Category: Environmental Effects

Categories : Dentistry Environmental EffectsTags :

Study Gives Water Fluoridation a Green Thumbs Up

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For the first time, researchers have demonstrated the low environmental footprint of water fluoridation compared to other preventive measures for tooth decay while still retaining effectiveness. The study is published in the British Dental Journal.

Water fluoridation is regarded as one of the most significant public health interventions of the twentieth century. But as the climate crisis worsens, the contribution of healthcare and the prevention of disease to the crisis must be considered.

Influenced by this urgency, Trinity College Dublin researchers collaborating with University College London quantified the environmental impact of water fluoridation for an individual five year-old child over a one-year period and compared this to the traditional use of fluoride varnish and toothbrushing programmes, which take place in selected schools across the UK, and internationally.

Over 35% of the world’s population has access to water fluoridation, with studies showing significant reductions in dental caries. Whilst data on the clinical effectiveness and cost analysis of water fluoridation are available, there has been no data regarding its environmental impact up to now.

To quantify this impact, the research team performed a Life Cycle Assessment by carefully measuring the combined travel, the weight and amounts of all products and the processes involved in all three preventive programmes (toothbrushing, fluoride varnish programmes and water fluoridation). Data was inputted into specialised environmental software and the team used the Ecoinvent database, enabling them to calculate environmental outputs, including the carbon footprint, the amount of water used for each product and the amount of land use.

The results of the study, led by Brett Duane, Associate Professor in Dental Public Health at Trinity College, concluded that water fluoridation had the lowest environmental impact in all categories studied, and had the lowest disability-adjusted life years impact when compared to all other community-level caries prevention programmes. The study also found that water fluoridation gives the greatest return on investment.

Considering the balance between clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability, researchers believe that water fluoridation should be the preventive intervention of choice.

This research strengthens the case internationally for water fluoridation programmes to reduce dental decay, especially in the most vulnerable populations.

Assoc Prof Duane said: “As the climate crisis starts to worsen, we need to find ways of preventing disease to reduce the environmental impact of our health systems. This research clearly demonstrates the low carbon impact of water fluoridation as an effective prevention tool.”

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions Environmental EffectsTags :

Wealth Divide, not Vitamin D, Explains Differing MS Rates

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Differences in vitamin D exposure have been thought to explain why people who live farther from the equator are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS). But countries farther from the equator are also more likely to be wealthier. A new analysis published in Neurology shows that the amount a country spends on health care may help explain this relationship between MS and latitude.

According to study author Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS, the results suggest that MS rates may be greatly underestimated in low-income countries with lower health care spending, which means that people have less access to neurologists who have the expertise to diagnose MS and MRI scanners that are needed to make the diagnosis.

Researchers analysed data from scientific studies and databases to determine current rates of MS in 203 countries and territories. Countries were then grouped into world regions and by income levels.

Rates of MS varied by region and income level. For example, in high-income countries an average of 46 of every 100 000 people had MS, compared to 10 people per 100 000 in low-income countries. Health care spending per capita was $2805 for high-income countries, compared to $45 in low-income countries.

For each location, researchers examined gross domestic product per capita, current health expenditure per capita, income levels, the availability of brain scans to diagnose MS, the number of neurologists per capita and universal health care. They also reviewed lifestyle factors such as obesity and tobacco use.

Once the researchers adjusted the data for other factors that could affect the risk of MS, such as age and sex, they found that health care spending and latitude were strongly associated with MS rates. The research showed that, with every increase of one standard deviation in health expenditure per capita, a country’s MS prevalence increased by 0.49. Alternatively, with every increase of one standard deviation in latitude, a country’s MS prevalence increased by 0.65.

Researchers also found that health care spending explained some, but not all, of the link between latitude and MS. After adjusting for other factors, the link between latitude and MS decreased by more than 20% when health care expenditure per capita was considered.

The availability of universal health care was associated with rates of MS in all world regions, except Southeast Asia, with universal health care tied to higher rates of MS.

