Light smokers may not escape nicotine addiction, study reveals

by Pennsylvania State University

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Even people who consider themselves to be casual cigarette smokers may be addicted, according to current diagnostic criteria. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and Duke University found that many light smokers—those who smoke one to four cigarettes per day or fewer—meet the criteria for nicotine addiction and should therefore be considered for treatment.

"In the past, some considered that only patients who smoke around 10 cigarettes per day or more were addicted, and I still hear that sometimes," said Jonathan Foulds, professor of public health sciences and psychiatry and behavioral health, Penn State. "But this study demonstrates that many lighter smokers, even those who do not smoke every day, can be addicted to cigarettes. It also suggests that we need to be more precise when we ask about cigarette smoking frequency."

According to Jason Oliver, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Duke University, when assessing nicotine addiction—clinically referred to as 'tobacco use disorder'—clinicians are encouraged to fully assess the 11 criteria listed in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5). As a shortcut, he said, clinicians more typically ask smokers how many cigarettes they smoke per day.

"Lighter smoking is correctly perceived as less harmful than heavy smoking, but it still carries significant health risks," Oliver said. "Medical providers sometimes perceive lighter smokers as not addicted and, therefore, not in need of treatment, but this study suggests many of them may have significant difficulty quitting without assistance."

The researchers examined an existing data set from the National Institutes of Health, including more than 6,700 smokers who had been fully assessed to find out if they met the DSM-5 criteria for tobacco use disorder. They found that 85% of the daily cigarette smokers were addicted to some extent—either mild, moderate or severe addiction.

"Surprisingly, almost two thirds of those smoking only one to four cigarettes per day were addicted, and around a quarter of those smoking less than weekly were addicted," Foulds said.

The researchers found that the severity of cigarette addiction, as indicated by the number of criteria met, increased with the frequency of smoking, with 35% of those smoking one-to-four cigarettes per day and 74% of those smoking 21 cigarettes or more per day being moderately or severely addicted.

The findings appeared Dec. 22 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

"This was the first time that severity of cigarette addiction has been described across the full range of cigarette use frequency," said Foulds, a Penn State Cancer Institute researcher.

Oliver added that the study highlights the high prevalence of tobacco use disorder even among those considered to be light smokers and provides a basis from which treatment can begin to target this population.

"Previous research has found that non-daily smokers are more likely than daily smokers to make a quit attempt," Oliver said. "Clinicians should ask about all smoking behavior, including non-daily smoking, as such smokers may still require treatment to successfully quit smoking. Yet, it is unclear the extent to which existing interventions are effective for light smokers. Continued efforts to identify optimal cessation approaches for this population remain an important direction for future research."


Explore further E-cigarettes 'gateway' to smoking for non-smokers

More information: Jason A. Oliver et al. Association Between Cigarette Smoking Frequency and Tobacco Use Disorder in U.S. Adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published: December 22, 2020 DOI:doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.10.019

Journal information: American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Provided by Pennsylvania State University

Chemists convert plastic bottle waste into insecticide sorbent

by Tomsk Polytechnic University

DECEMBER 23, 2020
 

Credit: Tomsk Polytechnic University

Scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University proposed a method to create a sorbent for imidacloprid insecticide removal from water. The sorbent belongs to metal-organic frameworks, a class of non-conventional materials. The TPU chemists grew such a framework on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a material used to produce regular plastic bottles. The method is quite simple and allows converting used materials into a useful product. The research findings are published in Applied Materials Today.

Metal-organic frameworks are substances with a three-dimensional structure, where clusters or metal ions are bridged by organic ligands. The result is a porous material with the properties of both metals and organic compounds.

"Due to their porous structure and a number of other properties, metal-organic frameworks have a high potential as sorbents. We are particularly interested in the problem of insecticide sorption. Insecitides are extensively used in modern agriculture and accumulated in soil and water.

We have proposed a new method to synthesize a metal-organic framework named UiO-66 with zirconium ions. The source material is what interests us first of all," Pavel Postnikov, the research supervisor and Associate Professor of TPU Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, says.

The researchers experimented with imidacloprid. This is one of the most widespread insecticides used in agriculture, including against Colorado potato beetles.

"Imidacloprid accumulates in natural water bodies penetrating from soil. According to Canadian researchers, imidacloprid was detected in waters around the world at concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 320 micrograms per liter. UiO-66 is usually derived at high temperatures and pressure using commercial terephthalic acid. However, we used PET consisting of ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid. This acid is a structural material for organic linkers in frameworks and plastic bottle material already contains it," Oleg Semyonov, one of the article authors and Junior Research Fellow at TPU Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, explains.

To create a framework, the chemists cut the plastic into small squares and partially destroyed them in an acidic solution. Then, zirconium salts were added to the solution.

