Tag: wellness

Investigators

Portable tests could detect “forever chemicals” in your home’s drinking water

By Tara Molina

We know how important clean water is, but tricky chemicals that get into our water can be hard to detect, posing dangers to our water systems and our health ­– until now.

Researchers with the University of Chicago have teamed up with Argonne National Labs in Lemont to detect the smallest chemicals in our water in an effort to make it safer and healthier for all.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are better known as “forever chemicals.” They’re man-made compounds that are found in places like fast food packaging, firefighters’ foams and other places. They’re long-lasting chemicals and do not naturally degrade, instead accumulating in the environment and our bodies over time, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations on them last year.

Until recently, they were somewhat difficult to detect in drinking water, but labs like Argonne are making gains.

“It affects essentially all of us, and it is, in fact, dangerous,” Argonne’s Seth Darling said. “They’re really toxic to humans. They’ve been linked to cancer, they’ve been linked to reproductive issues, thyroid problems, all kinds of health issues.”

Darling is working alongside Junhong Chen, with UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. They’re building a first-of-its-kind sensor that can detect PFAS in water.

“The work we are doing here is really important, because now we have a way to be able to measure this PFAS,” Chen said. “Almost the only way to measure for PFAS is to take the water sample and send it to a high-end analytical laboratory for the analysis.”

Darling says that, because the chemicals are dangerous even at low concentrations, you need a technique that can test for extremely low levels. The sensor they’re behind can detect down to what would equate to one grain of sand in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, or 250 parts per quadrillion.

Typically, this level of inspection would require intensive and expensive lab testing. Their goal is to make these tests accessible for anyone to make sure their water is safe, directly from their home.

“What’s important here is developing new ways,” Darling said, “low-cost, fast ways to determine: Is there PFAS in your water and, if so, how much?”

Other universities in the Chicago area have also delved in to research PFAS. Back in the spring, Northwestern University professor of chemistry SonBinh Nguyen and professor of engineering Tim Wei developed a graphene oxide solution that is water- and oil-resistant and could be a replacement for PFAS in items such as takeout coffee cups.

Adam Harrington contributed to this report.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/chicago-researchers-portable-tests-forever-chemicals-drinking-water/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h

Risk of cardiovascular disease linked to long-term exposure to arsenic in community water supplies

Understanding risk below the current US EPA regulatory standard

Source:Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Summary:Long-term exposure to arsenic in water may increase cardiovascular risk and especially heart disease risk even at exposure levels below the federal regulatory limit, according to new research. A study describes exposure-response relationships at concentrations below the current regulatory limit and substantiates that prolonged exposure to arsenic in water contributes to the development of ischemic heart disease.Share:

    

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Long-term exposure to arsenic in water may increase cardiovascular disease and especially heart disease risk even at exposure levels below the federal regulatory limit (10µg/L) according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. This is the first study to describe exposure-response relationships at concentrations below the current regulatory limit and substantiates that prolonged exposure to arsenic in water contributes to the development of ischemic heart disease.

The researchers compared various time windows of exposure, finding that the previous decade of water arsenic exposure up to the time of a cardiovascular disease event contributed the greatest risk. The findings are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

“Our findings shed light on critical time windows of arsenic exposure that contribute to heart disease and inform the ongoing arsenic risk assessment by the EPA. It further reinforces the importance of considering non-cancer outcomes, and specifically cardiovascular disease, which is the number one cause of death in the U.S. and globally,” said Danielle Medgyesi, a doctoral Fellow in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia Mailman School. “This study offers resounding proof of the need for regulatory standards in protecting health and provides evidence in support of reducing the current limit to further eliminate significant risk.”

According to the American Heart Association and other leading health agencies, there is substantial evidence that arsenic exposure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This includes evidence of risk at high arsenic levels (>100µg/L) in drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reduced the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic in community water supplies (CWS) from 50µg/L to 10µg/L beginning in 2006. Even so, drinking water remains an important source of arsenic exposure among CWS users. The natural occurrence of arsenic in groundwater is commonly observed in regions of New England, the upper Midwest, and the West, including California.

To evaluate the relationship between long-term arsenic exposure from CWS and cardiovascular disease, the researchers used statewide healthcare administrative and mortality records collected for the California Teachers Study cohort from enrollment through follow-up (1995-2018), identifying fatal and nonfatal cases of ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Working closely with collaborators at the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the team gathered water arsenic data from CWS for three decades (1990-2020).

