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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 19, 2024 at 11:02am

Microplastics in the air may be leading to lung and colon cancers

Tires and degrading garbage shed tiny pieces of plastic into the air, creating a form of air pollution that  researchers suspect may be causing respiratory and other illnesses.

A review of some 3,000 studies implicates these particles in a variety of serious health problems. These include male and female infertility, colon cancer and poor lung function. The particles also may contribute to chronic pulmonary inflammation, which can increase the risk of lung cancer.

These microplastics are basically particulate matter air pollution, and we know this type of air pollution is harmful, say the researchers.

Microplastics are less than 5 millimeters—smaller than a grain of rice—and they are ubiquitous in the environment. Each year, companies around the world produce nearly 460 million metric tons of plastic. That is projected to reach 1.1 billion by 2050.

A major source of plastic in the air is driving. Friction wears down tires along with the road surface, sending plastic fragments into the air.

This new paper is the first systematic review of microplastics using gold standard methods approved by the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers  urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer.

 Environmental Science & Technology (2024). 

Effects of Microplastic Exposure on Human Digestive, Reproductive, and Respiratory Health: A Rapid Systematic Review

doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c09524

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 19, 2024 at 9:55am

Elevated levels of 'forever chemicals' found in several smartwatch wrist bands

Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become ubiquitous forms of wearable tech, accompanying many people throughout their days (and nights). But they may expose the skin to so-called forever chemicals in the process. More expensive wristbands made from fluorinated synthetic rubber revealed particularly high amounts of one forever chemical, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that are very good at two things—lasting seemingly forever in the environment and repelling water, sweat and oil. Because of the latter properties, manufacturers include these chemicals in many consumer products, such as stain-resistant bedding, menstrual products and fitness wear, including smartwatch and fitness tracker wristbands.

The bands contain fluoroelastomers, synthetic rubbers made from chains of PFAS, to create a material that avoids discoloration and repels dirt. Though this durability makes the bands great for sweaty workouts, it might also present a source of these compounds to get under the wearer's skin—literally.

Researchers investigated several commercially available watchbands for the presence of fluorine as well as 20 individual PFAS.

The team screened 22 wristbands from a range of brands and price points, most of them newly purchased but a few previously worn. All of the 13 bands advertised as being made from fluoroelastomers contained the element fluorine. But two of the nine bands that did not advertise being made from fluoroelastomers also contained fluorine, which indicates the potential presence of PFAS.

Of those tested, wristbands that cost more than $30 contained more fluorine than those under $15. Next, following a chemical extraction, all the wristbands were checked for 20 different PFAS. PFHxA was found to be the most common, appearing in nine of 22 tested wristbands. The median PFHxA concentration was found to be nearly 800 parts per billion (ppb), and one sample exceeded 16,000 ppb.

The researchers suggest that the large amounts of PFHxA found in the wristbands may be a result of the compound being used as a surfactant during the fluoroelastomer manufacturing process.

 Recent studies suggest that a significant percentage of these forever chemicals could pass through human skin under normal conditions.

The research team recommends purchasing lower-cost wristbands made from silicone. If the consumer wishes to purchase a higher-priced band, they suggest that they read the product descriptions and avoid any that are listed as containing fluoroelastomers.

Presence of Perfluorohexanoic Acid in Fluoroelastomer Watch Bands, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00907. pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00907

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 18, 2024 at 6:23am

The scientists also found that three metabolic pathways associated with the production of a building block for DNA and RNA—5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide or AIR—were overabundant in the mycobiome of patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. AIR is linked to purine production, necessary for energy metabolism and DNA synthesis.

The nasal mycobiome of individuals with allergic rhinitis and asthma differs from that of healthy controls in composition, structure and function, Frontiers in Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1464257

Part 3

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 18, 2024 at 6:23am

To study the nasal mycobiome, the researchers recruited 214 participants from among children and young adults attending an immunology and asthma clinic in Porto. 155 patients had both allergic rhinitis and asthma, while 47 were only diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and 12 with asthma. 125 healthy controls were also enrolled.