"Terephthalic acid is partially released from PET forming small "anchors" on the surface of the plastic pieces while a part of the acid remains in the solution. Zirconium ions attach to the "anchors" and then, the process of self-assembly inherent to metal-organic frameworks occurs and further results in a framework formed on the plastic surface. This framework is sensitive to imidacloprid and due to its porosity and physicochemical properties, it attracts insecticide molecules removing them from water," the researcher says.

"During the experiments, we ran the insecticide solution through the sorbent. The effective water purification took 15 grams of sorbent per 1 liter, which is a very good indicator. Besides, the sorbent may be reused several times. We reached up to five cycles during our experiments. However, we expect that the sorbent will retain its properties much longer," the scientist says.

In future practice, this sorbent can be used in filtration systems, for instance, at agricultural enterprises.

"Our sorbent also has one more advantage. Usually, metal-organic frameworks are powder-like. They choke filters so that filtration systems should be designed considering this feature. The particles of our sorbent are larger and they do not choke a filter.

In addition, due to larger particles, the throughput of the sorbent is higher and liquids penetrate easier. According to our calculations, in this case water passage requires one hundred times less pressure as compared to powders. Ultimately, it is important for the technology development and use of this sorbent in a real technological process," Oleg Semyonov adds.

The scientists are currently conducting experiments using other metal-organic frameworks derived from PET.


Explore further  

Using a porous porphyrin to reclaim precious metals from electronic waste

More information: Oleg Semyonov et al, Smart recycling of PET to sorbents for insecticides through in situ MOF growth, Applied Materials Today (2020). 

DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100910

Provided by Tomsk Polytechnic University

Virus hunters delve into Gabon forest in search for next threat

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The scene looks like something out of a science fiction movie, or maybe some dystopian TV series.

Six men in yellow biohazard suits clamber in suffocating heat towards a cave in the heart of the Gabonese jungle.

Their quest: to unlock new knowledge on how pathogens like coronavirus leap the species barrier to humans.

In the cave is their goal—a colony of bats.

"Our job is to look for pathogens which could endanger humans and understand how transmission happens between species," explained Gael Maganga, a professor at the University of Franceville.

Bats can be hosts to viruses that do not harm them but can be dangerous to Homo sapiens, often crossing via other animals.

COVID-19 is just the latest microbe believed to have taken the zoonotic path from animals to humans.

It notably follows three other respiratory viruses, MERS in 2012, SARS in 2003 and H5N1 flu in 1997; the haemorrhagic virus Ebola in 1976; and AIDS, which is believed to have crossed over from chimps about a century ago, possibly through hunters who handled infected meat.

Bat cave

Getting to the cave is hard work. The team have to almost wade through thick soil, pieces of bark and russet-coloured leaves that exhale the musky perfume of the forest.

The environment here—hot and humid and filled with natural hazards—is tough for humans, but perfect for viruses.

Bit by bit, the scent of damp earth yields to the smell of bat droppings, which eventually becomes suffocating in the sticky air. Bees and silvery butterflies dance around the heads of the virus hunters, their faces dripping in sweat beneath their goggles.

Above them, the tree tops seem to lose themselves in the sky, and gnarly creepers hang down, as if suspended from the heavens.

The mouth of the cave suddenly rears up ahead, and a stream of bats flies out. A thick white bedding of bat droppings spreads across the ground and the rocks.

Maganga calls on the team to stretch a net across the cave's dark maw and the bats, suddenly sensing the alien presence of humans, start to hunker down inside.

But one of the scientists moves forward, shining his torch inside. Bats fly out and get caught in the net.

Now the real scientific stuff can begin. The team take out sterile swabs and take samples from the bats' mouths and rectums.

These are then carefully stored for transport back to the lab, where they will be analysed for any emerging pathogen.

Species contact

To any who would blame the bats for the catastrophe of coronavirus, the scientists are bluntly dismissive.

Human encroachment on their habitat, they say, has brought the two mammal species into closer, riskier proximity.

"Human behaviour is often the cause of an emerging virus," said Maganga. "Today, with population pressure, intensified farming or hunting, contact between humans and animals is more and more frequent."

Maganga is also co-director of the Emerging Viral Diseases Unit at Franceville's Interdisciplinary Centre for Medical Research (CIRMF).

It hosts one of Africa's two P4 laboratories—ultra-high-risk labs that operate at top levels of security.

A report issued in October by the UN's biodiversity panel IPBES said there were up to 850,000 viruses that exist in animals and may infect humans.

Seventy percent of emerging diseases circulate in animals before jumping to humans, and each year around five new diseases break out among humans, it said.

Pauline Grentzinger, a vet at the Lekedi Nature Park, a biodiversity haven near Franceville, warned against the conventional thinking "that it's humans on one side and animals on the other."