In high-income countries, rates of MS were linked to most factors, including gross domestic product per capita, current health expenditure per capita, and the number of neurologists, but not tobacco use and obesity or the number of MRI units per capita. However, in low-income countries, there were no associations with any of these factors, which may be explained by a lack of significant variation in data from these countries, Saylor said.

According to Dr Saylor, the finding that current health expenditure per capita was very strongly linked with national rates of MS further supports the hypothesis that greater investment in health care leads to more robust reporting of rates of MS. She also said the minimal links between rates of MS and lifestyle factors such as tobacco use and obesity run counter to prior assumptions that lifestyle and consumption behaviours explain the large portions of regional differences in reported rates of MS.

Dr Saylor said strategies are urgently needed for the accurate assessment of the burden of MS in low-income countries, and these lower reported MS can obscure the need for training and funding regarding MS.

A limitation of the study is that different data sources may have collected information during different time periods or used different methods, which could affect the accuracy of estimates.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Categories : Environmental EffectsTags :

Study Finds Roundup® Weed Killer Causes Convulsions in Animals

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A recent report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 80% of urine samples from children and adults in the US contained the herbicide glyphosate. A study published in Scientific Reports takes this research one step further and is the first to link the use of the herbicide Roundup®, a widely used weed killer, to convulsions in animals.

Glyphosate, the weed killer component in Roundup®, is the world’s most commonly used herbicide by volume and by land-area treated. Glyphosate-resistant crops account for almost 80% of transgenic crop cultivated land, which has resulted in an estimated 6.1 billion kg of glyphosate sprayed across the world from 2005 to 2014. Roundup® is used at both industrial and consumer levels, and its use is projected to dramatically increase over the coming years. A major question, yet to be fully understood, is the potential impact of glyphosate on the nervous system.

“It is concerning how little we understand the impact of glyphosate on the nervous system,” said project leader Akshay S. Naraine, a PhD student at FAU and the International Max Planck Research School for Synapses and Circuits. “More evidence is mounting for how prevalent exposure to glyphosate is, so this work hopefully pushes other researchers to expand on these findings and solidify where our concerns should be.”    

Results showed that glyphosate and Roundup® increased seizure-like behaviour in soil-dwelling roundworms and provides significant evidence that glyphosate targets GABA-A receptors. These communication points are essential for locomotion and are heavily involved in regulating sleep and mood in humans. What truly sets this research apart is that it was done at significantly lower levels than recommended by the EPA and those used in past studies. 

“The concentration listed for best results on the Roundup® Super Concentrate label is 0.98% glyphosate, which is about 5 tablespoons of Roundup® in 1 gallon [3.8 litres] of water,” said Naraine. “A significant finding from our study reveals that just 0.002% glyphosate, a difference of about 300 times less herbicide than the lowest concentration recommended for consumer use, had concerning effects on the nervous system.”

Using C. elegans, a soil-dwelling roundworm, researchers first tested glyphosate alone and then both the US and UK formulations of Roundup® from two distinct time periods – before and after the UK’s 2016 ban on polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEAs). These conditions were selected to pinpoint which effects are specific to the active ingredient glyphosate, Roundup® formulations in general, the POEAs surfactants, or any combination of these.   

The study found that the active ingredient glyphosate exacerbated convulsions in C. elegans and suggest the GABA-A receptor as a neurological target for the observed physiological changes. The data also indicate that there is an important distinction between exposure to glyphosate and Roundup®, with Roundup® exposure increasing the percentage of C. elegans that did not recover from seizure activity. The non-recovery phenotype and prolonged convulsions in C. elegans from this study have helped to set a foundation for understanding  nuanced physiological effects of herbicide that occur at concentrations exponentially below neurotoxic levels.

“Given how widespread the use of these products is, we must learn as much as we can about the potential negative impacts that may exist,” said lab head Ken Dawson-Scully, PhD, professor at Nova Southeastern University. “There have been studies done in the past that showed the potential dangers, and our study takes that one step further with some pretty dramatic results.”  

