Toxicology

HUMIC ACID FOUND IN SOIL REDUCES ANIMAL DEATHS An acid found rich in hummus soil breaks down the misfolded proteins called prions that cause chronic wasting diseases. Prions are misfolded proteins which characterize several fatal neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. These malformed versions of proteins affect the nearby normal proteins to take on its complex shape and is harmful to the nerve cells. Infected animals become disoriented, and are unable to chew food or drink water months before death. Chronic wasting disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disease. It has killed large populations of deer, elk and moose. This has been spread across several countries such as South Korea, Sweden and Norway.  Deers are prone to be infected when they graze in prion contaminated areas. The discovery of how humic acid affects prions makes it easier to curb this disease.  Humic acid is a substance that is found naturally in soil. It binds to a plant'