"In health terms, what happens with one (species) has a repercussion on the other. To protect natural fauna is to protect humans," she said.

Hunters not deterred

In Gabon, every outbreak of Ebola has occurred in the Zadie Caves area, which lies close to the border with the Republic of Congo. CIRMF researchers have found samples of Ebola virus among bats, confirming that the flying mammals were the host.

Maganga has also uncovered a number of coronavirus strains circulating among bats, including some that are close to the COVID-19 strain that infects humans.

Despite the obvious risk, hunters still come into the area to hunt for animals—antelopes, gazelles, monkeys and bats.

In April, Gabon imposed a ban on the sale of bats and pangolins, another species deemed to be a potential vector of coronavirus.

But villagers living near the caves say they have yet to see a case of COVID—and for many, poverty seems to trump any danger.

"In one night, I can earn a month's money," said Aristide Roux, a 43-year-old hunter, showing the body of a gazelle on a tree stump by the side of the road.


Explore further  Thai scientists catch bats to trace virus origins

© 2020 AFP

Climate change demands same leadership as COVID-19, and Australia is failing

by Medical Journal of Australia

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A leading Australian medical clinician and researcher has called on the Federal Government and the health sector to commit to showing the same leadership on climate change as was shown during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Laureate Professor Nicolas Talley AC, a world-renowned neurogastroenterologist and Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Journal of Australia said in an editorial, published today, that Australia's response to COVID-19 had been "strong and effective."

"Key to this success was the valuing by governments of science and data to guide decision making.

"The pandemic forced politicians from across the Australian political divide to prioritize the evidence and expertise of the medical, scientific and public health communities over the voices of conservative commentators, business leaders and politicians," wrote Professor Talley.

"Tough political decisions were made for the sake of the nation's health.

"This bipartisan, science-based approach is a model for the future management of climate change, if implemented alongside an appropriate national plan."

Professor Talley cited research which showed that 2019 was Australia's hottest and driest year on record, with average temperatures 1.52°C above normal and mean rainfall 40% below the 30-year average before 1991. Australia's 2019–20 bushfires burned 10 million hectares, directly killed 33 people and destroyed more than 3000 homes. Smoke engulfed major capital cities, including Sydney and Melbourne, and smoke exposure caused an estimated 417 excess deaths and over 3000 hospital admissions.

"Australia's leading medical and nursing bodies have recognized climate change as a health emergency," wrote Professor Talley. "Governments of states and territories have committed to zero net carbon emissions by 2050, with climate change adaptation plans incorporating the health sector and investment in renewable energy."

Professor Talley called on the Federal Government to establish a National Health and Climate Change Centre within the Australian Department of Health to develop a National Plan for Health and Climate Change with real-time monitoring.

"Australia has an obligation under the Paris Agreement to submit enhanced nationally determined contributions by the end of 2020," he wrote. "We recommend that the Australian Government agree to a target of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, which is what is likely required to limit global warming below 1.5°C."

Additionally, Professor Talley called on the health and medical sector to play its part. "Australia's health sector should commit itself nationally to zero net carbon emissions by 2040 in line with the National Health Service in the UK, preferably with the states and territories responsible for implementing evidence-based interventions," he said. "Reducing unnecessary medical tests and procedures will serve to reduce carbon emissions, health care costs and harmful outcomes. Research funded by the NHMRC and the Medical Research Futures Fund should guide better ways to efficiently reduce the carbon footprint of Australia's health care services."

On 3 December, the MJA co-published the MJA-Lancet Australian Countdown special report on health and climate change, which showed that "Australia has no decisive national plan to address climate change and its health consequences."

Explore further Vaccines alone won't keep Australia COVID-safe

More information: Nicholas J Talley et al. Health and climate change MJA–Lancet Countdown report: Australia gets another failing grade in 2020 but shows signs of progress, Medical Journal of Australia (2020). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50895

Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia

Provided by Medical Journal of Australia

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
Fewer tourists meant less money for wildlife during the pandemic – but there's an alternative

by Joseph Hamm, The Conversation

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

"Nature is healing" read social media posts at the outset of the pandemic, as birdsong replaced the drone of traffic during lockdown. But for wildlife conservation in Africa, the reality was very different. Anti-poaching operations in protected areas were paused or restricted to limit the spread of the virus, leaving populations of threatened species like the African lion vulnerable. Now these areas are confronting COVID-19's economic fallout, and research suggests that illegal hunting, mining, deforestation, and bushmeat consumption all tend to increase during downturns.