Findings also generate concern over how herbicide use might affect soil-dwelling organisms like C. elegans.

“These roundworms undergo convulsions under thermal stress, and our data strongly implicates glyphosate and Roundup® exposure in exacerbating convulsive effects. This could prove vital as we experience the effects of climate change,” said Naraine.

This study provides evidence to further investigate how chronic exposure and accumulation may lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, there also is a sub-neurodegenerative threshold that may dramatically impact dysregulation of neurotransmission.

“As of now, there is no information for how exposure to glyphosate and Roundup® may affect humans diagnosed with epilepsy or other seizure disorders,” said Dawson-Scully. “Our study indicates that there is significant disruption in locomotion and should prompt further vertebrate studies.”

Source: EurekAlert!

Categories : Cancer Environmental EffectsTags :

Living Near Fracking Sites Increases Childhood Leukaemia Risk

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Children living near unconventional oil and gas (UOG) or ‘fracking’ developments at birth had a 2–3 times greater risk of leukaemia diagnoses between 2 and 7 years old, researchers have found.

Their study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, included nearly 2500 Pennsylvania children, 405 of whom were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

ALL arises from mutations to lymphoid immune cells. Although long-term survival rates are high, survivors may have long-term health risks and psychological issues. Unconventional oil and gas development, more commonly referred to as fracking (short for hydraulic fracturing), is a method for extracting gas and oil from shale rock. The process involves high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals into bedrock to release oil or gas for extraction.

For communities living nearby, UOG development can pose a number of potential threats. As well as air pollution from vehicles and construction, there is also water pollution from hydraulic fracturing or spills of wastewater. Hundreds of chemicals have been reportedly used in UOG injection water or detected in wastewater, some of which are known or suspected carcinogens. The lack of data about this has given rise to concerns over the proximity of UOG to residential areas.

“Unconventional oil and gas development can both use and release chemicals that have been linked to cancer, so the potential for children living near UOG to be exposed to these chemical carcinogens is a major public health concern,” said the study’s senior author, Nicole Deziel, associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.

“Studies of UOG exposure and cancer are extremely few in number. We set out to conduct a high-quality study to further investigate this potential relationship,” added Cassandra Clark, the study’s first author and a postdoctoral associate at the Yale Cancer Center. “Our results indicate that exposure to UOG may be an important risk factor for ALL, particularly for children exposed in utero.”

Oil and gas-related chemicals exposure could be through drinking water, the researchers found. The watershed, the zone from which a drinking water well serving their home would likely draw water, were compared with the distance from the home to the nearest of those UOG wells. UOG wells falling within the watershed area are expected to be more likely to impact the home’s drinking water supply, they said.

This work adds to a growing body of literature on UOG exposure and children’s health used to inform policy, such as setback distances (the required minimum distance between a private residence or other sensitive location and a UOG well). Current setback distances are the subject of much debate in the United States, with some calling for setback distances to be lengthened to more than 305m and as far as 1000m. The allowable setback in Pennsylvania, where the study was conducted, is 152m.

“Our findings of increased risk of ALL at distances of two kilometres or more from UOG operations, in conjunction with evidence from numerous other studies, suggest that existing setback distances, which may be as little as 150 feet (50m), are insufficiently protective of children’s health,” Clark said. “We hope that studies like ours are taken into account in the ongoing policy discussion around UOG setback distances.”

Source: Yale University

Categories : Environmental EffectsTags :

Increase in Excessively Hot Nights Will Raise Mortality Rate

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With the number of excessively hot nights expected to double due to climate change, it is predicted that their associated mortality rate will rise by up to 60% by the end of the century, according to the latest research published in published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

Ambient heat during the night may interrupt the normal physiology of sleep, leading to immune system damage and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic illnesses, inflammation and mental health conditions. The average intensity of hot night events will nearly double by 2090, from 20.4℃ to 39.7℃ across 28 cities from east Asia, increasing the burden of disease due to excessive heat that disrupts normal sleeping patterns.