The analysis included 98,250 participants, 6,119 ischemic heart disease cases and 9,936 CVD cases. Excluded were those 85 years of age or older and those with a history of cardiovascular disease at enrollment. Similar to the proportion of California’s population that relies on CWS (over 90 percent), most participants resided in areas served by a CWS (92 percent). Leveraging the extensive years of arsenic data available, the team compared time windows of relatively short-term (3-years) to long-term (10-years to cumulative) average arsenic exposure. The study found decade-long arsenic exposure up to the time of a cardiovascular disease event was associated with the greatest risk, consistent with a study in Chile finding peak mortality of acute myocardial infarction around a decade after a period of very high arsenic exposure. This provides new insights into relevant exposure windows that are critical to the development of ischemic heart disease.

Nearly half (48 percent) of participants were exposed to an average arsenic concentration below California’s non-cancer public health goal <1 µg/L. In comparison to this low-exposure group, those exposed to 1 to <5 µg/L had modestly higher risk of ischemic heart disease, with increases of 5 to 6 percent. Risk jumped to 20 percent among those in the exposure ranges of 5 to <10 µg/L (or one-half to below the current regulatory limit), and more than doubled to 42 percent for those exposed to levels at and above the current EPA limit ≥10µg/L. The relationship was consistently stronger for ischemic heart disease compared to cardiovascular disease, and no evidence of risk for stroke was found, largely consistent with previous research and the conclusions of the current EPA risk assessment.

These results highlight the serious health consequences not only when community water systems do not meet the current EPA standard but also at levels below the current standard. The study found a substantial 20 percent risk at arsenic exposures ranging from 5 to <10 µg/L which affected about 3.2 percent of participants, suggesting that stronger regulations would provide significant benefits to the population. In line with prior research, the study also found higher arsenic concentrations, including concentrations above the current standard, disproportionally affect Hispanic and Latina populations and residents of lower socioeconomic status neighborhoods.

“Our results are novel and encourage a renewed discussion of current policy and regulatory standards,” said Columbia Mailman’s Tiffany Sanchez, senior author. “However, this also implies that much more research is needed to understand the risks associated with arsenic levels that CWS users currently experience. We believe that the data and methods developed in this study can be used to bolster and inform future studies and can be extended to evaluate other drinking water exposures and health outcomes.”

Co-authors are Komal Bangia, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Oakland, California; James V. Lacey Jr and Emma S. Spielfogel,California Teacher Study, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California; and Jared A Fisher, Jessica M. Madrigal, Rena R. Jones, and Mary H. Ward, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute.

The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute, grants U01-CA199277, P30-CA033572, P30-CA023100, UM1-CA164917, and R01-CA077398; and also funded by the Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program P42ES033719; NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences P30 Center for Environmental Health and Justice P30ES9089, NIH Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training grant T32ES007322, NIH Predoctoral Individual Fellowship F31ES035306, and the Intramural Research Program of the NCI Z-CP010125-28.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241023131603.htm

Scientist on personal mission to improve global water safety makes groundbreaking discovery

Source:University of Bristol

Summary:A study shedding new light on how arsenic can be made less dangerous to humans has the potential to dramatically improve water and food safety, especially in the Global South.Share:

    

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A study led by the University of Bristol shedding new light on how arsenic can be made less dangerous to humans has the potential to dramatically improve water and food safety, especially in the Global South.

For the lead researcher it’s an academic and personal mission because he witnessed first-hand the constant struggle to find clean, arsenic-free water as a child in India.

Lead author Dr Jagannath Biswakarma, Senior Research Associate at the University’s School of Earth Sciences, said: “There are millions of people living in regions affected by arsenic, like I was growing up. This breakthrough could pave the way for safer drinking water and a healthier future.”

Arsenic pollution exposure is a huge environmental and public health issue in southern and central Asia and South America, where people depend on groundwater for drinking and farming. The more toxic and mobile form of arsenic, called arsenite, easily seeps into water supplies and can lead to cancers, heart disease and other serious conditions.

Dr Biswakarma said: “I’ve seen the daily battle for safe drinking water in my hometown Assam. It’s very hard to find groundwater sources that aren’t contaminated with arsenic, so for me this research hits close to home. It’s an opportunity to not only advance science, but also better understand the extent of a problem which has affected so many people in my own community and across the world for many decades.”

Scientists previously believed arsenite could only be turned into the less harmful form, called arsenate, with oxygen. But this new study has shown it can still be oxidised, even in the absence of oxygen, with small amounts of iron which act as a catalyst for oxidation.

