It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Climate change is affecting drinking water quality
The disappearance of forests will have consequences for water quality in reservoirs
IMAGE: THE RAPPBODE RESERVOIR IN THE HARZ REGION IS SURROUNDED BY FORESTS AND IS THE LARGEST DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR IN GERMANY.view more
CREDIT: ANDRÉ KÜNZELMANN/UFZ
Heat waves, drought, floods, forest fires – the consequences of climate change are increasing and are changing our environment. A prime example is the countryside in the catchment area for the Rappbode reservoir in the eastern Harz region. This is the largest drinking water reservoir in Germany and provides drinking water for roughly one million people. Long periods of drought over the years from 2015 to 2020 have so severely weakened the tree population in the Harz region that parasites such as bark beetles have been able to propagate. This further exacerbated the effect: The trees were further damaged and quickly died off. "Over the past four years, the Rappbode catchment area, characterized by conifers, primarily spruce, has lost over 50 percent of its forest," says UFZ hydrologist and last author Prof. Michael Rode. "This massive forest dieback is advancing rapidly and is dramatic. This will have consequences for the drinking water reservoir."
Forests play a key role in the water cycle. They filter the water and bind nutrients and are therefore necessary for good water quality. The fewer nutrients – i.e. nitrogen or phosphorous compounds – contained in reservoir water, the better it is for drinking water treatment. "This makes it more difficult for algae to develop, making drinking water treatment in the waterworks more cost-effective and easier," explains UFZ lake researcher and co-author Dr. Karsten Rinke. "Nutrient management in water conservation areas is therefore very important. Over the past decades, long-term concepts with close cooperation between forest and water management have advanced the development of large areas of forest in the Rappbode reservoir catchment area." The rapid forest decline in the eastern Harz region is now a matter of grave concern for the reservoir and waterworks operators.
Spurred by this development, the UFZ team has investigated the effects of climate-induced deforestation on reservoir water quality in their model study. This study was based on data from the TERENO (Terrestrial Environmental Observatories) environmental observatory network, in which the UFZ is a participant with the Harz/Central German Lowland Observatory. "We were able to access environmental data from a period of over ten years, providing us with a solid set of data," says Dr. Xiangzhen Kong, also a UFZ environmental scientist and lead author of the study. The team used data from the international ISIMIP project (Inter-sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project) to predict future climate changes. "We first fed these data into a model in order to estimate the climate-related effects on the nutrient balance in the catchment area," explains Kong. "The resulting data were then processed in a reservoir ecosystem model with which we were able to determine the effects of different deforestation scenarios on the predicted water quality for 2035.
The Rappbode reservoir is supplied by three different catchment areas, two of which were included in the study. "The Hassel catchment area is characterized by agriculture, while that of the Rappbode is predominantly forest – at least that was the case before the spruce forests died," says Kong. Before the water from the two catchment area flows into the large Rappbode reservoir, it is first retained by an upstream pre-dam. The agricultural influence results in a significantly higher nutrient content in the water in the Hassel pre-dam than that in the Rappbode pre-dam. "We were able to demonstrate that, for an anticipated deforestation of up to 80 percent, the Rappbode predam will experience an 85 percent increase in dissolved phosphorus concentration and a more than 120 percent increase in nitrogen concentration within only 15 years. The Rappbode pre-dam will thus reach nearly the same nutrient levels as the Hassel pre-dam," says Kong. This will result in a more than 80 percent increase in diatoms and more than 200 percent increase in green algae in the Rappbode pre-dam. These results highlight the coming necessity for a wide range of adaptations in drinking water management. "Nutrient input to reservoir catchment areas should be reduced even more than previously, reforestation projects with drought-resistant tree species should be further promoted and waterworks should be adapted to the impending developments with selective water removal strategies," says Rode. "And what remains important and must be further increased: extensive, granular environmental monitoring."
The results for the Rappbode reservoir can be applied to other reservoir catchment areas in similar regions. "Forest dieback as an indirect consequence of climate change has a more pronounced effect on reservoir water quality than direct effects of climate change such as elevated water temperature. We were actually surprised by the extent of this effect", says Kong.
