Some plant-based steaks and cold cuts are lacking in protein

JUST LIKE THE REAL THING!

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

 

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MEAT PRODUCTS (TOP LEFT, VEAL; BOTTOM LEFT, BRESAOLA) TEND TO CONTAIN MORE PROTEINS AND AMINO ACIDS THAN THEIR PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES (RIGHT).

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CREDIT: ADAPTED FROM JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024, DOI: 10.1021/ACS.JAFC.3C08956

Many plant-based meats have seemingly done the impossible by recreating animal products ranging from beef to seafood. But beyond just the taste and texture, how do these products compare to the real thing in nutritional value? A small-scale study published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that while some “plant steaks” and “plant cold cuts” might be comparable to meats on some fronts, their amino acid content and protein digestibility fall short.

Meat-free burgers or ground beef mimics might come to mind first, but the options for plant-based alternatives have expanded to include whole cuts of meat resembling steaks and chicken breasts, as well as sliced cold cuts like salami or bresaola — a type of cured beef. While these newer products haven’t been studied as extensively as burger-style products, they are becoming more widespread and popular among consumers. As a result, it’s important to understand how they differ nutritionally from the meats they aim to replicate and replace. In other words, how well do our bodies digest and gain nutrition from these foods? Tullia Tedeschi and colleagues wanted to answer that question by comparing the protein quality, integrity and digestibility of a set of plant-based steaks and cold cuts to their meat counterparts.

The team, based in Italy, collected three different plant-based steaks and three different plant-based cold cuts. Veal steaks were used as a comparison point for the plant steaks, whereas ham and beef cold cuts were compared to their respective plant-based substitutes. The fat, salt and protein content of each was measured, then the samples underwent a simulated digestion in the lab to understand how well the proteins break down in a human’s digestive tract.

• The plant-based products contained more carbohydrates, less protein and reduced amino acid content than their meat-based counterparts.
• Plant steaks and the veal samples were comparable in terms of essential amino acid content and digestibility.
• Plant cold cuts generally had less salt than the meats and contained fewer essential amino acids. Different products also showed differing levels of digestibility due to the variety of ingredients they contain.  

Overall, the nutritional value of the plant-based products depended greatly on the plants used to create them, causing wide variation in their amino acid content and the digestibility of their proteins. In contrast, all the samples within a particular meat type showed comparable nutritional profiles. The researchers say that this work helps demonstrate that careful consideration should be taken when replacing meat products with plant-based alternatives, and that these differences in nutritional profile should be communicated to consumers to allow for informed decisions.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Emilia Romagna Region of Italy for this work.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI

10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08956 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Assessment of Protein Quality and Digestibility in Plant-Based Meat Analogues”

Toxic chemicals from microplastics can be absorbed through skin

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Toxic chemicals used to flame-proof plastic materials can be absorbed into the body through skin, via contact with microplastics, new research shows. 

The study offers the first experimental evidence that chemicals present as additives in microplastics can leach into human sweat, and then be absorbed through the skin, into the bloodstream. 

Many chemicals used as flame retardants and plasticisers have already been banned, due to evidence of adverse health effects including damage to the liver or nervous system, cancer, and risks to reproductive health. However, these chemicals are still present in the environment in older electronics, furniture, carpets, and building materials.  

While the harm caused by microplastics is not fully understood, there is increasing concern over their role as conduits of human exposure to toxic chemicals.  

The research team demonstrated in a study published last year, that chemicals were leached from microplastics into human sweat. The current study now shows that those chemicals can also be absorbed from sweat across the skin barrier into the body. 

In their experiments, the team used innovative 3D human skin models as alternatives to laboratory animals and excised human tissues. The models were exposed over a 24-hour period to two common forms of microplastics containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a chemical group commonly used to flame retard plastics.  

The results, published in Environment International, showed that as much as 8% of the chemical exposed could be taken up by the skin, with more hydrated -- or ‘sweatier’ -- skin absorbing higher levels of chemical. The study provides the first experimental evidence into how this process contributes to levels of toxic chemicals found in the body. 

Dr Ovokeroye Abafe, now at Brunel University, carried out the research while at the University of Birmingham. He said: “Microplastics are everywhere in the environment and yet we still know relatively little about the health problems that they can cause. Our research shows that they play a role as ‘carriers’ of harmful chemicals, which can get into our bloodstream through the skin. These chemicals are persistent, so with continuous or regular exposure to them, there will be a gradual accumulation to the point where they start to cause harm.” 

