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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 28, 2025 at 8:52am

High microplastic levels in bird lungs suggest widespread air pollution impact

Microscopic plastic pollutants drifting through the air are lodging in the lungs of birds, a new study finds. Researchers worldwide are increasingly alarmed by how pervasive these harmful particles are in the air humans breathe and the food they eat.

Birds were chosen for the study because they are found in almost every corner of the world and often share environments with humans. Birds serve as important indicators of environmental conditions. They help us understand the state of the environment and make informed decisions about conservation and pollution control.

The researchers  studied 56 different wild birds from 51 distinct species, all sampled from the Tianfu airport in western China. They collected lung samples from each bird and performed two types of chemical analyses.

They used laser direct infrared technology to detect and count microplastics in the birds' lungs. Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry helped identify even smaller nanoplastics, which can enter the lungs through the bloodstream. Together, the tests allowed scientists to measure the amount of plastic in the birds' lungs and determine the specific types of plastics present.

The study found high concentrations of microplastics in bird lungs, with an average of 221 particles per species and 416 particles per gram of lung tissue. The most common types identified were chlorinated polyethylene, used for insulating pipes and wires, and butadiene rubber, a synthetic material in tires.

While no official "safe" level of plastic particles in lung tissue exists, high levels of microplastics have been linked to serious health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems and fertility issues.

The research highlights an urgent need to address plastic pollution in our environments, as these contaminants can have far-reaching impacts on ecosystem health, as well as human health.

 Mengzhu Wang et al, Assessing microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in bird lungs: evidence of ecological risks and bioindicator potential, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137274

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 28, 2025 at 8:37am

Their key findings were that aged smoke is more toxic:

The study found that 4-nitrocatechol was significantly more toxic to lung cells than levoglucosan. At relatively low doses, 4-nitrocatechol reduced cell survival and caused oxidative stress—an imbalance that damages cells and can lead to lung diseases.
Exposure to 4-nitrocatechol disrupted the function of mitochondria in lung cells, leading to a process called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This damage could contribute to long-term lung problems.
While levoglucosan exposure also led to cellular stress, its effects were much less severe compared to 4-nitrocatechol. Cells exposed to levoglucosan showed signs of mitochondrial stress, but they were able to recover over time.
Since 4-nitrocatechol forms when biomass smoke reacts with urban air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, areas affected by both wildfires and traffic pollution may be particularly at risk.
While wearing an N95 or P100 mask can help filter out fine particles, it may not fully protect against toxic gases and chemicals present in aged smoke. Here are some steps individuals can take:

Use HEPA air purifiers to remove fine particles from indoor air, and keeping windows and doors closed can help minimize smoke infiltration.
Ensure that homes are properly sealed to prevent smoke from entering through cracks, vents or poorly fitted windows and doors; avoid using candles, gas stoves or burning wood indoors, as these can add to indoor air pollution;
In extreme conditions, individuals with respiratory issues or prolonged exposure may consider investing in gas masks with activated carbon filters, which can help remove both particles and harmful gases.
If air quality levels are hazardous and exposure is prolonged, relocating to an area with cleaner air—either indoors with filtered ventilation or to a different location—might be the safest option.
This study reinforces concerns that exposure to biomass smoke—especially aged smoke containing 4-nitrocatechol—can have serious health consequences.
Long-term exposure to these pollutants has been linked to respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. People who live in wildfire-prone areas or who frequently burn wood for heating should take extra precautions, say the researchers.

Faria Khan et al, Evidence for cytotoxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction in human lung cells exposed to biomass burning aerosol constituents: Levoglucosan and 4-nitrocatechol, Environmental Pollution (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125173

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 28, 2025 at 8:35am

Aged biomass emissions could pose greater risk to lungs than fresh wildfire smoke

Biomass burning—whether from wildfires, wood stoves or agricultural fires—sends massive amounts of tiny particles and chemicals into the air. These emissions are not just an environmental issue; they pose serious health risks, especially for our lungs.

An Environmental Pollution study reveals how two key components of biomass smoke—levoglucosan and 4-nitrocatechol—affect human lung cells. Their findings suggest that aged smoke, which has undergone chemical changes in the atmosphere, could be even more dangerous than fresh smoke.

Biomass burning refers to the combustion of organic materials like wood, leaves and crop residues. This process releases large amounts of carbon-based aerosols, which contribute to air pollution. Among the many chemicals produced in the smoke, levoglucosan and 4-nitrocatechol serve as important markers.

Levoglucosan is a sugar-like compound released when wood burns, while 4-nitrocatechol forms when smoke interacts with nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, a process known as chemical aging. While scientists have long studied the environmental effects of biomass burning, less is known about how these compounds directly impact human health.