This is the first study to estimate the impact of hotter nights on climate change-related mortality risk. The findings show that the burden of mortality could be significantly higher than estimated by average daily temperature increase, suggesting that warming from climate change could have a troubling impact, even under restrictions from the Paris Climate Agreement.

“The risks of increasing temperature at night were frequently neglected,” said study co-author Yuqiang Zhang, PhD, a climate scientist in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Gillings School. “However, in our study, we found that the occurrences of hot night excess are projected to occur more rapidly than the daily mean temperature changes. The frequency and mean intensity of hot nights would increase more than 30% and 60% by the 2100s, respectively, compared with less than 20% increase for the daily mean temperature.”

The team estimated the mortality due to excess heat in 28 cities in China, South Korea and Japan between 1980 and 2015 and applied it to two climate change modelling scenarios that aligned with carbon-reduction scenarios adapted by the respective national governments.

Through this model, the team was able to estimate that between 2016 and 2100, the risk of death from excessively hot nights would increase nearly six-fold. This prediction is much higher than the mortality risk from daily average warming suggested by climate change models.

“From our study, we highlight that, in assessing the disease burden due to non-optimum temperature, governments and local policymakers should consider the extra health impacts of the disproportional intra-day temperature variations. A more complete health risk assessment of future climate change can help policymakers for better resource allocation and priority setting,” said Haidong Kan, PhD, who is a professor at Fudan University in China and the study’s corresponding author.

In this study, the authors also found that regional differences in temperature accounted for many of the variances in nighttime temperature, and areas with the lowest average temperature were projected to have the largest warming potential.

“To combat the health risk raised by the temperature increases from climate change, we should design efficient ways to help people adapt,” said Dr Zhang. “Locally, heat during the night should be taken into account when designing the future heatwave warning system, especially for vulnerable populations and low-income communities who may not be able to afford the additional expense of air conditioning. Also, stronger mitigation strategies, including global collaborations, should be considered to reduce future impacts of warming.”

Since the study only included 28 cities from three countries, Dr Zhang said that “extrapolation of these results to the whole East Asia region or other regions should be cautious. Currently, based on these findings, authors are trying to extend the analysis to a global dataset. Then we could have a global picture of the deadly nighttime heat on health under climate change scenarios.”

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Categories : Environmental EffectsTags :

Sun Exposure Triggers Appetite in Men but not Women

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A new study from Tel Aviv University reveals that solar exposure increases appetite in males – but not in females. It is the first gender-dependent medical study ever conducted on UV exposure, and reveals a molecular connection between UV exposure and appetite.

Skin as a regulator of appetite

The groundbreaking study was led by Prof. Carmit Levy and PhD student Shivang Parikh and published in Nature Metabolism.

The study was based on epidemiological data collected in a year-long survey about the eating habits of approximately 3000 Israelis of both sexes, including self-reports from students who had spent time in the sun, combined with the results of a genetic study in a lab model. The findings identify the skin as a primary regulator of metabolism in both lab models and humans, influencing appetite.

In females, oestrogen blocks appetite after sun exposure

The study unravels the differences between males and females in the activation of the metabolic mechanism. The researchers explain that in males of both animal species and humans, sun exposure activates a protein called p53, to repair any DNA damage in the skin that might have been caused by the exposure. The activation of p53 signals the body to produce a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates the appetite.

In females, oestrogen blocks the interaction between p53 and ghrelin, and consequently does not catalyse the urge to eat following exposure to the sun.

Males and females, have differences in metabolism which impacts both their health and their behaviour. However, so far it has not been established whether the two sexes respond differently to environmental triggers such as exposures to the sun’s UV radiation.

“We examined the differences between men and women after sun exposure and found that men eat more than women because their appetite has increased. Our study was the first gender-dependent medical study ever conducted on UV exposure, and for the first time, the molecular connection between UV exposure and appetite was deciphered. Gender-dependent medical studies are particularly complex, since twice the number of participants is required to find statistically significant differences,” explained Prof Levy.