Dr Mohamed Abdallah, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and principal investigator for the project, said: “These findings provide important evidence for regulators and policymakers to improve legislation around microplastics and safeguard public health against harmful exposure.” 

Professor Stuart Harrad, co-author of the paper, added “the study provides an important step forward in understanding the risks of exposure to microplastics on our health. Building on our results, more research is required to fully understand the different pathways of human exposure to microplastics and how to mitigate the risk from such exposure.”   

In future research, the team plan to investigate other routes through which microplastics could be responsible for toxic chemicals entering the body, including inhalation and ingestion. The work is funded by a Marie Curie Research Fellowship, within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. 

 

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JOURNAL

Environment International

DOI

10.1016/j.envint.2024.108635 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Lab-produced tissue samples

ARTICLE TITLE

Assessment of human dermal absorption of flame retardant additives in polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics using 3D human skin equivalent models

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

16-Apr-2024

 

New research defines specific genomic changes associated with the transmissibility of the monkeypox virus

THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL / MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Mount Sinai scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) in Madrid, Spain, have located and identified alterations in the monkeypox virus genome that potentially correlate with changes in the virus’s transmissibility observed in the 2022 outbreak. The findings were published April 18 in Nature Communications.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that can infect animals and humans. MPXV causes a disease known as mpox, with symptoms that include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash. Most cases are mild and tend to get better on their own; however, mpox can be very painful and may lead to permanent scarring. First encountered in 1958 in crab-eating macaque monkeys imported to Belgium, MPXV has caused sporadic human disease outbreaks since the 1970s in Central and Western Africa. In May 2022, multiple countries, including the United States, reported an increasing number of MPXV infections and associated disease, including clusters in cases potentially linked to super-spreading events in Belgium, Spain, and the United Kingdom. While the number of new cases associated with the 2022 spillover has decreased over time, cases of the disease are still occurring among unvaccinated individuals, including a current increase in Central Africa due to a new spillover. As the virus’s circulation in humans increases, the risk of emergence of a more transmissible variant capable of becoming endemic in the human population increases.

“Biopreparedness and virological surveillance involves studying the causes that favor zoonotic spillover and facilitates human-to-human transmission. When we observe significant changes in basic epidemiological features of a viral agent like monkeypox, it should reinvigorate our interest in understanding those transmission conditions. The increasing number of cases currently happening in Africa, and the 2022 epidemic, should be clear alert signals,” says Gustavo Palacios, PhD, Professor of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a senior author of the study.

To carry out the study, researchers analyzed samples from 46 patients infected with MPXV whose diagnosis and sequencing were carried out at the ISCIII at the beginning of the 2022 mpox outbreak. The team performed high-quality sequencing of each study participant’s complete monkeypox virus genome to determine possible correlations between genomic variations in the different groups of sequences and epidemiological links associated with the virus’s ability to evolve, transmit, and infect.

According to the research team, recurrent observed genomic changes were located in areas of the genome that could be related to viral adaptation. Those specific locations would contribute to modulating the viral replication cycle, adaptability, and path of entry and egress. These alterations appear in areas known as low complexity genomic regions, which are particularly difficult to sequence and analyze, explaining why they were overlooked before. This highly sophisticated complete genome sequencing was made possible through the use of two advanced sequencing technologies: single-molecule long-read sequencing (to cover highly repetitive regions) and deep short sequencing reads (to provide accuracy and depth).

By detailing the genomic alterations within these repetitive genomic sequences and linking them to critical viral functions, researchers provide a plausible explanation for the heightened transmissibility observed during the 2022 mpox outbreak.

“These findings might be offering the first hints to help us understand the unique features of the strains associated with sustained human-to-human transmission, which has not ever been observed in these agents,” says Dr. Palacios. “Better understanding of the doors that facilitate transmission of viral agents and impact their clinical presentations will enable us to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies.”

About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex healthcare challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it. Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive healthcare solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2023-2024. For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-46949-7 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Monkeypox virus genomic accordion strategies

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-Apr-2024

 

Registration of biological pest control products exceeds that of agrochemicals in Brazil

Around 90% of the sugarcane area in Brazil now uses natural enemies to combat agricultural pests; data were presented during FAPESP Week Illinois.

