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Poison ivy is getting tougher, stronger and angrier

New evidence suggests that deforestation and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are creating a meaner poison ivy.

By Katherine ButlerThu, Jul 22 2010 at 1:34 PM EST
 6

Photo: cygnus921/Flickr
Poison ivy is feared, respected, and most of all, avoided. But new evidence shows that the beast of the wild is getting stronger, tougher and decidedly angrier. NPR reports on a highly developed poison ivy that is spreading through our forests. And like Frankenstein’s monster, this disaster is one of man’s making.
 
Poison ivy is already known as a devilish detail of outdoor life. Its venom is urushiol oil. Only 1 nanogram of urushiol oil — a billionth of a gram — is needed to cause a reaction. The oil stays active for one to five years on a dead plant. The term “poison ivy” was first coined by Captain John Smith is 1609. Allergy to the plant is the most common, meaning up to 90 percent of people are allergic.
 
Clearly, poison ivy doesn’t mess around. New evidence shows that it is getting stronger. Dr. Lewis Ziska is a plant physiologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. As Ziska told NPR, the plant is spreading and it’s getting more vicious. The same is true for poison oak and sumac.
 
Why is this happening? One of the reasons is the increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to greenhouse gases. According to Ziska, “One of the things that we think is occurring is that as carbon dioxide is increasing in the atmosphere — carbon dioxide, as everyone knows, is a basic greenhouse gas, but it's also plant food. And plants take that carbon, and they convert it into sugars and carbohydrates and so forth.”
 
Poison ivy likes carbon dioxide, and we are feeding it to the plant in abundance.
 
The result is that the planet harbors more poison ivy and stronger versions of it. If you live in an area rimmed by forest, you’re going to get a larger exposure. As forests are cut down, the forest floor is exposed to more sunlight — another characteristic that fuels poison ivy growth. More people means more carbon dioxide — and now, more monster rashes.
 
The only way to fight the new super plant is to wash with soap and water immediately after contact. According to Ziska, the urushiol oil is absorbed into your skin in as little as eight to 10 minutes. Once it's on your skin, there’s not much you can do except suffer through the rash. Keep an eye out for the three-leaved culprit — as the saying goes, “leaves of three, let them be.” And keep your soap and water handy.
 
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Related Topics: Outdoor Activities, Urushiol, Wilderness

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anonymous
Sofia Hoover 03/01/2012 01:04 AM

Any news about A defector's mystical disappearance?

anonymous
Harold Brwon 08/29/2010 15:42 PM

I harvest and market a natural,herbal product that stops the itch and heals the rash of poison ivy and many other rashes really fast. wwwnaturespoisonivyrelief.com "the poison ivy guy"

anonymous
Suzanne 08/02/2010 07:25 AM

Hello All,
If you are not willing to eat 3 leaves of poisin ivy each spring to stop being allergic for that summer there is another way to treat the rash. Take a head of cabbage, pull off a leaf, scratch with it till your hearts content. I actually have wrapped it inside an ace bandage on bad cases. It dries up the blisters, and stops it faster and more effectively than even steroids does.

anonymous
David G 07/30/2010 11:25 AM

There is a succulent plant that grows along creeks and damp areas in the east (Kentucky) that we called Jewel Weed that has the consistency of aloe vera that relieves itch from poison ivy.

anonymous
Jan D 07/30/2010 11:26 AM

I'm another that's had terrible experiences with poison ivy...the best remedy I've ever found is old-fashioned lye soap, if you can find it. If you even suspect there's a chance you might've been in contact, SCRUB!!! And, if you've already broken out in blisters, SCRUB!!! I put a coupla inches of water in the tub and get in there with my soap and a nail brush...I scrub the soap right into the blisters, and believe it or not, it feels SOOO good!!! The soap kills the itch, and kills the weepy,.... More

anonymous
linda hogan 07/30/2010 11:25 AM

Tip from my last newsletter..Mix 1gal vinegar, 1 C salt, 2T dish soap. Shake together and spray on the poison ivy, oak, sumac, etc. It will kill the plant. Respecting it and asking it to move out of your yard helps too. Well, it does for me anyway.

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