IMAGE: THE IMAGE SHOWS FEATHER REEF WHICH IS IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF THAT IS FREQUENTLY EXPOSED TO DAMAGING WAVES FROM CYCLONES – WITH A 10% CHANCE OF EXPOSURE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR UNDER THE CURRENT CLIMATE.view more
CREDIT: DR MARJI PUOTINEN.
Climate models are unreliable when it comes to predicting the damage that tropical cyclones will do to sensitive coral reefs, according to a study published in the journal Earth’s Future.
With the expectation that tropical cyclones will increase in intensity with climate change, there has been interest among conservationists to use the models to identify the vulnerability of reef communities to storm damage, and to target conservation and protection efforts at those coral reefs that are less likely to be impacted by climate change.
But a team of researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK, the Australian Institute for Marine Science and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CISRO) is urging caution when using the climate models, arguing they are not yet reliable enough to determine which reefs will be most at risk from cyclone damage.
Cyclones are a moving weather system that create storm conditions including heavy rainfall, waves and powerful circular winds. The most damaging weather is found close to the eye of a cyclone, an area with a typical diameter of about 50 km.
Heavy waves can break apart the coral reefs - and the most destructive impact is seen when cyclones that are intense move or track close to coral reef ecosystems.
Dr Marji Puotinen, a spatial and ecological data scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and co-author of the paper, said: “It can take decades to centuries for coral communities to recover from the damage that is caused by extreme weather events - and it is important that conservationists target their limited resources at those reefs which are more likely to survive climate change.
“To do that, they need to assess the vulnerability of coral reefs in the face of more extreme weather patterns. But currently, we are urging caution when it comes to predicting the damage that could be done to a coral reef from future cyclones.”
To test the accuracy of the climate models, the research team looked at how well they simulated recent extreme weather events. They found the models failed to capture all the features of a cyclone that result in waves that can damage a coral reef.
At the global scale, the climate models had a medium to high confidence that the average cyclone will be more intense in the future because of climate change. However, the models were less certain about the impact of tropical cyclone wave damage on coral reefs.
For example, although the cyclone might be more intense – they might not track or pass near the coral reefs.
Adele Dixon, a doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds who led the study, said: “Our investigation has identified the pros and cons of using climate models in coral reef conservation work.
“The models are accurate in projecting at a global scale that cyclones in the future are highly likely to be more intense because of climate change. But they are less accurate in projecting how those cyclones will affect individual coral reefs – that is the result of more localised conditions such as the pounding of waves.”
The scientists call for further research to better understand the impacts of climate change on tropical cyclone characteristics that influence coral reef damage.
END
JOURNAL
Earth s Future
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Computational simulation/modeling
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
Coral reef exposure to damaging tropical cyclone waves in a warming climate
Southern Ocean takes on the heat of climate change
IMAGE: PARADISE BAY IN THE SOUTHEARN OCEAN, MARCANDRELETOURNEUX/SHUTTERSTOCKview more
CREDIT: MARCANDRELETOURNEUX/SHUTTERSTOCK
In the past 50 years, the oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat caused by our carbon dioxide emissions, with one ocean absorbing the vast majority.
“The Southern Ocean dominates this ocean heat uptake, due in part to the geographic set-up of the region,” said UNSW PhD candidate Maurice Huguenin, the lead author of the new study published today in Nature Communications.
“Antarctica, which is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, is also surrounded by strong westerly winds,” Mr Huguenin said.
“These winds influence how the waters absorb heat, and around Antarctica they can exert this influence while remaining uninterrupted by land masses – this is key to the Southern Ocean being responsible for pretty much all of the net global ocean heat uptake,” he said.
Mr Huguenin said that these winds blow over what is effectively an infinite distance – cycling uninterrupted at southern latitudes – which continuously draws cold water masses to the surface. The waters are pushed northward, readily absorbing vast quantities of heat from the atmosphere, before the excess heat is pumped into the ocean’s interior around 45-55°S.
But, while ocean warming helps slow the pace of climate change, it is not without cost said co-author Professor Matthew England at UNSW Science and Deputy Director of ACEAS.