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

 

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JOSÉ MAURÍCIO SIMÕES BENTO, CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AT SPARCBIO, DURING HIS LECTURE AT FAPESP WEEK ILLINOIS IN CHICAGO

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CREDIT: ELTON ALISSON/AGÊNCIA FAPESP

The number of biological products registered in Brazil in recent years for crop protection against agricultural pests has surpassed that of agrochemicals. Around 90% of the area under sugarcane cultivation in the country, for example, already uses natural enemies such as microorganisms, macroorganisms, biochemicals (compounds of natural origin that control pests and diseases) and semiochemicals (molecules that induce behavioral responses in target organisms).

The data were presented by José Maurício Simões Bento, a professor at the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at the University of São Paulo (ESALQ-USP), in a panel discussion on intelligent agriculture during FAPESP Week Illinois, on April 10, in Chicago (United States).

“There are currently around 629 biological products registered in Brazil for pest control, involving microorganisms, macroorganisms, biochemicals and semiochemicals. This number has been steadily increasing year after year,” said Bento, who is one of the main researchers at the São Paulo Advanced Research Center for Biological Control (SPARCBio), an Engineering Research Center (ERC) set up by FAPESP in partnership with the company Koppert.

According to the researcher, approximately 20% of the world's agricultural producers use biological products. Brazil leads the way with 55% of farms using biocontrol, compared to 6% in the United States. For biostimulants, the country's share is 50% versus 16%, and for biofertilizers, it is 36% versus 12% for the two countries, respectively.

“Today, Brazil has around 170 biofactories, treating an area of approximately 25 million hectares, and a market that moves more than US$ 1 billion a year, with a growth projection of 15% to 20% a year,” Bento reported.

In plantations of sugarcane – of which Brazil is the world's largest producer, with 22 million hectares planted and a fourfold increase in production over the past 40 years – biological control has been combined with technologies such as monitoring systems, sensors, artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles to improve its application.

Smart traps, equipped with cameras that capture images of captured insects attracted by pheromones, have been installed throughout the planted areas.

The images are sent to a central processing unit, where they are processed by software that quantifies the insects captured. Using artificial intelligence tools, the images are processed together with climate data and weather forecasts.

“This artificial intelligence processing allows us to estimate the insect population for the next few days and accurately determine the most appropriate date to release natural enemies in different parts of the farm, which is done using drones,” Bento explained.

Impact of climate change

Artificial intelligence tools have also made it possible to model the impacts of climate change, such as drought, high temperatures and increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), on the composition of soybeans produced in Brazil.

By analyzing them, a group of researchers from USP's Institute of Biosciences observed that, up to a point, high levels of CO2 have a protective effect on soybeans, which begin to produce more seeds, for example. At high temperatures, the results are even better. However, when these two variables are mixed with drought, the effect on the plant can be disastrous, altering the composition of the grain's oils.

“This could have disastrous economic impacts for Brazil, which is the world's largest oilseed producer, followed by the United States,” said Marcos Buckeridge, professor at IB-USP and coordinator of the study.

According to the researcher, the soybean varieties produced in Brazil and the United States are completely different genetically. “That's why it's important to collaborate on research to advance our understanding of the possible impacts of climate change on these plants,” he stressed.

Use of robots

In the United States, researchers at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign are conducting a program on the use of artificial intelligence to develop sustainable agricultural solutions.

One of the technologies being developed is small robots, with wheels and other devices, designed to control weeds in cornfields, for example.

“These robots can pass under the plant canopy, detect weeds and remove them mechanically. The way this is done today is very primitive. Conventional herbicides can only be applied before the canopy closes, in the early stages of the growing season,” explained Madhu Khana, a professor at the institution and coordinator of the project.

Another application for robots is planting cover crops, which are intended to temporarily cover the soil after harvest to protect it from erosion and nutrient loss.

“These robots can spread the cover crop seeds. That way, when the corn is harvested, the cover crop is already planted. Using them also helps reduce the need for labor, improve soil health, reduce the need for fertilizers and the amount of weeds,” Khana said.

According to the researcher, cover crop adoption rates have increased over time, but are still less than 10% of hectares in the Midwestern United States.

The researchers have conducted studies using machine learning and remote sensing tools to analyze changes in cover crop adoption over time in three US states: Illinois, Iowa and Indiana.

