and west central Minnesota is potato farming (See my powerpoint notes for tomorrow's lecture for more on this). Potato farming is irrigation intensive and spud yields repond directly and strongly to additions of nitrate fertilizers. Unfortunately, in light sandy soils much (perhaps even most) of this 'fertilizer' leaches directly into groundwater. Ron Offut's LambWeston/ConAgra french fry plant south of Park Rapids drives the local potato industry. Interestingly enough, Ron Offutt was also Minnesota best-rewarded single recipient of federal farm subsidy dollars in 2002 ($1 million plus in 2002 alone!). It's enough to tick a guy off -- and yes, now I do take it personally and have a 'self to express' -- first we look the other way while business as usual poisons our shared groundwater and then at tax time we meekly turn around and contribute to the same fat cat's retirement fund! Of course, I am sure RDO will gladly kick in to cover my medical bills (as well as the bills of all those others subject to groundwater poisoned with nitrates in pursuit of higher profit margins). All for now...I've got to finish my (other) lecture before looking to see if Ron's contribution to my medical fund is in my mailbox! I'll let you all know when it arrives. /dps