“Sea levels are rising because heat causes water to expand and ice to melt. Ecosystems are experiencing unprecedented heat stress, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is changing” Prof. England said.
“We still have a lot to learn about ocean warming beyond the 50 years highlighted in our study,” Mr Huguenin added.
“All future projections, including even the most optimistic scenarios, predict warmer oceans in the future.”
“If the Southern Ocean continues to account for the vast majority of heat uptake until 2100, we might see its warmth increase by up to seven times more than what we have already seen up to today.”
Prof. England said this will have an enormous impact around the globe including disturbances to the Southern Ocean food web, rapid melting of Antarctic ice shelves and changes in the conveyor belt of ocean currents.
The scientists used a novel experimental approach to find exactly where excess heat is taken up by the oceans and where it ends up after absorption. This was previously difficult to detect due to relatively sparse and short-lived measurement records.
The team ran a model with atmospheric conditions fixed in the 1960s – prior to any significant human-caused climate change. They then compared this model to others in which the oceans experience the past 50 years of climate change one ocean basin at a time. The results revealed that the Southern Ocean is the most important absorber of greenhouse gas-trapped heat and that its circulation – driven by winds – is uniquely set up to force this excess heat into the ocean interior.
To better understand how Southern Ocean heat uptake continues to evolve, the scientists call for ongoing monitoring of this remote ocean – including the deployment of additional deep-reaching Argo floats, which are pivotal for tracking ocean heat content. They also stress the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“The less carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere, the less ocean change and sea-level rise we will lock in,” the authors said.
“This can help limit the level of adaptation required by the billions of people living near the ocean, by minimising the detrimental impacts of ocean warming on both sea-level and their primary food source.”
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CAPTION
Global ocean heat uptake, heat loss and heat transport over the last half century, run through different historical simulations. The red and blue vertical arrows indicate heat gain and loss in each basin. The black (slanted) arrows show the heat transport rates.
Professor Matthew England, UNSW Science and Deputy Director of ACEAS at UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Please contact Jesse Hawley, UNSW Science.
IMAGE: THE EAST PACIFIC HAWKSBILL TURTLE IS AMONG THE MOST ENDANGERED SEA TURTLE POPULATIONS AND ONE OF THE OLDEST CREATURES ON EARTH. IN A NEW ASU STUDY SPANNING A 30-YEAR PERIOD, 95% OF POACHED SEA TURTLES CAME FROM TWO SPECIES — GREEN AND HAWKSBILL TURTLES — BOTH OF WHICH ARE LISTED UNDER THE U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. ALSO, SOUTHEAST ASIA AND MADAGASCAR EMERGED AS MAJOR HOTSPOTS FOR ILLEGAL SEA TURTLE TAKE AND TRADE, PARTICULARLY FOR CRITICALLY ENDANGERED HAWKSBILLS, WHICH ARE PRIZED IN THE ILLICIT WILDLIFE TRADE FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL SHELLS.view more
CREDIT: LINDSAY LAUCKNER GUNDLOCK
One of the most serious threats to wildlife biodiversity, in addition to the climate crisis, is the illegal killing and trafficking of animals and plants. Despite many laws against the black-market wildlife trade, it is considered to be one of the most lucrative illicit industries in the world.
Animals, especially endangered and threatened species, are often exploited and sold for their pelts or used as medicine, aphrodisiacs, curios, food and spiritual artifacts.
In a new study published in Global Change Biology, Arizona State University researchers estimate that more than 1.1 million sea turtles have been illegally killed and, in some cases, trafficked between 1990 and 2020. Even with existing laws prohibiting their capture and use, as many as 44,000 sea turtles were exploited each year over the past decade in 65 countries or territories and in 44 of the world’s 58 major sea turtle populations.
Despite the seemingly large number of poached turtles, the study shows that the reported illegal exploitation of sea turtles declined by approximately 28% over the last decade —something that surprised the researchers. They initially expected to see an overall increase in reported poaching.
“The decline over the past decade could be due to increased protective legislation and enhanced conservation efforts, coupled with an increase in awareness of the problem or changing local norms and traditions,” says Kayla Burgher, co-first author of the study and a doctoral student in ASU’s environmental life sciences program in the School of Life Sciences.