The results of the studies showed that the likelihood of adopting this practice increases when it is already used by neighboring farms, when soil quality is poor, and when the cost of cover crops is lower, among other factors.

More information about FAPESP Week Illinois can be found at: fapesp.br/week/2024/illinois.

 

Older adults in Ohio are among the most vulnerable to extreme weather

Study finds who are least prepared and have experienced weather disruptions

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nearly 1 in 5 older adults in central Ohio report not being prepared for emergencies, such as extreme weather events, or not knowing if they are ready.

That is concerning because research shows older adults are at greater risk of harm during disasters such as extreme weather events, said Smitha Rao, lead author of the study and assistant professor of social work at The Ohio State University.

And Ohio is not immune from weather catastrophes.

“Ohio and the Midwest are often considered a safe haven from extreme weather, but that is not true anymore with climate change,” Rao said.

“Climate projections suggest that Ohio will experience intensifying weather patterns with a higher risk of heavy rainfalls, extreme heat and air pollution days. We need to protect our most vulnerable citizens, which include older adults.”

The study was published recently in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science.

Researchers used data from the 2021 Central Ohio Regional Assessment on Aging (CORAA) Survey.  It involved 1,417 adults over age 65 in eight central Ohio counties, including Franklin County, which contains Columbus, the state capital. They also included information on county-level data from administrative sources.

Overall, 78% of respondents were prepared for emergencies, 13% were not and 9% didn’t know. Those who were prepared indicated they had at least a three-day supply of necessities to sustain life during emergencies, including food, water, clothing, flashlights and medicine.

In counties where greater proportions of older adults faced cumulative disadvantages such as lower income, living in subsidized housing, and having a disability, higher percentages of respondents also reported not being prepared.

There was a wide range of preparedness by county, from only 68% being ready for emergencies in Fayette County to 94% being prepared in Union County, Rao said.

“Fayette County scored high on vulnerability in terms of socioeconomic status and household characteristics,” Rao said.

For example, the median income in Fayette County was under $40,000 – the lowest of the eight counties in the study.  In addition, 37% of county residents in subsidized housing were over 62 years old and 41% of older adults in the county lived with some form of disability.

Especially for the most vulnerable older adults, the effects of extreme weather aren’t just something to worry about in the future – they have already arrived.

That was evident in Fayette County, where, compared to other counties, older residents were more likely to report weather-related disruptions to their lives.

Nearly one-fifth of its older residents reported missing health appointments or not being able to get medicine, reach their work or place of volunteering, or get to family and friends because of severe weather conditions.

The survey didn’t ask about the specific extreme weather events that caused these issues, but it could have been events like flooding that blocked off local roads, or power outages, Rao said.

“We tend to think of the worst outcomes that can occur from extreme weather, but there are much more common disruptions that are affecting older residents on a more regular basis,” she said.

“Many of the most vulnerable residents in places like Fayette County don’t have the social and economic resources or service landscapes to fall back on when those disruptions occur,” said study co-investigator Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, professor of social work and the director of the Age-Friendly Innovation Center at Ohio State.

The results provide key information for policymakers, service professionals and other officials who need to know which older adults will need help in case of extreme weather events,” Rao said.

“We do this work to identify communities who are not prepared so that important resources can be directed towards them,” she said.

Some of the interventions are easy to identify. Rao noted that Fayette, unlike other counties, did not have an existing tax levy for senior services.

“Levies help get resources to older adults that need them, so that could help more older adults be prepared for emergencies,” she said.

Another issue is that many older adults, especially in places like Ohio that are far from rising oceans and tropical heat waves, don’t understand the risks they face from a changing climate.

“We’ve found in other studies that emergency preparedness is not a top priority, especially for vulnerable adults who already have plenty to worry about in their everyday lives,” Rao said.

That’s one reason why the researchers plan to share their results with community partners and county leaders so they can take the appropriate actions to identify and help older adults who most need it, she said.

In addition, the researchers have started a project to talk directly to older adults with the goal of learning from their experiences to develop tools that can help them become better prepared for emergencies.

This project reflects commitment by the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging and the Franklin County Office on Aging, collaborative partners on the CORAA survey to understand how best to support their clients with the changing weather patterns in Ohio, an area of commitment of the Age-Friendly Innovation Center with the college.