Safari tours and other forms of wildlife tourism in Africa generate more than US$29 billion each year. Whether it's the salaries of park rangers or money for community outreach and education, much of the funding for conservation comes from this tourism revenue, including 80% of the annual budget of South African National Parks. Travel restrictions during the pandemic have gutted visitor numbers, with 90% of African tour operators reporting a drop in bookings of three-quarters or more. Many protected areas were suffering severe budget shortfalls even before the pandemic.

COVID-19 exposed the fragility of this model of conservation, but is there another way?

Conservation basic income

The idea of a conservation basic income (CBI) was recently proposed to fund efforts to safeguard biodiversity. The concept is simple: people living alongside endangered wildlife receive an unconditional monthly income to reduce their dependence on hunting for bushmeat or chopping down trees for timber and firewood.

You may have already heard of something similar. Several economists and politicians have suggested that governments could improve social security by paying each citizen a universal basic income – a regular and guaranteed payment sufficient to cover basic needs, including food and housing.

Instead of relying on tourist numbers remaining stable, the money for a CBI program could be raised in a way that's more dependable and resilient to shocks, such as a tax on carbon pollution. The UK government's recent ten-point environment plan included another option with its commitment to "green finance," which would involve governments encouraging private investment in environmental causes. CBI could also work in areas where there are many threatened species, but few tourists, such as central Africa.

Paying for ecosystem services

Another approach aiming to tackle conservation's over-reliance on tourism is monetising ecosystem services. This is an arrangement in which habitats like woodland and the environmental services they provide, like carbon storage, are bought and sold on an international market. Wildlife can be protected as a result, and businesses or states can offset their pollution or environmental damage by investing in these schemes, which now number more than 550 worldwide, with annual transactions in the region of US$40 billion.

Both wildlife tourism and payments for ecosystem services attach a monetary value to biodiversity, whether as a draw for tourists, or to maintain useful ecosystem services. This is supposed to prioritize protection ahead of more damaging methods of generating income. But in reality, these incentives often fail to compete with the appeal of more lucrative industries, such as logging or mining.

A new approach

Instead of paying for services, a conservation basic income compensates local people for the infringements and costs that conservation entails. Tourists might pay a lot to visit well-guarded reserves filled with wildlife, but restrictions on harvesting resources from these areas directly affect local communities. Having a guaranteed monthly income could mean people have less cause to resort to small-scale mining or poaching, and could help them recoup the losses that living alongside large wild animals incurs, such as livestock taken by predators.

It's still a relatively new idea though and hasn't been implemented yet, but one charity is raising money to conduct a two-year trial in an area of Zimbabwe with high levels of poverty and poaching. Each month, every adult would receive US$50 and every child US$20 (paid to their mother or guardian), with payments delivered by mobile phone.

As with any new idea, questions abound. Would increased income result in bigger environmental impacts, as people can more easily afford land-clearing equipment, for instance? Is it possible that such a scheme attracts new arrivals to the area, increasing local pressure?

It's important to remember that the threats facing the world's biodiversity are varied. Economic considerations form only part of a complex picture. How CBI would interact with a cultural tradition like Maasai lion hunting, for instance, is still unclear. But 2020 has exposed the fatal flaws in a conservation model reliant on wealthy tourists and regular air travel. New ideas are vital in the effort to safeguard the environment post-pandemic.


Explore further Divergent wildlife conservation perspectives in Africa
Provided by The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A RADICAL IDEA WORKS

Ethnic studies curriculum tied to increased graduation, retention rates, study finds

by San Francisco State University
DECEMBER 23, 2020

Students taking a College of Ethnic Studies course. 

Credit: San Francisco State University

 

In 1968, San Francisco State University activists made history by organizing the longest student-led strike in the U.S.

 What did they want? 

Curricula that represent people of color.

This demand was met a year later when the University formed its College of Ethnic Studies (CoES)—the first of its kind in the nation. Since then, various research studies have shown that ethnic studies courses could give a big boost to student success. A recent report with San Francisco State data supports that idea.

Written by College of Ethnic Studies Dean Amy Sueyoshi and Associate Provost of Institutional Analytics Sutee Sujitparapitaya and published this semester in the journal Ethnic Studies Review, the paper takes a quantitative look at ethnic studies. Using data from the University's Division of Institutional Analytics, Sueyhoshi and Sujitparapitaya show a strong correlation between ethnic studies curricula and high retention and graduation rates.

"We should look at education as a way to bring opportunity to all people regardless of their background," Sueyoshi said. "It's a way to distribute wealth and create an educated citizenry. The report shows ethnic studies can support that."

The report's analysis is based on a sample of 22,250 first-time freshmen who first enrolled at SF State between the Fall 2008 and Fall 2013 semesters. The data shows that SF State students with a major in the CoES had high six-year graduation rates. (Six-year graduation rate is defined as the percentage of students who graduate within six years or less.)