Dr Biswakarma said: “This study presents a new approach to addressing one of the world’s most persistent environmental health crises by showing that naturally occurring iron minerals can help oxidise, lowering the mobility of arsenic, even in low-oxygen conditions.”

Study findings revealed that arsenite could be oxidised by green rust sulfate, a source of iron prevalent in low-oxygen conditions, such as groundwater supplies. They also showed this oxidation process is further enhanced with a chemical released by plants and commonly found in soils and groundwater.

“These organic ligands, such a citrate from plant roots, could play a critical role in controlling arsenic mobility and toxicity in natural environments,” Dr Biswakarma added.

The implications of this discovery are particularly significant for regions in the Global South facing some of the world’s highest levels of arsenic pollution. In countries such as India and Bangladesh, the local geology is rich in iron, and reducing conditions often dominate in groundwater systems, leading to high levels of arsenic contamination. In the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta, which spans Bangladesh and eastern India, millions of people have been exposed to arsenic-contaminated groundwater for decades as the chemical enters the water through natural processes.

Dr Biswakarma said: “Many households rely on tube wells and hand pumps, but these systems do not guarantee access to clean water. The water often cannot be used for drinking or other household tasks due to its toxicity, odour, and discoloration. Additionally, there is an ongoing financial burden associated with obtaining new tube wells or hand pumps. As a result, economically disadvantaged families continue to struggle to find safe water for their daily needs.”

Similarly, the Mekong Delta and the Red River Delta, in Vietnam, face ongoing challenges with arsenic pollution, affecting drinking water supplies and agricultural productivity. Rice paddies can become hotspots of arsenic exposure, as the toxic chemical can accumulate in soil and be absorbed by rice plants, posing a further health risk through food consumption.

“The research opens the door for developing new strategies to mitigate arsenic pollution. Understanding the role of iron minerals in arsenic oxidation could lead to innovative approaches to water treatment or soil remediation, using natural processes to convert arsenic into its less harmful form before it enters drinking water supplies,” said co-author Molly Matthews, who worked on the paper during her Masters degree in Environmental Geoscience at the University of Bristol.

Identifying the specific form of arsenic in a sample can be challenging. Even a trace amount of oxygen can convert arsenite into arsenate, so it is vital to protect samples from exposure to air. Thanks to funding from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) the team was able to conduct these complex experiments at its XMaS synchrotron facility, in Grenoble, France.

Co-author Dr James Byrne, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, added: “Determining arsenic formation at the atomic level using X-ray absorption spectroscopy was crucial for confirming changes to the arsenic oxidation state. The synchrotron therefore played a pivotal role in supporting our findings, which have potentially broad implications for our understanding of water quality.”

This work at University of Bristol was supported through a UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) awarded to Dr James Byrne. Further research is now needed to explore how these findings can be applied in real-world settings.

Dr Biswakarma said: “The whole research team worked tirelessly on this project, putting in 24/7 shifts including over Easter to conduct the experiments in France.

“I genuinely believe, with more work, we can find effective possible solutions and we’re already making great inroads to overcoming this big global issue. We’re excited to investigate how this process might work in different types of soils and groundwater systems, especially in areas where arsenic contamination is most severe.”

Finding bold answers to big questions concerning global challenges is at the heart of the University of Bristol’s research. This study cuts across core themes, including advancing equitable and sustainable health, and driving forward social justice.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241029120854.htm

Ways Water Can Encourage Natural Healing

By Jeff Hayward 

Water makes up about 60-percent of your body, so why is it when we need to fix an ailment we automatically reach for an artificial cream or some other commercial remedy?

Water is essential to life, as it is to maintain life and help us repair ourselves. It doesn’t have to be consumed to reap the benefits, either. Here are six ways water can encourage natural healing…

Soothing Pain from Arthritis

If you have a backyard pool or are close to a recreational facility that allows public swimming, then you have a great tool in warding off pain from arthritis and even soreness from exercising.

The Arthritis Foundation notes that gentle movement in water is easy on the joints, even though it provides 12-times the resistance of air. For the latter reason, you can still build muscle in the process. Heated pools (82-Fahrenheit to 88-Fahrenheit) can take healing to the next level, helping to soothe pain, adds the source.

Faster Wound Healing

AdvancedTissue.com says staying properly hydrated can step up the pace of the wound healing stages. It adds that a lack of moisture reaching the surface of the wound “will halt cellular migration, decrease oxygenation of the blood and vastly delay the wound treatment process.”