Other co-authors on the study, all from Ohio State, are Fiona Doherty, Anthony Traver, Marisa Sheldon and Emma Sakulich.

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JOURNAL

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

DOI

10.1007/s13753-024-00548-8 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Extreme Weather Disruptions and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio: An Eight-County Assessment

 

The Italian central Apennines as a source of CO2

In these mountains, CO2 emissions from deep rock are more important than the CO2 balance of weathering on the surface – at least where the crust is thin and the heat flow is high

GFZ GEOFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM POTSDAM, HELMHOLTZ CENTRE

 

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THE APENNINES IN CENTRAL ITALY: THE CO2 BALANCE FOR A RELATIVELY YOUNG MOUNTAIN RANGE WAS MEASURED HERE. THE PHOTO SHOWS A NATURE RESERVE LOCATED IN THE LAZIO REGION. GROUNDWATER FLOWS THROUGH THE MESOZOIC LIMESTONE MASSIFS AND EMERGES AT SPRINGS LIKE THIS ONE. THESE SPRINGS FEED INTO ADJACENT RIVERS THAT WIND THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COMPLEX, TECTONICALLY ACTIVE LANDSCAPE.

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CREDIT: PHOTO: ERICA ERLANGER, GFZ

Summary

Tectonically active mountains play an important role in the natural CO2 regulation of the atmosphere. Competing processes take place here: At Earth’s surface, erosion drives weathering processes that absorb or release CO2, depending on the type of rock. At depth, the heating and melting of carbonate rock leads to the outgassing of CO2 at the surface. In the central Italian Apennine Mountains, researchers led by Erica Erlanger and Niels Hovius from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Aaron Bufe from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München have now investigated and balanced all of these processes in one region for the first time – using, among others, analyses of the CO2 content in mountain rivers and springs. They found that weathering in this region leads to an overall CO2 uptake. However, these near-surface processes only determine the CO2 balance in areas with a thick and cold crust. On the western side of the Central Apennines, the crust is thinner and the heat flow is higher. There, CO2 outgassing from depths is up to 50 times greater than CO2 uptake through weathering. All in all, the analysed landscape is a CO2 emitter. The structure and dynamics of Earth's crust, therefore, controls the release of CO2 here more strongly than chemical weathering. The study was published today in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.

Background: The role of mountains in Earth's CO2 budget

In addition to man-made CO2 emissions, many natural processes – both biological and geological – also play a role in balancing the global CO2 budget. Mountain landscapes strongly modulate the carbon cycle, and it is important to adequately consider the competition of CO2 emission and CO2 uptake occurring here in climate models.

On the one hand, rocks on the Earth's surface are weathered by chemical dissolution processes: erosion continuously exposes rock, which – depending on the type of rock – weathers at different rates and either absorbs or releases CO2. Silicate minerals, for example, bind CO2 and form limestone. In turn, the weathering of carbonate and sulphide-containing minerals releases CO2.

A research team led by Aaron Bufe and Niels Hovius has investigated the competition of CO2 release and drawdown from weathering in a further study published in the journal Science at the beginning of March. They analysed the influence of the erosion rate on the CO2 balance using various mountain regions around the world as an example.

However, mountain building does not only influence erosion and weathering rates on Earth's surface. Where tectonic plates slide over each other, heating of carbonate rocks in the crust and mantle can lead to chemical reactions associated with CO2 emissions.

“Previous studies have often focussed on a single process and have treated weathering on the surface and processes at depth separately. We wanted to change that,” says Niels Hovius.

Investigations in the Apennines: CO2 outgassing or storage – which process dominates?

The competition between near-surface and deep-seated processes is now the focus of a new study by Erica Erlanger, post-doctoral scientist at the GFZ and the Université de Lorraine (France), Aaron Bufe, Professor of Sedimentology at the LMU Munich and former post-doctoral scientist at the GFZ, and Niels Hovius, Head of the Geomorphology Section at the GFZ and Professor at the University of Potsdam, together with colleagues from France, Italy, the USA and Switzerland.

The central Apennines in Italy prove to be a particularly suitable region for this study, as Erica Erlanger, first author of the study, explains: “This area is part of an active mountain range with closely spaced zones of thick, cold crust and thin, warm crust, allowing us to investigate the influence of subsurface activity. The climatic conditions as well as the topography and the rock types on the surface are similar throughout the area, so there should not be any large differences in weathering activity.”