“As humans, we have cast off our fur and consequently, our skin, the largest organ in our body, is exposed to signals from the environment. The protein p53, found in the skin, repairs damage to the DNA caused by sun exposure, but it does more than that. It signals to our bodies that winter is over, and we are out in the sun, possibly in preparation for the mating season. Our results provide an encouraging basis for more research, on both human metabolism and potential UV-based therapies for metabolic diseases and appetite disorders,” Prof Levy concluded.

Source: Tel Aviv University

Categories : Environmental Effects Obstetrics & GynaecologyTags :

Maternal Phthalates Exposure Increases Preterm Birth Risk

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A National Institutes of Health study has found that pregnant women who were exposed to multiple phthalates during pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth. The most significant correlation was for a phthalate most commonly used in nail polish and cosmetics.

Used in a great variety of products such as cosmetics and food packaging, phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are known to have a wide range of health effects on humans. This especially true of children, due to their impact on the developmental system, as well as the reproductive system.

Researchers analysed data from more than 6000 pregnant women in the US, and found that women with higher concentrations of several phthalate metabolites in their urine had increased risks of preterm birth.

“Having a preterm birth can be dangerous for both baby and mom, so it is important to identify risk factors that could prevent it,” said epidemiologist Kelly Ferguson, PhD, the senior author on the study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Data from 16 US studies that included individual participant data on prenatal urinary phthalate metabolites (representing exposure to phthalates) as well as the timing of delivery. Researchers analysed data from a total of 6045 pregnant women who delivered between 1983-2018, 9% of whom delivered preterm. Phthalate metabolites were detected in more than 96% of urine samples.

Exposure to four of the 11 phthalates found in the pregnant women was associated with a 14–16% greater probability of having a preterm birth. The most consistent findings were for exposure to a phthalate that is used commonly in personal care products like nail polish and cosmetics.

Using statistical models to simulate interventions that reduce phthalate exposures, the researchers found that reducing the mixture of phthalate metabolite levels by 50% could prevent preterm births by 12% on average. Interventions targeting behaviours, such as trying to select phthalate-free personal care products (if listed on label), voluntary actions from companies to reduce phthalates in their products, or changes in standards and regulations could contribute to exposure reduction and protect pregnancies.

“It is difficult for people to completely eliminate exposure to these chemicals in everyday life, but our results show that even small reductions within a large population could have positive impacts on both mothers and their children,” said Barrett Welch, PhD, first author on the study.

Eating fresh, home-cooked food, avoiding processed food that comes in plastic containers or wrapping, and selecting fragrance-free products or those labeled ‘phthalate-free’, are examples of things people can do that may reduce their exposures. Changes to the amount and types of products that contain phthalates could also reduce exposures.

The researchers are undertaking further studies to better understand the mechanisms behind how phthalates affect pregnancy and to find ways for mothers to reduce their exposures.

Source: National Institutes of Health

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions Environmental EffectsTags :

Sunlight Might Cause New-onset Lupus

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While a large, long-running epidemiologic study was unable to conclude that ultraviolet (UV) radiation in sunlight can cause new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), trends in the data suggested that it could, according to findings reported in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Participants in the  who were in the upper tertile (third) of estimated UV-B exposure had 28% higher rates of incident SLE during follow-up.

Similar numerical increases in risk with high estimated UV-B exposure were seen for specific lupus subtypes and manifestations, such as SLE with photosensitivity or with anti-Ro/La antibodies, which also fell short of statistical significance, they reported

The study’s relatively small number of new-onset SLE cases – only 297 out of about six million person-years of data – was the likely reason for the broad confidence intervals. The study did also find one lupus subtype with a statistically significant association with UV-B exposure: SLE with malar rash (HR 1.62 for top versus bottom tertile, 95% CI 1.04-2.52).