Researchers used two different types of lung cells: BEAS-2B cells, which represent normal lung-lining cells, and A549 cells, which come from lung cancer tissue and are commonly used in respiratory studies. The researchers exposed these cells to different concentrations of levoglucosan and 4-nitrocatechol over 24 and 48 hours. They then measured cell survival, stress levels and signs of damage to the cells' mitochondria—the "power plants" of cells that generate energy.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 10:21am

Five common controversial tests in Instagram and TikTok posts
Full-body MRI scan: Claimed to test for up to 500 conditions, yet no evidence of benefit for healthy people, while real dangers exist of unnecessary diagnoses and overtreatment.

Multi-cancer early detection tests: Claimed to screen for more than 50 cancers, yet clinical trials are still underway. As yet, there is no evidence that the benefits of screening healthy populations will outweigh the harms of unnecessary cancer diagnoses.

AMH or "egg-timer" test: While beneficial for certain women, this test is falsely promoted to healthy women as a test for fertility, with concerns the results can lead to unnecessary, costly fertility treatments.

Gut microbiome test: Test promises "wellness" via early detection of many conditions—from flatulence to depression—without good evidence of benefit, alongside concerns that test results could lead to medical overuse, causing harm and waste.

Testosterone test: No evidence of benefit for testing healthy men, yet the danger of overuse of treatments; long-term safety of testosterone therapy, in relation to adverse cardiovascular events and early death, has not yet been established.

 Social Media Posts about Medical Tests with Potential for Overdiagnosis, JAMA Network Open (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.61940

Part 3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 10:21am

These findings suggest social media is an open sewer of medical misinformation.

This is a public health crisis that exacerbates overdiagnosis and threatens the sustainability of health systems.

A detailed analysis of the results found that posts from medical doctors, posts mentioning scientific evidence, or scientists themselves and posts from influencers with no financial interest in the tests, tended to be more balanced overall. The research group is currently investigating ways to better regulate this type of misleading medical information on social media.

Given that social media platforms like Instagram are moving away from fact-checking their content, the need for stronger regulation to prevent misleading medical information has gained urgency, say the researchers. 

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 10:18am

Study finds influencers promote 'overwhelmingly' misleading information about medical tests on social media

Influencers are promoting "overwhelmingly" misleading information about medical tests on Instagram and TikTok, according to a global University of Sydney-led study published in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers analyzed almost 1,000 posts about five controversial medical screening tests that had been promoted by social media influencers to almost 200 million followers. They found most posts had no reference to scientific evidence, were promotional, had explicit financial interests and failed to mention potential harms.

The tests included full-body MRI scans; genetic testing claiming to identify early signs of 50 cancers; blood tests for testosterone levels; the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) test which surveys a woman's egg count; and the gut microbiome test. Experts say these tests have limited evidence of benefit in healthy people and could lead to overdiagnosis and overuse.

The vast majority of these posts were overwhelmingly misleading, the study concludes. They are being promoted under the guise of early screening, as a way to take control of your own health. The problem is they are unnecessary for most people and, in some cases, the science backing their efficacy is shaky.

One example is the 'egg timer' or AMH test. It is being heavily marketed to women by influencers as a way of measuring fertility, but experts do not consider it to be reliable. There is the concern that a low result discovered outside the context of a specific medical issue may drive some women to unnecessary, costly fertility interventions.

Another example is the testosterone test, often marketed to men using fear-mongering tactics to then promote testosterone supplements which claim to enhance masculinity and sexual performance. This is risky as the long-term safety of testosterone replacement therapy on cardiovascular health and mortality is still unknown.

One of the underlying themes being used by influencers promoting these tests is that knowledge is power, but most information is cherry-picked. When it comes to health, getting the full picture is so important, and half-truths are often lies.

Among the 982 posts on Instagram and TikTok:

• 87% mentioned the benefits of the tests, yet only 15% mentioned potential harms;
• Only 6% mentioned the risk of overdiagnosis or overtreatment;
• Only 6% mentioned scientific evidence, while 34% used personal anecdotes to promote the test;
• 68% of influencers and other account holders had financial interests in promoting the test (e.g. partnership, collaboration, sponsorship or selling for own profit in some way).

Part 1

The study found 85% of the posts did not mention any test downsides or risks. These tests carry the potential for healthy people to receive unnecessary diagnoses, which could lead to unnecessary medical treatments or impact mental health.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 9:54am

A protein from tiny tardigrades may help cancer patients tolerate radiation therapy

Radiation can have severe side effects that often end up being too difficult for cancer  patients to tolerate.

Drawing inspiration from a tiny organism that can withstand huge amounts of radiation, researchers  have developed a new strategy that may protect patients from this kind of damage. Their approach makes use of a protein from tardigrades, often also called "water bears," which are usually less than a millimeter in length.

When the researchers injected messenger RNA encoding this protein into mice, they found that it generated enough protein to protect cells' DNA from radiation-induced damage. If developed for use in humans, this approach could benefit many cancer patients, the researchers say.