Sampling and analysis of CO2 content

In the western central Apennines, the crustal thickness is around 20 kilometres and the heat flux is up to over 100 milliwatts per square metre, while the crust in the east is more than 40 kilometres thick, with a heat flux of around 30 milliwatts per square metre.

The researchers took a total of 104 water samples in the western Tevere and eastern Aterno-Pescara River systems, 49 of them in summer 2020 and 55 in winter 2021, covering the warmest and driest seasons and the wettest and coldest seasons to estimate the minimum (summer) and maximum (winter) CO2 fluxes.

Water samples are suitable because rivers and springs transport carbon, which originates both from depths and from weathering reactions near the surface. The chemical analysis of the samples included determining the relative abundance of various carbon isotopes. These can provide information as to whether the carbon originates from a plant or from the atmosphere or was released from a subducted rock.

“On this basis, we were able to calculate the quantities of CO2 released by weathering or from carbonates at depths, and the quantities of CO2 bound by weathered silicates,” explains Erlanger.

In order to estimate an overall balance for the CO2 budget of the Apennines, the researchers also took into account estimates for inorganic CO2 emissions from gas vents known from the western side of the Apennines, as well as from organic CO2 exchange.

Result: Central Apennines as a net CO2 source, but with a split CO2 balance

The research team found that the weathering processes in the entire study area predominantly capture CO2 and do not release it. Remarkably, however, where the crust is thin and the heat flow is high, CO2 release from depths outpaces weathering-related CO2 fluxes by a factor of 10 to 50. Overall, the region is, therefore, a CO2 source.

“Importantly, fluctuations in CO2 release from deep rock are much greater than fluctuations in chemical weathering fluxes. This means that the regional geodynamics in the central Apennines influences the carbon cycle most strongly by modulating the release of CO2 from depth, and not by impacting weathering reactions,” summarises Erica Erlanger. “Based on the geological evolution of the area, we estimate that CO2 outgassing from the crust and mantle has probably occurred over the last 2 million years.”

Further impacts: Better climate models and understanding of the delicate CO2 balance over geological timescales

“Our investigations will contribute to a better understanding of the actual CO2 balance for the atmosphere and, thus, to better long-term climate models,” says Aaron Bufe. “They also help to clarify how our planet has maintained the narrow range of conditions that are conducive to life by balancing CO2 outgassing and CO2 storage processes over geological times.”

Niels Hovius looks ahead: “If we want to investigate the role of mountains for Earth's carbon cycle in a more general sense, even seemingly simple geological questions will require a more holistic approach. Of particular interest are geologically young mountain belts at plate boundaries, where carbonate rocks are likely to predominate both near the surface and at depth. Today’s Mediterranean region and other comparatively young mountain ranges, such as the Indonesian archipelago, exhibit geological conditions and rock types similar to the central Apennines. So, the next big question we face is whether outgassing in active tectonic areas could be a global phenomenon in space and time.”

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JOURNAL

Nature Geoscience

DOI

10.1038/s41561-024-01396-3 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Deep CO2 release and the carbon budget of the central Apennines modulated by geodynamics

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

19-Apr-2024

 

Roundtable showcases Warwick’s sustainable heat network system

The University of Warwick has showcased its leading role in research into decarbonization at a roundtable event

UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

 

IMAGE: 

BARONESS SHEEHAN

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

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CREDIT: CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

The University of Warwick has showcased its leading role in research into decarbonisation at a roundtable event.

The event, attended by key figures from government, industry, and academia, including Baroness Sheehan, Chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Select Committee, focused on heat networks.

Heat networks have a vital role to play in the race to decarbonise UK heating and cooling, a sector that currently accounts for over a third of UK emissions. They supply heat from a central source to consumers, via a network of underground pipes carrying hot water. This approach, as opposed to one where individual buildings generate their own heat (e.g. from a gas boiler), is seen as a leading solution to decarbonising the UK’s heating and cooling sector.

The University of Warwick is itself heated by a 23km heat network that sees hot water delivered to campus buildings from three energy centres and is embarking on an ambitious programme to decarbonise its own heat network infrastructure as part of its ‘Way to Sustainable’ agenda. Heat networks are already commonplace in many European countries, including Denmark where 64% of all private households are connected to a heat network.