In addition to the slight decline, the researchers found that most of the reported illegal exploitation over the past decade occurred in large, stable and genetically diverse sea turtle populations.
Jesse Senko, co-first author of the study and an assistant research professor with the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society says this discovery may be a silver lining to the high number of turtles illegally exploited. “What this means is that most of these sea turtles came from healthy, low-risk populations, which suggests that, with a few exceptions, current levels of illegal exploitation are likely not having a major detrimental impact on most major sea turtle populations throughout the world’s oceans."
Senko adds, however, the results should be cautiously considered. “Assessing any illegal activity is difficult, and the take and trade of sea turtles is no exception, especially when it becomes organized or connected to crime syndicates. Our assessment also did not include eggs or turtle products, such as bracelets or earrings made from sea turtle shells that could not be easily attributed to individual turtles,” says Senko.
In the study, the researchers reviewed data from peer-reviewed journal articles, archived media reports, NGO reports, and online questionnaires to determine a comprehensive look at existing information on exploited sea turtles. The study revealed additional patterns and trends that may assist in determining conservation management priorities. For example, Vietnam was the most common country of origin for illegal sea turtle trafficking, while China and Japan served as destinations for nearly all trafficked sea turtle products. Similarly, Vietnam to China was the most common trade route across all three decades.
Across the 30-year study period, 95% of poached sea turtles came from two species — green and hawksbill turtles — both of which are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Also, Southeast Asia and Madagascar emerged as major hotspots for illegal sea turtle take and trade, particularly for critically endangered hawksbills, which are prized in the illicit wildlife trade for their beautiful shells.
"Our assessment is an important foundation for future research and outreach efforts regarding illegal sea turtle exploitation. We believe this study can help conservation practitioners and legislators prioritize conservation efforts and allocate their resources to best help protect sea turtle populations from harmful levels of exploitation worldwide," says Burgher.
The research team says much more needs to be done to sustain global biodiversity.
“Increased support for governments lacking the resources to protect sea turtles is needed, along with support for communities to sustain human well-being in the face of restrictions or bans on sea turtle exploitation. We must develop conservation strategies that benefit both people and turtles,” says Senko.
The ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society is a unit of the College of Global Futures, within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at ASU.
CAPTION
ASU assistant research professor and marine biologist Jesse Senko holds a recently captured green turtle at one of his study sites in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The turtle was released unharmed.
CREDIT
Cindy Vargas
Global maps from the ASU study in Global Change Biology show the magnitude of illegal exploitation by country during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Data from documented literature are shown by colored countries, while data from the in-country expert online questionnaire are shown with the diamond symbols.
Global patterns of illegal marine turtle exploitation
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
7-Sep-2022
Childhood leukemia treatment 2022: Where we are now and what it takes
Pediatric cancer researchers publish collection of leukemia reviews in top journal Frontiers in Pediatrics; according to the authors, modern therapies could spare some children a stem cell transplantation
IMAGE: PROF. CHRISTINA PETERS, MD, POINTS OUT: "WE HAVE PUBLISHED HIGHLY TOPICAL AND CLINICALLY RELEVANT MANUSCRIPTS THAT ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH HIGH-RISK ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA. ONE OF THE MOST BURNING QUESTIONS FOR ME IS WHETHER WE STILL NEED STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION IN THE ERA OF MODERN IMMUNOTHERAPIES."view more
CREDIT: ST. ANNA CHILDREN'S CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children, generally curable with contemporary chemotherapy. However, if the disease is classified as high-risk ALL and a stem cell transplantation becomes inevitable, total body irradiation is still the treatment of choice prior to transplantation. This was the conclusion drawn from the FORUM study, including 35 countries on five continents (Peters et al., Journal of Clinical Oncology 2020).
"As the largest study on this topic to date, we published the results in the top-ranked Journal of Clinical Oncology. Soon after that, Frontiers invited us – the international transplant consortium for ALL – to publish a collection of reviews and scientific reports on ALL in children," recalls Christina Peters, Affiliated Clinician at St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (St. Anna CCRI) and Senior Physician at St. Anna Children's Hospital. The editorial board of this Research Topic is formed by Christina Peters together with Assoc.-Prof. Adriana Balduzzi, MD (University of Milano Bicocca, Italy) and Prof. Peter Bader, MD (Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany).