“We found no overall association between high UV radiation exposure and risk of overall SLE in these large cohorts of women prospectively followed for many years prior to SLE onset,” the researchers acknowledged.

“However, cumulative average UV radiation exposure in the highest tertile was associated with non-significant but suggestive increased risk of the subtype of SLE presenting with cutaneous antibodies, including anti-Ro and/or anti-La antibodies, and/or cutaneous involvement, including malar rash (acute cutaneous lupus) and/or photosensitivity, which tend to co-occur, and are biologically plausible,” they stated.

Photosensitivity is a hallmark of lupus, and sunlight exposure is known to cause disease flareups in people with established SLE. Among the 297 cases of incident SLE that developed in NHS participants, 58% included photosensitivity. Other risk factors include smoking and exposure to silica. Exposure to strong sunlight might be another one, since UV radiation disrupts skin keratinocytes, releasing antigens that could trigger autoimmune attack.

The decades-long American Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) I and II has the medical records of 240 000 participants, mostly female, who completed detailed questionnaires.

However, new-onset SLE is rare enough that, even with that many participants, there weren’t enough cases to be sure whether risk increases in the 30%-50% range were real.

Other major limitations included having to estimate UV exposure from participants’ residence, race serving as an inexact proxy of skin tone, and no data on sunburn history or sunscreen use.

Source: MedPage Today

Categories : Environmental Effects General InterestTags :

River Pollution from Pharmaceutical Production is Widespread

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Pharmaceutical ingredients from both prescription and over-the-counter drugs find their way into the environment during their production, use and disposal. They readily contaminate bodies of surface water such as rivers and lakes. Results from a recent study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry indicate that pharmaceutical pollution is a problem that is affecting the world’s rivers. 

Approximately 43.5% of the 1052 locations that were assessed in the study across 104 countries had concerning concentrations of pharmaceutical ingredients. Twenty-three pharmaceutical ingredients occurred at concentrations that exceeded ‘safe’ concentrations, including substances from drug classes including antidepressants, antimicrobials, antihistamines, benzodiazepines, and painkillers.   

“This is the first truly global assessment of the impacts of single pharmaceuticals and mixtures of pharmaceuticals in riverine systems,” said corresponding author Alejandra Bouzas-Monroy, a PhD student at the University of York. “Our findings show that a very high proportion of rivers around the world are at threat from pharmaceutical pollution. We should therefore be doing much more to reduce the emissions of these substances into the environment.”  

Source: EurekAlert!

Categories : Environmental Effects PaediatricsTags :

PFAS and Phthalates Linked to Reduced Bone Density in Teen Boys

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalates (two types of endocrine-disrupting chemicals) may be associated with lower areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in teenage boys, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and potential EDCs are mostly man-made found in various materials. By interfering with the body’s endocrine system, endocrine disruptors produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in humans, abnormal growth patterns and neurodevelopmental delays in children. These include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in non-stick pots and pans, clothing and food packaging, and are increasingly being found in US water supplies. Phthalates are used in medical devices, personal care products, food processing and children’s toys.

“Adolescence is an important time when our bodies build up bone. Almost all US children and adolescents are exposed to PFAS and phthalates, but few studies have looked at how these chemicals could be impacting our bone health,” said Abby F. Fleisch, MD, MPH, of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute and Maine Medical Center. “Our research found an association between certain PFAS and phthalates and reduced bone mineral density in adolescent males. Because bone accrual primarily occurs during adolescence, if replicated, this finding may have implications for lifelong bone health.”

The researchers accessed data on urine and blood samples from 453 boys and 395 girls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants were on average 15.1 years old, and found that higher levels of PFAS and phthalates may be associated with lower aBMD in adolescent males. The same effect was not found in girls; rather a slight increase in aBMD was observed for certain PFAS and phthalates.

The researchers noted that bone mineral density tracks across a lifetime, so if the same results are seen in longitudinal cohorts, this finding may have implications for lifelong skeletal health.

Source: The Endocrine Society