Because of the high content of water in your body, maintaining a “positive level of hydration” that can add in repairing wounds requires 64-ounces or more of water per day (around 8-glasses). Drinking more than this can further help cells to travel to the wound site to supply more oxygen and nutrients, adds the source.

Promoting Mental Health

While we often only think of the physical benefits of drinking water, Healthy Holistic Living says on its website that water is important in improving mental health. “Water also works to improve your mental health, making it easier to keep you going throughout the day,” notes the source.

It explains that water has an “interesting effect” on mood levels, and claims you can actually get “high” just by consuming water (not recommended to try, says the site). However, water helps keep you energized, which helps you generate more “feel good” hormones that impact mood, it adds.

Healing Debilitating Conditions?

Perhaps take this one with a grain of salt; but a website called Watercure.com explains how a man that had crippling spinal arthritis (ankylosing spondylitis) was reportedly cured with a water/salt treatment, after other treatments failed for three decades.

However, the site explains its about “more to it than simply drinking water.” Rehydration must be done gradually when it’s severe, it adds. “You must learn what can happen to your own body when it becomes dehydrated. Not everybody registers drought in the same way,” explains the source.

Enhancing Weakening Eyesight

At some point, everyone will experience some loss of their young hawk-eye vision—whether it’s due to near-sightedness or far-sightedness or both—but there are natural ways to help reverse this process, according to NaturalSociety.com.

“Pure water” is one of 4-steps to sharper sight, explains the source. “Drinking an adequate amount of pure filtered water will prevent total-body dehydration, and subsequently dry eyes,” it offers. Water intake should be complemented with antioxidants (beta-carotene), as well as fatty acids like fish oil.

Reducing Skin Blemishes

The jury is still out on whether drinking more water can make your skin look more youthful, as your body only uses so much of it before eliminating the excess (use a good moisturizer if you want anti-aging properties, suggest experts).

However, Greatist.com notes that inflammation in the skin that causes acne can be treated to some degree with some quality H2O. Water can help flush out the toxins that lead to the inflammation to begin with, adds the source. If water doesn’t work, see your doctor for any possible allergies causing skin blemishes.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION https://activebeat.com/diet-nutrition/immerse-yourself-in-6-healing-properties-of-water/6/?placement=kwd-10012841&device=c&gad_source=5&gad_campaignid=12874794209&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItoSEqbiIjgMVY0H_AR0fGhNLEAAYAyAAEgJ7q_D_BwE

Think Before You Drink: Water Quality Awareness of Common Contaminants

If you think the water you are drinking is just H2O, think again! According to studies, an astonishing 75,000 chemical compounds have been found in our water, yet the EPA has established enforceable safety standards for only 87. Many of these common water contaminants and chemicals are potentially harmful and can spawn health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one million people get sick from drinking contaminated water each year, with about 1,000 cases on average ending in death.

Using outdated technology, many municipalities simply weren’t built to handle the influx of common modern-day water contaminants. Various pollutants such as pesticides, herbicides, toxic waste from landfills, chemical and oil spills, acid rain, and more find their way into our water supplies. Most often this water is treated with chlorine or chloramines to control bacterial growth which, according to some health experts, may also contribute to illness.

Even if the water that leaves the treatment plants meets EPA minimum safety standards, health threats don’t stop there. The water may pass through unsafe water lines that recontaminate it on the way to your home. Examine your pipes and those of water distribution systems and you’ll find the insides of some of these pipes caked with mineral, biological and chemical deposits. In some cases, the pipes themselves may leach copper and lead! Another threat lurking inside older water pipes is bio-film, composed of layers of bacteria that can harbor pathogens like E. coli. And don’t think well water is any safer because groundwater pollutants may also seep into that source. Add to that the chlorine and other chemicals used to treat well water, and you have water that is chemically altered.

The sad truth is that our water supply is compromised by harmful chemicals. EPA standards require water treatment plants to reduce certain common water contaminants. Annual reports issued by the EPA for 2002 indicated that there were 80,635 documented violations nationwide. When violations occur, “boil water” alerts are issued but, by then, you may have already consumed dangerously contaminated water.

You have to ask yourself the question, “Over the course of my life, how will these chemicals and trace pollutants affect my health and that of my family?” Consider what this means if, over the course of your life, you drink approximately 13,000 gallons of water. There could be undetected contaminants in each glass you drink having a cumulative effect on your health for the worse. That’s why it’s so important you make doubly sure the water you drink is 100% steam distilled. And with Waterwise’s distilled water-making machines, you can take control of your water quality today and enjoy peace of mind.

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