Life at the price of long-term side effects? Although total body irradiation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from healthy donors can be life-saving, long-term side effects sometimes have a massive impact on the quality of life of children and young adults. These include organ damage, growth retardation, and the development of secondary cancers. Hence, there was a dire need to clearly outline recent and previously published data, as well as to discuss potential new approaches, as did the aforementioned reviews.
"One of the most burning questions for me is whether we still need stem cell transplantation in the era of modern immunotherapies," Christina Peters points out. In the future, CAR-T cell or antibody therapies directly targeting leukemia cells could replace HSCT, which is addressed by three of the reviews mentioned. Jochen Büchner, MD, PhD, and colleagues are discussing the question of whether and when CAR-T cell therapy could be considered to bridge the time until transplantation and under what conditions it could replace transplantation. Another review, authored by Assoc.-Prof. Tony H. Truong, MD, and colleagues, is dedicated to the question which children should receive a stem cell transplantation at all. Of course, transplantation should only be considered for those patients who would not have a realistic chance of survival with 'milder' therapies. But it is exactly these boundaries that are currently shifting.
More than 59,000 views of our work So far, the review of Bianca A. W. Hoeben, MD, PhD, and colleagues, which deals with new methods of total body irradiation, has had the most views in this online collection. "In total, we have more than 59,000 views of our Research Topic by now. Accordingly, it seems to be on many people's minds whether and how we can improve transplantation methods to reduce side effects," says Christina Peters. For example, different radiotherapy centers have developed new methods of total body irradiation to achieve a lower irradiation dose in certain organs. There are, however, limitations to shield organs at risk without compromising the anti-leukemic and immunosuppressive effects – the latter to preserve a rejection of the transplanted cells.
In addition to the aforementioned long-term effects of irradiation and transplantation, acute side effects of transplantation also play a major role. These include infections during the period in which the immune system reconstitutes (Olga Zajac-Spychala et al.), or complications arising from a donor cells’ attack against the patient's healthy tissue. The prevention and treatment of the so-called Graft-versus-Host Disease are addressed by six of the articles in this Research Topic (Steven J. Keogh et al., Anita Lawitschka et al., Jacob Rozmus et al., Agnieszka Sobkowiak-Sobierajska et al., Matthias Wölfl et al., Natalia Zubarovskaya et al.).
"The publication of this Research Topic is a huge success for St. Anna CCRI. Together with the valuable contributions of a number of clinicians of St. Anna Children's Hospital, we have published highly topical and clinically relevant manuscripts that are of utmost importance for the treatment of children with high-risk ALL," highlights Christina Peters.
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About the FORUM Study The FORUM study demonstrated that patients over four years of age with high-risk ALL in need of a stem cell transplantation live longer and have a lower risk of relapse when they receive total body irradiation instead of chemotherapy in preparation for transplantation. After random assignment of 417 pediatric patients with high-risk ALL, a futility stopping rule was applied because it became apparent that patients receiving chemo-conditioning had a lower chance of cure and survival. FORUM is a randomized, international, multicenter phase III trial designed to investigate whether chemotherapy with fludarabine, thiotepa, and busulfan or treosulfan is non-inferior to total body irradiation plus etoposide as preparation prior to transplantation. The study, led by Christina Peters, is the result of a collaboration among international study groups (AIEOP-BFM-ALL-SG, IBFM-SG, INTREALL-SG, and EBMT-PD-WP).