The scientists took samples from the participants' noses using nasal swabs and sequenced the fungal DNA they found, focusing on two specific regions to identify different fungal species and develop an overview of each participant's mycobiome. After quality controls, they had 306 samples to work with.

They then used network analysis to understand the relationships between different genera of fungi, and to characterize the different communities of fungi present in healthy and sick participants. They also investigated the function of different fungi, looking at the metabolic pathways they affect, to try to understand the implications of any mycobiome variation between the groups of patients.
The most common families of fungi across all samples were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. In these two families, 14 genera dominated the mycobiomes.

"Among these dominant genera we detected common fungi that have been recognized in humans as allergenic or opportunistic pathogenic fungi.
This suggests that the nasal cavity is a major reservoir for fungi that could be involved in allergic rhinitis and asthma.
There was a very clear and statistically significant difference between the patients with respiratory diseases and the healthy controls—and no significant difference between the different groups of patients with respiratory diseases. The patients with respiratory diseases had more diverse and richer mycobiomes.

The fungi sampled from patients with both allergic rhinitis and asthma also showed more evidence of connections between them than the fungi in the healthy participants' noses and those who only had allergic rhinitis. This could indicate that the fungi are affecting the nose's immune environment.
Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 18, 2024 at 6:21am

Patients whose allergies cause the sniffles have different fungi living in their noses, scientists discover

Several people have allergies that cause a runny nose. This respiratory disease, formally called allergic rhinitis and frequently associated with asthma, is a common problem around the world, and the upper airway is a key target for research into the underlying disease processes.

Now a global team of researchers has discovered that patients with allergy-induced sniffles and asthma have different fungal colonies or mycobiomes in their noses, suggesting potential lines of inquiry for future treatments.

This may suggest that allergic rhinitis increases the diversity and changes the composition of the upper airway's microbiome.

Allergic rhinitis causes sneezing, itching, inflamed nasal mucous membranes, and a blocked and runny nose. It's often comorbid with asthma, which also involves inflammation and obstructed airways. Allergic rhinitis and asthma may even be different aspects of the same airway inflammatory disease, which makes it critical to identify the links between them and the underlying causes.

Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 18, 2024 at 6:13am

To understand how the rats processed each task, the researchers measured the rats' neural activity. The measurements were recorded from the frontal orienting fields (FOF), a region of the brain involved in decision-making and orienting responses to external stimuli, especially in terms of adjusting behavior based on context. This would later help to understand the mechanisms at play in content-dependent decision-making.
The researchers developed a theoretical framework to explain how the brain computes context-dependent decision-making. This was based on three possible dynamic solutions for how the brain might process information.

Next, the researchers developed RNNs to simulate how each solution could be used to solve the task presented to the rats. RNNs are a type of artificial neural network used in machine learning, designed to handle sequential data—like time series or patterns that change over time.

"RNNs can be trained to solve the same task as the rats using different mechanisms.
The researchers found that not all brains use the same mechanism to solve a task, even if the same outcome is achieved.

"Measurements of brain dynamics differed between individual animals, suggesting that different brains use different mechanisms to solve the same task, even though on the surface it might look like their behavior is very similar. This result is important because it has been very hard to study this kind of individual variability before.
Additionally, the team found a strong correlation between variability in neural responses and behavioral outcomes, identifying neural signatures for these correlations. The results from the RNN models matched the observed brain activity in the rats, confirming their finding of a high degree of individual variability in handling the same task.

Marino Pagan et al, Individual variability of neural computations underlying flexible decisions, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08433-6

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 18, 2024 at 6:10am

Cognitive flexibility: How neural variability shapes decision-making in different brains

Research published in Nature has revealed that neural computations in different individuals can be implemented to solve the same decision-making tasks, even when the behavioral outcomes appear identical.