For example, when looking at students who entered the University in Fall 2010, CoES majors had a six-year graduation rate of 77 percent. To put it into perspective, data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that the average six-year graduation rate for public institutions is 61 percent.

Even students who did not have a CoES major but had a CoES minor showed a high graduation rate. For the Fall 2013 cohort, students with a CoES minor had a six-year graduation rate of 85 percent.

What might these findings suggest? Sujitparapitaya says that it validates some of the prior qualitative research on the value of ethnic studies. Those research reports suggest that ethnic studies could lead to higher student engagement and retention.

"There are studies that recognize that when students see themselves in curriculum or can relate to it, they perform better," Sujitparapitaya said. "That's the essence of ethnic studies."

Sujitparapitaya cautions, though, that correlation should not be confused with causation. But even with this caveat, Sueyoshi says discovering this data is a major development for higher education because it quantitively validates past qualitative research on how ethnics studies curricula support student success.

"Ethnic studies courses are meant to be relevant to and representative of different types of students," Sueyoshi said. "We know through qualitative research that courses designed this way can lead to better student engagement." In turn, it could lead to higher retention and graduation rates, she added.

Some higher education administrators and policy makers question whether ethnic studies curricula is worth investing in. The report shows why the answer is yes, Sueyoshi says.

"If we care about graduation rates and if we care about the success of underrepresented students, then we should invest in ethnic studies courses," she said. "This data shows that."

Explore further  

Black, Latino families urged to emphasize college graduation rates in enrollment decisions

More information: Amy Sueyoshi et al. Why Ethnic Studies, Ethnic Studies Review (2020). 

DOI: 10.1525/esr.2020.43.3.86

Provided by San Francisco State University

AMELIORATING CAPITALI$M

Study explores diversity-innovation link in pulp and paper industry

by Laura Oleniacz, North Carolina State University

DECEMBER 23, 2020
 

The Talley tower welcomes students returning to campus for the fall 2020 semester. 

Credit: Becky Kirkland

Innovation is key to corporations' success, allowing companies to identify and respond to new market opportunities. In a new analysis, researchers from North Carolina State University compared companies ranked among the world's most innovative with the largest pulp and paper companies to understand how diversity among company leaders may affect innovation.


The study, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, analyzed the gender, ethnicity, age and educational background of members of the boards of companies in the pulp and paper industry. Researchers then compared those findings with the composition of the boards of companies considered to be among the world's most innovative according to Boston Consulting Group's 2018 annual survey and ranking. The study uncovered differences in diversity trends that researchers say could be important to a company's ability to innovate.

"You can see subtle differences in the composition of the boards from a diversity perspective," said the study's senior author Marko Hakovirta, professor and chair of the NC State Department of Forest Biomaterials. "Those subtle differences, in my opinion, can escalate to the culture of innovation in the company. That goes to the selection of the CEO, who is on the management team and what the innovation agenda of the corporation is."

The Abstract sat down with Hakovirta to talk about the link between diversity in the company's board and innovation.

TA: Why did you focus on the pulp industry?

Hakovirta: The pulp and paper industry, while it has the potential for innovation, has typically been considered very traditional. The perception is that there haven't been many changes in products or technology. This industry is nowadays called the "bioeconomy," and is highly focused in creating sustainability solutions. We wanted to explore the level of diversity on the boards of the largest bioeconomy companies by revenue by looking at age, gender, ethnicity and education. We compared what we found to the composition of boards of companies considered to be highly innovative.

TA: What are some of the opportunities for innovation in pulp and paper?

Hakovirta: There are opportunities for disruptive innovation related to some of the paper manufacturing processes that are about 100 years old. I would really like to see radical innovation where the fossil-based plastics are totally replaced in packaging, or business models that create solutions to better recycle some of those products. There are a lot of packages that are difficult to recycle because of the plastics or the aluminum in them. I'd like to also see more radical solutions when it comes to digitalization and big data.


TA: What were your major findings about how the two types of companies differed in terms of diversity on their boards?

Hakovirta: In some of the pulp and paper companies, there were cases where you had one ethnicity in the board. When you look at the most innovative companies, you don't see that happening.

In terms of the age of the board of directors of the bioeconomy, there was quite a different distribution. It's more senior. The most innovative companies have a broader distribution, which shows us they have more openness to getting younger folks.

When you looked at the gender side, the distribution was almost the same; there was no major difference there.

There were differences in the educational background of board members between the two groups. The board of directors of pulp and paper companies have business or economics degrees, even though these are very technical companies. It might be related to the fact that in these bioeconomy companies where the investments for new mills can cost hundreds of millions or billions of dollars, you need to do a lot of investment planning. Whereas in case of the innovative companies, they have more engineering backgrounds which may perhaps be more connected to technical product innovations.

TA: Why were you interested in diversity and innovation?