Radioprotection of healthy tissue via nanoparticle-delivered mRNA encoding for a damage-suppressor protein found in tardigrades, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01360-5

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 9:50am

Schizophrenia is reflected in the brain structure, study shows

The symptoms of schizophrenia vary greatly from person to person. A new study appearing in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows how these differences manifest themselves in the structure of the brain.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental health condition that affects perception, thought and emotions. This complexity is reflected in the individual manifestations of the disease: for some patients, perceptual disturbances are the main problem, while for others, cognitive impairments are more prevalent.

In this sense, there is not one schizophrenia, but many, each with different neurobiological profiles, say the specialists.

To do justice to each of these types of schizophrenia, a precision medicine approach would have to be adopted – for example, with therapies that precisely match the respective neurobiological profile.

This requires approaches that look for both individual differences and similarities at the neurobiological level.

In an international multicenter study, a research team examined the variability of brain structure in patients with schizophrenia: Which brain networks show a high degree of individuality and which a high degree of similarity?

The researchers examined several characteristics, including the thickness and surface area of the cerebral cortex, as well as the folding pattern and volume of deeper brain regions.

The data was taken from the ENIGMA collaboration, an international research project that combined imaging data from more than 6,000 people in 22 countries. By comparing the brain structures of several thousand patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals, the variability of brain structure could be studied with a high degree of reliability.

While variable brain structures in schizophrenia may reflect differences in symptoms between patients, the uniformity of brain folding in the mid-frontal brain area suggests a developmental trait common to people with schizophrenia. Because brain folding is largely completed in early childhood, brain development during this period appears to be less flexible in schizophrenia patients, particularly in areas responsible for linking thinking and feeling processes.

These findings broaden our understanding of the neurobiological basis of schizophrenia.

While uniform brain folding may indicate possible mechanisms of disease development, regions with high variability in brain structure may be relevant for the development of individualized treatment strategies.

Wolfgang Omlor et al, Estimating Multimodal Structural Brain Variability in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Worldwide ENIGMA Study, American Journal of Psychiatry (2025). DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230806 , psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230806

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 9:37am

Slowing food spoilage without chemicals: Natural tree sap gum and light extend fruit shelf life

Recent studies  have used a natural tree sap gum and light to extend the shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables to combat food waste.

Researchers used edible coatings made from gum Arabic or acacia gum enriched with extracts from native Australian plants to stop the growth of spoilage causing microorganisms.

The research team also used light and curcumin, a compound extracted from turmeric, to deactivate fungal spores on food.

 Both methods were found to be effective in keeping food fresh for longer.

This was mostly due to the organic acids and phenolic compounds found in the aqueous extracts of plants like Cape York lilly pilly, boonjee tamarind, and Tasmanian pepper leaves.  These extracts showed promising antimicrobial properties and the sensory analysis also revealed the fruit looked and smelled better.

The curcumin-based photosensitization technique completely deactivated the fungal spores responsible for gray mold in fresh produce.

When applied to strawberries, it reduced decay incidence and severity by 20% without compromising the fruit's color or firmness.

 Maral Seididamyeh et al, Gum Arabic edible coating embedded aqueous plant extracts: Interactive effects of partaking components and its effectiveness on cold storage of fresh-cut capsicum, Food Control (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.110267

Maral Seididamyeh et al, Curcumin‐mediated photodynamic treatment to extend the postharvest shelf‐life of strawberries, Journal of Food Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.17341

Maral Seididamyeh et al, Effect of gum Arabic on antifungal photodynamic activity of curcumin against Botrytis cinerea spores, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137019

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on February 27, 2025 at 9:18am

Hidden risks from plastic-coated fertilizers in soil

Farmers are always looking for smarter ways to boost crop health, and one of the industry's latest game-changers is polymer-coated, controlled-release fertilizers (PC-CRFs). These high-tech soil enhancers deliver nutrients gradually, ensuring plants get exactly what they need when they need it without the waste of traditional methods.

While PC-CRFs can boost crop efficiency, a new study by researchers uncovers a downside—microplastic pollution. As the polymer coatings break down in the soil, they release tiny plastic particles into the environment.

In PC-CRFs, the plant nutrients are enclosed within a microcapsule. This microcapsule is designed to slowly release the fertilizers into the farmland over time. The non-biodegradable coatings left over after this process is complete can be considered microplastics.

This raises concerns about the long-term impact of this microplastic pollution to the health of people and animals.

Since previous studies have detected microplastics in farmland, we are left with big questions like how much is being released, and what kinds of plastics are involved.

 But if PC-CRFs must be used, scientists urge farmers to implement effective storm water management to prevent these microplastics from running off into nearby water sources.

Various soil environments, moisture conditions and soil organisms can impact the disintegration of the microcapsule differently. Also, PC-CRFs may use different types of plastics, so further research is needed to determine the variations between them.

Linkon Bhattacharjee et al, Mechanisms of microplastic generation from polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers (PC-CRFs), Journal of Hazardous Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.137082

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