Ashland Toxicology program featured in Columbus Dispatch

Dr. Andy Trimble as well as toxicology student Shane Daugherty and Ashland's toxicology program were featured in the Columbus Dispatch's Sunday Science Section on Sunday, January 13. The article, titled "Examining the cost of our high-sodium winter diet," focused on the Ashland University toxicology program and how a research team is studying the effect of road salt on wildlife in rivers and streams.

Dr. Trimble and his students are using the invertebrate Hyalella azteca as a "canary in the coalmine" to assess what effect road salt may have on local ecology.  Hyalella is near the bottom of the food chain for freshwater habitats, and effects on this species can have ramifications for many other organisms.  Shane Daugherty says that his research may show whether it is better to use a mix of salts or just one type for road de-icing.

Ashland University's undergraduate toxicology program is one of only ten in the country and the only one at a small liberal arts college.