Hakovirta: The best, most effective team is the team that has members with diverse backgrounds, and diversity of thought. Innovation is all about new thinking—challenging the norm. If you don't have a diverse team on the board, then that open thinking and practice of challenging the norm may not be as common. And you can see that in this paper. The more diverse the board is, the more likely that companies are considered innovators.

TA: What should companies take away from this?

Hakovirta: Companies should challenge themselves to think about board composition and the selection process. When they select board members, they should look at what skills, capabilities and backgrounds are of interest to the really high-level strategic direction of the company. If they want to be seen as innovators, diversity is a part of their strategy. Pulp and paper or bioeconomy companies should show the real commitment to innovation by having individuals on their boards who represent more diversity and thus diversity of thought and openness to innovation culture.


Explore further Boys' club barriers create issues for Australian boards

More information: Marko Hakovirta et al. The importance of diversity on boards of directors' effectiveness and its impact on innovativeness in the bioeconomy, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-020-00605-9

Plastic is blowing in the wind

by Weizmann Institute of Science

DECEMBER 23, 2020

The research setup included an intake at the top of the mast. The Tara research schooner, 2016. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science

As the plastic in our oceans breaks up into smaller and smaller bits without breaking down chemically, the resulting microplastics are becoming a serious ecological problem. A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals a troubling aspect of microplastics—defined as particles smaller than 5 mm across. They are swept up into the atmosphere and carried on the wind to far-flung parts of the ocean, including those that appear to be clear. Analysis reveals that such minuscule fragments can stay airborne for hours or days, spreading the potential to harm the marine environment and, by climbing up the food chain, to affect human health.

"A handful of studies have found microplastics in the atmosphere right above the water near shorelines," says Dr. Miri Trainic, in the groups of Prof. Ilan Koren of the Institute's Earth and Planetary Sciences Department in collaboration with that of Prof. Yinon Rudich of the same department, and Prof. Assaf Vardi of the Institute's Plant and Environmental Sciences Department. "But we were surprised to find a non-trivial amount above seemingly pristine water."

Koren and Vardi have been collaborating for a number of years on studies designed to understand the interface between ocean and air. While the way the oceans absorb materials from the atmosphere has been well studied, the opposite-direction's process—aerosolization, in which volatiles, viruses, algal fragments and other particles are swept from seawater into the atmosphere—had been much less investigated.

As part of this ongoing effort, aerosol samples were collected for study in the Weizmann labs during the 2016 run of the Tara research vessel, a schooner on which several international research teams at a time come together to study the effects of climate change, primarily on marine biodiversity. The Weizmann team affixed the inlet of their measuring equipment to the top of one of the Tara's masts (so as to avoid any aerosols produced by the schooner, itself) and Dr. J. Michel Flores, of Koren's group, joined the mission to tend to the collecting as the schooner sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean.

Identifying and quantifying the microplastic bits trapped in their aerosol samples was far from easy, as the particles turned out to be hard to pick out under the microscope. To understand exactly what plastic was getting into the atmosphere, the team conducted Raman spectroscopy measurements with the help of Dr., Iddo Pinkas of the Institute's Chemical Research Support to determine their chemical makeup and size. The researchers detected high levels of common plastics—polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene and more—in their samples. Then, calculating the shape and mass of the microplastic particles, along with the average wind directions and speeds over the oceans, the team showed that the source of these microplastics was most likely the plastic bags and other plastic waste that had been discarded near the shore and made its way into the ocean hundreds of kilometers away.

Checking the seawater beneath the sample sites showed the same type of plastic as in the aerosol, providing support for the idea that microplastics enter the atmosphere through bubbles on the ocean surface or are picked up by winds, and are transported on air currents to remote parts of the ocean.

"Once microplastics are in the atmosphere, they dry out, and they are exposed to UV light and atmospheric components with which they interact chemically," says Trainic. "That means the particles that fall back into the ocean are likely to be even more harmful or toxic than before to any marine life that ingests them."

"On top of that," adds Vardi, "some of these plastics become scaffolds for bacterial growth for all kinds of marine bacteria, so airborne plastic could be offering a free ride to some species, including pathogenic bacteria that are harmful to marine life and humans."

"The real amount of microplastic in the ocean aerosols is almost certainly greater than what our measurements showed, because our setup was unable to detect those particles below a few micrometers in size," says Trainic. "For example, in addition to plastics that break down into even smaller pieces, there are the nanoparticles that are added to cosmetics and which are easily washed into the ocean, or are formed in the ocean through microplastic fragmentation."

Size, in the case of plastic particles, does matter, not only because lighter ones may stay airborne for longer periods. When they do land on the water's surface, they are more likely to be eaten by equally small marine life, which, of course, cannot digest them. Thus, every one of these particles has the potential to harm a marine organism or to work its way up the food chain and into our bodies.