• Are HLA-identical siblings still the best available donor for ALL? • The challenge of treating “older children”: what is the best transplant strategy for Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs)? • Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) for Philadelphia Chromosome positive (Ph+) and Ph-like ALL: could we omit Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT)? • Bispecific Antibodies before HSCT: less toxicity for better transplant outcome? • CAR-T cell therapy: only bridge to transplant? • T-cell depletion: Cyclophosphamide after transplantation versus in vitro T-cell depletion • Why is Total Body Irradiation so effective in high-risk ALL? • Total Body Irradiation forever? New chemotherapeutic options for irradiation-free conditioning • Minimal Residual Disease (MRD): Which level of negativity is relevant? • Current treatment options for acute Graft-versus-Host-Disease (GVHD) in children • Current treatment options for chronic GVHD in children • Immunoreconstitution and chimerism: a different story compared to adults? • Non-relapse mortality after HSCT: where are we now? • High-risk ALL: Transplant indications in 2021 • COVID-Infection after allogeneic stem cell transplantation • Transplantation for the youngest: better than chemotherapy?
About Christina Peters Christina Peters, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics at the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation of St. Anna Children's Hospital and Affiliated Clinician at St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute in Vienna. She is principal investigator of active studies within the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the International Berlin Frankfurt Münster Study Group (IBFM) for the treatment of pediatric leukemia. Her research interests include allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation in children and adolescents with malignant and non-malignant diseases from related and unrelated donors, infectious and toxic complications after stem cell transplantation, adoptive therapies for hematological malignancies and family oriented rehabilitation for children with life threatening diseases.
Christina Peters chaired the EBMT Pediatric Diseases Working Party between 2008 and 2014. She has authored and co-authored numerous papers in peer-review journals such as The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, or The Journal of Clinical Oncology. Christina Peters acts as a regular reviewer of publications for hematology, pediatric and leukemia journals. She is a member of many professional societies including IBFM, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), the German and Austrian Society of Pediatric Hematology and the Austrian Gene Therapy Commission. Furthermore, Christina Peters is a member of the Advisory Board of the Austrian Ministry of Health, the Bioethical committee of the Austrian Prime Minister and member of the European Network Pediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency EMA (ENPREMA).
About St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna CCRI St. Anna CCRI is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary research institution with the aim to develop and optimize diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of children and adolescents with cancer. To achieve this goal, it combines basic research with translational and clinical research and focus on the specific characteristics of childhood tumor diseases in order to provide young patients with the best possible and most innovative therapies. Dedicated research groups in the fields of tumor genomics and epigenomics, immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics and clinical research are working together to harmonize scientific findings with the clinical needs of physicians to ultimately improve the wellbeing of our patients. www.ccri.atwww.kinderkrebsforschung.at
About St. Anna Children's Hospital Established in 1837 in the former suburb of Schottenfeld, St. Anna was the first children's hospital in Austria and the third independent hospital in Europe dedicated exclusively to the health of children. St. Anna Children's Hospital has evolved into an institution that provides state-of-the-art medical care. Thus, in addition to its performance as a general children's hospital, the Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine has also been able to establish an excellent reputation throughout Austria and internationally over the past 40 years as a center for the treatment of pediatric hematologic disorders and tumor diseases (cancer). www.stanna.at
JOURNAL
Frontiers in Pediatrics
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Allogeneic Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation for Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the Era of Immunotherapy
COI STATEMENT
The authors declare that the editorial of this Research Topic was written in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
New major survey finds ‘healthy’ suntan myths persist despite warnings about skin cancer and aging
8 in 10 Europeans believe tans are attractive with almost as many (73%) saying tans are healthy
(7 September 2022, Milan, Italy) 8 in 10 Europeans believe tans are attractive with almost as many (73%) saying tans are healthy, according to a new study presented today at the 31st European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress.1
This is despite decades of awareness campaigns linking too much sun exposure to skin cancer and ageing in many countries.
Results from a survey, conducted by La Roche-Posay Laboratoires and IPSOS, of 17,000 people from 17 countries, including 6,000 people from the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Russia, found the ‘healthy tan’ and other myths about sun safety are still very much alive in Europe and other countries.
Other myths included believing sun protection was not needed in cloudy weather and that you did not need sunscreen if you already had a tan.
People surveyed from non-European countries, including North and South America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia, were slightly less enthusiastic about suntans than Europeans, with 67% saying a tan was attractive and 59% believing a tan was healthy.
Although 92% of Europeans were aware of the skin ageing risks posed by the sun (86% outside of Europe), 84% of them admitted they did not protect themselves all year round (79% outside of Europe).
Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Prof. Thierry Passeron stated: “This research shows just how entrenched the “healthy” suntan myth is – even in those who have already suffered sun damage or developed skin cancer.”
“We must drive awareness of the damage to skin cells caused by exposure to the sun, which can lead to photoaging and skin cancer. This is particularly important in Europe where sun protection appears most inadequate compared to other countries” added Prof. Thierry Passeron.
The survey also revealed that only 56% of Europeans know sun protection is useful when the weather is overcast (vs 64% outside of Europe), and 1 in 4 (24%) thought it was safe to go outside without sun protection when they were already tanned (vs 21% outside of Europe).
Only 1 in 10 (10%) of Europeans said they routinely or often used all forms of sun protection, such as applying sunscreen, staying in the shade, wearing a hat and protective clothing all year round, compared to 14% amongst those outside of Europe.
“The public must also understand that they need to protect their skin all year round, even during overcast weather conditions. Once sunscreen has been applied, it must be reapplied every 2 hours to ensure sufficient protection. Other measures such as wearing sunglasses, a hat, and protective clothing, and seeking shade when it is possible, are also key photoprotection habits”, commented Prof. Thierry Passeron.
According to latest estimates about 1.7% of adults in Europe have skin cancer (around 7.3 million people).2 Ultraviolet (UV) sun exposure is also responsible for more than 80% of visible photoaging signs, such as lines and wrinkles.3
ENDS
Notes to editors
A reference to the 31st EADV Congress must be included when communicating any information within this press release.
Other findings from the study include:
Just over half of Europeans (51%) said they were likely to wear a hat routinely or often, compared to 57% outside Europe.
When it comes to staying in the shade (73%) of Europeans said they did so routinely or often, compared to 80% of those outside Europe.
A second analysis by the team found awareness of the dangers of the sun were higher in at-risk* groups of people. But 59% of this group said they could not imagine coming back from a holiday without a tan, compared to 48% of those without a medical history.
62% of Europeans and 52% of non-Europeans applied sunscreen routinely or often, especially on their arms, legs, and chest. But 10% of Europeans said they never used suncream at all, compared to 16% outside Europe. Of those who applied sunscreen in the sun – 34% applied it only once a day, compared to 49% outside Europe.
90% of those in at-risk groups said they were aware of the risks the sun posed to their skin, yet 72% still regarded a tan as healthy, which is higher than those who had no history of skin cancer or other sun-exposure related skin conditions (62%). Additionally, of those who said they applied sunscreen in at-risk groups, only 1 in 4 (26%) applied it every 2 hours or more often than is recommended.
*These were defined as those with a history of skin cancer, pre-cancerous lesions, photo dermatosis, or those taking photosensitising or immunosuppressing drugs.
This survey was conducted by La Roche-Posay and IPSOS, in collaboration with 12 international experts in photoprotection to better understand the gaps in photoprotection education and prevention.
Contact:
For further information, the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author, please contact press@eadv.org
About Prof.Thierry Passeron
Thierry Passeron is Professor and Chair of Dermatology at the University hospital of Nice. He also heads the laboratory INSERM U1065 team 12, C3M, dedicated to the study of molecular mechanisms involved in pigmentation and melanoma. Additionally, he is head of the University laser center in Nice. He is president of the Department of Clinical Research and Innovation at Nice University hospital and vice-president of Côte d’Azur University. He has 12 international patents and more than 300 publications in scientific journals (h-index 52). He is the co-founder of YUKIN therapeutics. His fields of research include pigmentary disorders (including vitiligo and melasma), melanoma, hidradenitis suppurativa, alopecia areata and lasers.
About EADV:
Founded in 1987, EADV is a non-profit organisation whose vision is to be the premier European Dermato-Venereology Society. The Academy counts over 7,000 members from 100 countries, providing a valuable service for every type of dermato-venereologist professional. EADV are dedicated to advancing patient care, education and research by providing a unique platform to bring people together and share ideas.
The EADV Congress occurs every year and the 31st EADV Congress will take place in Milan and online from 7-10 September 2022.
