The International Journal of Phytoremediation has issued a retraction for a 2013 article suggesting algae could shield against gamma radiation better than lead.
Sadly, such an innovation was not to be — the editors have pulled the paper, saying:
We are now cognizant that there are issues with the data and determinations made within the manuscript that cannot be corrected through a corrigendum.
The paper is now covered by a dizzying watermark. (The first page can be seen here.)
Here’s more from the retraction for “Shielding Property of Natural Biomass Against Gamma Rays”, authored by a group of professors at Amasya University, Aksaray University, and Suleyman Demirel University in Turkey:
“We, the Editors and Publisher of International Journal of Phytoremediation are retracting the following article:
B. Mavi, F. Gurbuz, H. Ciftci, and I. Akkurt “Shielding Property of Natural Biomass Against Gamma Rays,” International Journal of Phytoremediation 16.3 (2014): 247–256, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2013.773276
We are now cognizant that there are issues with the data and determinations made within the manuscript that cannot be corrected through a corrigendum.
The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but each page will be digitally watermarked as RETRACTED.”
Stephen Ebbs and Lee Newman, the journal’s co-editors in chief, did not reply to requests for comment. We’ve also tried two of the four authors, Iskender Akkurt and Betul Mavi, and we’ll update the article if they respond.
Hat tip: Rolf Degen
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