"Last, but not least, like all aerosols, microplastics become part of the large planetary cycles—for example, carbon and oxygen—as they interact with other parts of the atmosphere," says Koren. "Because they are both lightweight and long-lived, we will be seeing more microplastics transported in the air as the plastics that are already polluting our oceans break up—even if we do not add any further plastics to our waterways." he adds.

Explore further  Kuril-Kamchatka Trench in the Pacific Ocean is a trap for microplastics

More information: Trainic, M., Flores, J.M., Pinkas, I. et al. Airborne microplastic particles detected in the remote marine atmosphere. Commun Earth Environ 1, 64 (2020). doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00061-y

Provided by Weizmann Institute of Science

You're probably emitting an astonishing amount of carbon dioxide in your daily routine

by Tim Breitbarth, Adam Karg and Kasey Symons, The Conversation

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Credit: Shutterstock

Few people would stop to consider if their sporting activities damage the environment. But our research shows Victorians use a huge chunk of their "personal carbon budget" driving to and from sport events each year—either to watch or participate, or to transport children.


To have any hope of limiting global warming to 2℃ this century—the upper limit of the Paris Agreement—each person in the developed world should only be emitting about two  tons of CO2 per year. We must start getting used to this lifestyle change now. But through sports-related travel alone—mostly driving—some Victorians are emitting almost one ton of CO2 a year.

These sport-related emissions equal the total CO2 a person in Pakistan or Africa emits in a year.

Obviously, sport participation is to be encouraged. But Australian sport policy is usually all too quiet on its contribution to the climate emergency, and finding solutions.

Driving the climate problem

The data was gathered by our Swinburne University Sport Innovation Research Group. It is based on self-reported travel data in November 2019, from a sample of 300 people representing the Victorian population.

Travel for soccer, swimming, cricket, football, basketball and tennis featured most commonly, followed by gym, jogging, walking and golf.

Our analysis assumed walking and biking to an activity emits no greenhouse gases. Public transport accounts for less than 0.02 kilograms per kilometer (kg/km). A combustion engine car produces an average 0.29 kg/km.

Among Victorians actively engaged in sport, 43% of mobility was related to their own participation, 36% to being a spectator and 21% to driving or accompanying others, such as children. Research into swimming clubs suggests children's sport participation results in a bigger carbon footprint than that of adults, due to parent drop-offs and pickups.

Ferrying kids to and from sport contributes substantial carbon emissions. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Cars were used on 39% of all trips, and public transport on 41% of trips. This means just one of every five kilometers was walked or cycled.

Consider a person who exercises, attends sporting events as a spectator and takes their kids to the oval or swimming pool. On average, we found such a person creates 935kg (almost a ton) of CO2 per year if using their car. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has led to a renewed reliance on cars.

A tree, if planted today, would take more than 40 years to absorb that one ton of carbon. Clearly, mitigating emissions should be given priority over carbon offsetting.

Such sport-related travel behavior may be due to various factors, including:
a long distance to sporting facilities
sports facilities not served by public transport and not connected to safe cycle paths
lifestyle choice and convenience
persistent habits due to lack of awareness and role models.

Rare sporting leaders

Achieving climate action requires improving people's "climate literacy"—their understanding of how humans are affecting the climate, and how the climate affects human systems and associated costs. Here, professional sport has a big role to play. The AFL and NFL, Swimming Australia, Cricket Australia, Football Australia, Motor Racing Australia and others can do more to promote climate literacy within and beyond their organizations.

Environmental sporting initiatives have been shown to foster loyalty and turn supporters into environmental ambassadors. And some organizations are real leaders.

For example, in 2012, German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg became the first professional sports club to publish a sustainability report approved by the Global Reporting Initiative, a leading sustainability standards organization.
  

Survey findings on CO₂ emissions from own sport participation and spectating, and accompanying others to sport. Author supplied

Wolfsburg recently published its fifth report. It shows of the 9,500 tons of CO2 produced during the 2019-20 season, fan travel was responsible for 60%, team and business travel for 6% and employee travel for 2%.

It plans to reduce emissions by 55% within the decade, while acknowledging remaining emissions must be negated through credible carbon offset schemes. Importantly, the club does not shy away from initiating discussions and positive environmental action within its industry, region and fan base.

Wolfsburg is not alone; the United Nations has declared English professional football team Forest Green Rovers the first carbon-neutral professional sports organization. Its policies include offsetting all fan travel through certified sustainable development projects, such as a solar-powered rural electrification project.

At the time of writing, 174 sport organizations have signed the UN's Sport for Climate Action framework. These include Tennis Australia, Bowls Australia, the Australia SailGP Team, Richmond Tigers and, most recently, the Australian Olympic Committee.

