LIVERMORE FALLS – Genotoxicity, or gene damage induced by toxins, is the subject of the Androscoggin Regional River Partnership’s next meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, in the Livermore Falls Treat Memorial Library meeting room.

The public is welcome to attend the program

Blake Whittaker, associate professor of natural and applied sciences at the University of Southern Maine and a member of USM’s Center for Integrated and Applied Environmental Toxicology, will present his most recent studies, including the examination of blood specimens obtained from several species of fish and loons sampled from the Androscoggin River Watershed.

One finding was that smallmouth bass caught in Lake Umbagog revealed a relatively low level of genotoxic damage, which contrasted significantly with smallmouth bass sampled from below Lisbon Falls, the study’s most downstream sampling location.

The Androscoggin Regional River Partnership is a group of interested residents, businesses and industries from Canton through Turner working in partnership to revitalize the use of the Androscoggin River as a community resource through education, recreation, protection and sustained development.

More information may be obtained by calling Debi Davidson at the Maine Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America at 207-897-6295, or by sending e-mail to [email protected].