Dirty Air Linked to Common Brain Tumor, 21-Year Study Finds + More
Source: Children’s Health Defense
Dirty Air Linked to Common Brain Tumor, 21-Year Study Finds
Science and Technology Daily reported:
Individuals who are exposed to elevated levels of air pollution could face a greater likelihood of developing meningioma, a usually benign brain tumor, according to a large-scale study published in Neurology Clinical Practice, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Meningiomas commonly arise in the protective layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord. While the study identifies a connection between air pollution and meningioma, it does not establish a causal relationship. The research examined a range of air pollutants, particularly those associated with traffic, such as nitrogen dioxide and ultrafine particles, which tend to be most concentrated in urban areas.
“Many forms of air pollution have been linked to negative health outcomes, and ultrafine particles are small enough to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, potentially affecting brain tissue directly,” explained study author Ulla Hvidtfeldt, Ph.D., of the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen.
“Our findings indicate that prolonged exposure to traffic-related and other sources of air pollution may contribute to the development of meningioma, reinforcing existing evidence that air pollution can impact the brain as well as the heart and lungs.”
Study Maps Factory Farm Hotspots as Federal Court Tosses Emissions Lawsuit
Roughly a quarter of the nation’s large cattle, dairy and hog farms are located in just 30 U.S. counties, a new satellite-mapping study has found. The research also links large farms — whether in these dense hotspots or scattered elsewhere — to elevated air pollution.
The study supports concerns about the environmental impacts of factory livestock farms, which drive up air pollution levels by kicking up dust and ammonia in the massive amounts of manure onsite. It also comes on the heels of a federal ruling last week that supported exemptions for animal feeding operations from letting state and local officials know about “dangerous” pollutants, including air emissions.
The ruling sided with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry farm groups in continuing an exemption under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and tossed a lawsuit filed by environmental groups.
The environmental groups alleged that the EPA “acted arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to consider the public’s right to access information” when the agency determined animal waste air emissions no longer needed to be reported.
Chemours ‘Boldly’ Violating Pollution Permit, Putting Ohio River at Risk, Judge Rules
Louisville Courier Journal reported:
Chemical manufacturer Chemours must stop unlawfully polluting the Ohio River with PFAS from a West Virginia plant, a federal judge ordered Aug. 7, citing a pattern of permit violations and impacts from the discharges “as far downstream as Louisville.”
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are commonly known as “forever chemicals” for their extreme persistence in the environment.
Exposure to HFPO-DA — the type of PFAS highlighted in the case — has been linked to cancer, damage to the liver and immune system, harm to fetal growth and other concerns. The plant in question, Washington Works, sits on the Ohio River outside Parkersburg, West Virginia, about 125 miles upstream from the Kentucky border.
“In this case, there is no ambiguity: Defendant Chemours has discharged unpermitted levels of toxic pollutants into the Ohio River. Defendant knows that it has been violating its permit, and it is likely to continue. As a direct result, the public is exposed to real and ongoing harm,” U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin said in the order. “The Clean Water Act prohibits this. The public need not bear the burden or cost of Defendant’s inaction.”
Tech Company Makes Key Breakthrough With Tiny Organisms That Eat Plastic: ‘Action Is Needed at Some Point’
Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, a Spain-based biotech company, aims to tackle plastic pollution head-on. Darwin’s researchers have developed a technology that utilizes microorganisms to biodegrade microplastics, per NutraIngredients. The research recently received a significant funding boost from Repsol, a Spanish energy company, making commercialization a real possibility.
After thoroughly testing the tech in labs, the next step is to study it under real-world conditions. Ideally, the microorganisms would degrade plastics found in both water and soil by using them as a carbon source. Plastic pollution has made microplastics inescapable. They’ve been studied most thoroughly in oceans and marine life, but recent research has discovered them in the human body, with far-reaching health consequences.
While experts admit the info is limited, the studies that have been conducted thus far don’t bode well. According to Harvard Medicine, microplastics have been found to cause cell death, reproductive issues, liver problems, and more.
Trillions of Microplastics Are Released by This Super Popular Cleaning Tool Every Month
Talk about a dirty little secret. A popular cleaning tool might leave your counters sparkling, but new research shows that the household staple is quietly shedding trillions of microplastics into the environment every month.
Those pesky particles don’t just disappear. They seep into the food you eat, the water you drink and the air you breathe. Eventually, they wind up in your body, too — and early evidence suggests they could be doing serious damage once they get there.
Scientists from the American Chemical Society took a closer look at so-called “magic” sponges, popular for their ability to remove grit and grime using water alone. Their scrubbing power comes from melamine foam, a lightweight yet durable plastic that acts like ultra-fine sandpaper to gently scrape away dirt and stains from surfaces.