Cognitive flexibility is the ability of a brain to adapt its response to the same external stimulus, like light or sound, based on different contexts. For example, if someone calls your name in a crowded room, you must focus on the sound's location or the voice characteristics to identify the person. This flexibility in selecting and processing relevant information while ignoring irrelevant information is crucial for survival and effective interaction with our environment. The researchers aimed to develop a framework to explain how neural networks compute context-dependent selection, and link neural and behavioral variability. They began by training rats to perform decision-making tasks based on external auditory cues. Their decision-making was based on a set of two alternating rules.

The location rule required the rats to respond to the location of a series of auditory clicks. On the other hand, the frequency rule required them to respond to the frequency of the clicks while ignoring their location.

A context cue before each rule informed the rats of which rule to follow. The rules switched rapidly, requiring the rats to adjust their decision-making process quickly.
Rats can learn to solve this task with very high accuracy, and analysis of their behavior and neural activity over many trials allows us to precisely characterize the mechanisms they are using to select the context-relevant stimuli and make the right decisions
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 17, 2024 at 11:15am

Scientists develop 3D concrete printing method that captures carbon dioxide

Scientists  have developed a 3D concrete printing method that captures carbon, demonstrating a new pathway to reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry.

The innovative method, detailed in the journal Carbon Capture Science & Technology, aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of cement—a material responsible for 1.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) or about 8% of global CO₂ emissions—through lower material usage, reduced construction time, and labor requirements.

The newly developed 3D concrete printing process involves injecting steam and CO2, captured as the by-products of industrial processes, into the mixing concrete, which then directly incorporates and stores the CO2 in the concrete structure. Results have shown that the CO2 and steam injection method improved the mechanical properties of the concrete, offering increased strength compared to conventional 3D printed concrete.

Sean Gip Lim et al, Carbon capture and sequestration with in-situ CO2 and steam integrated 3D concrete printing, Carbon Capture Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ccst.2024.100306

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 17, 2024 at 10:34am

Microfibers in India's open-air laundries a 'silent disaster'

India's traditional open-air laundries, known as dhobi ghats, hold cultural significance and have provided livelihoods to thousands of washers for generations.

But these communal washing facilities now face a modern environmental challenge, in the form of microfiber—putting aquatic and human health at risk.

Tiny synthetic particles, released from clothes during washing, apart from the chemical detergents used for washing.  are polluting rivers, lakes and other water bodies in India, according to researchers.

Microfiber pollution is a silent yet growing issue. Millions of synthetic fibers are shed from clothes during washing, especially in Dhobi Ghats and commercial laundries, where filtration systems are often absent. These fibers enter water bodies, accumulate over time, and disrupt aquatic ecosystems.

A study by researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar, published earlier this year in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, was the first to measure the levels of microfibers in wastewater from Dhobi Ghats and similar commercial laundries.

In Hindi, dhobi means washerman, and ghats are landings or steps leading to the river for bathing or washing. They are part of India's huge informal economy.

But according to the study, dhobi ghats release over 3,200 microfibers per liter of wastewater, while commercial laundries discharge almost 37,000 microfibers per liter.

Most of these particles come from synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon, which are non-biodegradable. Once in the water, these microfibers harm aquatic life and eventually make their way into the human food chain.

The conclusion: The rising microfiber pollution is a silent disaster we must address immediately.

As well as microfibers, chemical detergents pose a huge risk to aquatic life and human health, while untreated sewage ends up in many rivers.

People need to be aware of how their laundry choices impact the environment.

Solutions suggested: 

Installing low-cost microfiber filters at Dhobi Ghats. These filters can trap synthetic fibers before the wastewater enters water bodies.

Centralized laundry facilities with proper wastewater treatment systems could also help. These would reduce pollution and improve working conditions for washermen.

Other solutions include using biodegradable detergents and raising awareness about eco-friendly practices among washermen.

Zaid Mushtaq Bhat et al, Microfiber pollution from Dhobi Ghats (open air laundry centers) and commercial laundries in a north Indian city, Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31700-4

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on December 14, 2024 at 11:41am

Animal dynamics

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