But most sport signatories—including all the Australian ones—are yet to craft "best on ground" sustainability strategies, or adopt environmental consciousness as a normal part of their business.

Turning climate literacy into innovation

Human-caused climate change and global warming will bring fundamental structural change to societies and economies.

Drastic measures could be taken to force sporting organizations to change. For example, public funding of sports could be contingent on meeting environmental targets.

Australian sports organizations should not need be dragged to taking climate and environmental action. They are known for their innovative and ambitious mindsets, which they've traditionally directed towards improving sporting and commercial performance.

Now it's time sports organizations turned their collective minds to better understanding the costs and damage caused by CO2 emissions—and finding solutions.


Explore further   Astronomers create 40% more carbon emissions than the average Australian. Here's how they can improve

Provided by The Conversation

Disposable surgical masks best for being heard clearly when speaking, study finds

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, NEWS BUREAU

Research News

 

IMAGE: MASKS ARE AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR FIGHTING COVID-19 BUT WEARING ONE CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR OTHERS TO HEAR US SPEAK. USING A UNIQUE LABORATORY SETUP, ILLINOIS RESEARCHER RYAN COREY... view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO COURTESY RYAN COREY

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Researcher Ryan Corey recently heard from a friend who teaches at a school where some of the students have hearing loss. The friend wanted to know if he had any ideas to help her communicate with these students while wearing a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19. Corey, who also has hearing loss, did not know what to tell her. So, he headed to the Illinois Augmented Listening Laboratory to look for solutions.

Corey, an electrical and computer engineering postdoctoral researcher under professor Andrew Singer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, leads a team that studies audio signal processing, especially for listening devices like hearing aids. The results of the team's new study evaluating the acoustic effects of face masks on speech are published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

To see a video explaining this research, click here.

"Previous research performed on this subject has focused on medical masks worn in health care settings," Corey said, "But no one has looked at the acoustic effects caused by different kinds of fabric masks, so that's where I focused our study."

The team tested medical masks, disposable surgical masks, masks with clear plastic windows around the mouth, and homemade and store-bought cloth masks made of different fabric types and numbers of layers.

The researchers used a special loudspeaker, custom built by School of Art and Design graduate Uriah Jones and shaped like a human head so that sound radiates as it would coming from a human mouth.

"We put the different masks onto the head-shaped loudspeaker and played the same sound for every test," Corey said. "We also placed the speaker onto a turntable to add a directional component to our data."

The team collected data from a mask-wearing human speaker, as well.

"Using a real person makes the sounds less repeatable because we can't say the same thing the same way every time. However, it does let us account for the real shape of the head and real movements of lips," Corey said. "Even though these two data sets are a bit different, they both show which sound frequencies are most affected by mask-wearing and which masks have the strongest effects."

Their data showed that all masks muffle the quiet, high-frequency sound generated when a person pronounces consonants. "Those sounds are already a challenge for those with hearing loss, with or without masks, and even become a challenge for those without hearing loss when you throw a mask into the mix."

Masks also block visual cues like facial expression and lip motion, so speech reading is no longer an option when wearing most masks. Almost everyone uses speech reading to some extent, with or without hearing loss, Corey said.

"That's why we tested the clear-window masks that have become very popular," he said. "Unfortunately, the trade-off is that you can see through them, but they block the most sound of all the masks we tested."

The study found that disposable surgical masks offer the best acoustic performance among all tested, Corey said. Loosely woven 100% cotton masks also perform well but, as shown in a study by other Illinois researchers, they may not be as effective as surgical masks at blocking respiratory droplets. That study showed that tightly woven cotton and blended fabrics may block more droplets, but Corey's team found that they also block more sound. Based on the droplet study, Corey suggested that multilayer masks made of loosely woven cotton may offer a reasonable compromise between droplet-blocking efficiency and acoustic performance.

The good news is that most masks do not completely block sound, they simply deflect it away from the mouth. This detail means that simple amplification devices can make masked speech more accessible to everyone. In particular, the lapel microphones that are already used in many classrooms and lecture halls are only mildly affected by face masks. Many hearing aids support remote microphone accessories that are also worn near the lapel.

"Most people do not walk around with lapel mics and amplification systems while wearing a mask, but it can help in settings where it does make sense, like classrooms and meetings," Corey said.

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The U.S. Department of Energy and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence supported this study.

Corey and Singer are affiliated with the Coordinated Science Laboratory. Singer also is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and industrial and enterprise systems engineering at Illinois.

Editor's notes: To reach Ryan Cory, email corey1@illinois.edu.

The paper "Acoustic effects of medical, cloth, and transparent face masks on speech signals" is available from the U. of I. News Bureau. DOI: 10.1121/10.0002279