The roundtable, held at The Shard in London, was an opportunity to showcase the University’s commitments to decarbonisation among representatives from key government departments, including HM Treasury and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Organised by the University’s School of Engineering, in collaboration with Warwick Business School, the event formed part of the EPSRC-funded LoT-NET research programme that investigates how heat sources and thermal storage can feed into low temperature heat networks. The £5.4 million programme is steered by an Advisory Board that includes representatives from large businesses including Sainsbury's and SSE Energy Solutions, many of whom attended the roundtable event.

Baroness Sheehan said: “Congratulations on a very informative event and on getting some of the key players around the table. We need to improve policy clarity on heat networks to get the public on side and give clear signals of direction of travel so that business can grab hold of the opportunities presented with confidence and run with it.”



Dr Stan Shire, School of Engineering, University of Warwick and co-lead of the LoT-NET programme said: “After such a successful event, it’s clear to see that heat networks will act as an enabler for other technologies in the effort towards the decarbonisation of heat. We have heard about the policy, economic and social frameworks required to accelerate technology deployment. The UK heating and cooling sector is by far the most challenging to decarbonise and so bringing people together in this way is crucial in starting a dialogue amongst all stakeholders to tackle this multidisciplinary challenge.”



Note to editors:

The LoT-NET programme has seen academics in the School of Engineering and Warwick Business School work with the University’s Estates team to analyse and improve the University’s extensive heat network, undertaking building characterisation and low temperature heat network simulations to assess the impact from introducing heat pumps to the network. The programme is a six-year collaborative programme grant led by the University of Warwick. Other major partners include London South Bank University, Loughborough University and Ulster University.

The event was organised by the Sustainable Thermal Energy Technologies research group in the School of Engineering. In 2019 the group launched new facilities after receiving funding from government via the Energy Research Accelerator, a £60m investment by Innovate UK into energy research facilities in the Midlands.
 

 

The biggest barrier to a vibrant second-hand EV market? Price

New policies and broader subsides are needed to help lower-income buyers afford used electric vehicles, according to a Rutgers study

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

As early adopters of electric vehicles (EVs) trade up for the latest models, the used EV market is beginning to mature in the United States. Yet many potential buyers, particularly low-income drivers, are skeptical of EV’s conveniences and are put off by the price, according to a study conducted at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.

“While the transition to electric vehicles is an important piece of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, the market for used electric vehicles in the U.S. remains dominated by wealthy households,” said Wei San Loh, a former graduate student of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers–New Brunswick whose study is published in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment  “Our findings offer clues as to why that might be.”

To understand what motivates buyers of different income strata to purchase second-hand electric battery vehicles, Loh and Robert B. Noland, director of the Rutgers Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, designed and conducted a nationwide survey of EV owners. Participants were recruited via electric vehicle discussion groups on Reddit and Facebook.

In addition to demographic and socio-economic data, participants were asked questions related to pre-purchase concerns, specifically on battery performance, charging availability, price, driving range, availability of used EVs on the market and the cost of installing a home charger.

In total, 1,167 owners of used electric vehicles in more than a dozen states were surveyed between September and October 2022.

By isolating for household income, the researchers found price, charging availability and battery performance are the top concerns for buyers when considering the purchase of a used electric vehicle. The concerns weren’t shared universally, however.

Those with annual incomes below $50,000 were more likely to be concerned about availability of charging stations than those making more than $150,000, while those at the lowest end of the income spectrum were 32 percent less likely to worry about battery performance than those at the highest. Loh said lower-income drivers typically have shorter commutes, which could explain the disparity.

Additionally, owners of used EVs with annual household earnings below the national median of $75,000 were more concerned with price than those whose household incomes top $150,000 per year.

“Taken together, these findings suggest that EV demand may still not be widespread for lower-income households in the U.S.,” Noland said. “Encouraging nationwide EV adoption will require broader uptake of new and used EVs from all income levels.”

Loh, who now works at the University of Michigan as a senior statistician, said policy changes could help promote greater used EV uptake across income groups. Increasing the availability of charging stations and expanding subsidies for used vehicle purchases are two oft-discussed ideas, she said.

“Buyers will always compare EVs to combustion engines,” Loh said. “That’s why we need to think creatively about making it more attractive for people from different income brackets to consider the used EV option.”

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JOURNAL

Transportation Research Part D Transport and Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.trd.2024.104086