A shocking hazard in breastfeeding: Perfluoroalkane acids, a POPs binding to human milk

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HIGHER EDUCATION PRESS

Biomonitoring for polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), to name two groups of the lipophilic organic pollutants has long traditions and was continued with the global monitoring plan (GMP) under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The aim of the GMP is to apply one framework for sampling and analysis of so-called core matrices to detect temporal and spatial changes of POP concentrations. Due to inherent persistence and bioaccumulation of chlorinated POPs, the biomonitoring samples should be collected from primiparae, i.e., mothers having their first child, only. This requirement could reduce the influences of individual factors from the donor mother and the chemical. Protocols to harmonize the identification, collection, and chemical analysis of the POPs in human milk had been developed and were updated periodically to incorporate newly listed POPs including the brominated flame retardants and perfluoroalkane substances (PFAS).

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) was listed in 2009, amended in 2019, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds was listed in 2019. They have different physical and chemical properties than the initial chlorinated POPs and the later added polybrominated POPs (polybrominated diphenyl ether, hexabromocyclododecane, hexabromobiphenyl). They bind preferentially to proteins in the plasma. Nevertheless, human milk remained the preferred matrix in the GMP and an aliquot from the national samples collected for the analysis of brominated/chlorinated POPs was recommended to be used for the analysis of the fluorinated POPs. Perfluoroalkane substances (PFAS) are a group of persistent substances that is suspected to cause several negative health effects including reduced birth weight, late puberty and lowered semen quality. In humans, often levels of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCA) and perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSA) but also fluorotelomer compounds or replacements such as ammonium 4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoate, the ammonium salt of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) fluoride or 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate are monitored at global level. Other PFAS, like perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), had quite high detection frequencies but at lower concentrations.

Biomonitoring data using human milk are less than for blood, serum or plasma but have been reported from primiparae and multiparae. Most human milk studies found that concentrations for all PFAA analyzed were much lower than those in human blood. In all studies, PFOS and PFOA had the highest detection frequencies with variable results of recent researches.

With expanding the previous publication containing the data for PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS from 44 human milk samples, the researchers from Örebro University of Sweden and Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde of Brazil have added other PFCA and PFSA which are not included in the list of recommended POPs in the GMP guidance document. The results from historic stored samples from Brazil were also presented and discussed. This study entitled “Perfluoroalkane acids in human milk under the global monitoring plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2008–2019)” is published online in Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering in 2022.

In 101 samples consisting of 86 national pools and 15 pools from States in Brazil obtained between 2008 and 2019, PFHxS was detected in 17% of the national pools and none in Brazil. PFOA and PFOS had a detection frequency of 100% and 92%, respectively. Other perfluoroalkane substances (PFAS) had either low detection frequencies and median values of zero (carboxylic acids C4–C11; except PFOA) or could not be quantified in any sample (sulfonic acids, C4–C10, and long-chain carboxylic acids, C12–C14). Correlation between PFOA and PFOS was moderately (r = 0.58). Whereas median values were almost identical (18.9 pg/g f.w. for PFOS; 18.6 pg/g f.w. for PFOA), PFOS showed larger ranges (< 6.2 pg/g f.w.–212 pg/g f.w.) than PFOA (< 6.2 pg/g f.w.–63.4 pg/g f.w.). It was shown that wealthier countries had higher PFOA concentrations than poorer countries. No difference in concentrations was found for samples collected in countries having or not having ratified the Stockholm Convention amendments to list PFOS or PFOA. The goal to achieve 50% decrease in concentrations within ten years was met by Antigua and Barbuda, Kenya, and Nigeria for PFOS and by Antigua and Barbuda for PFOA. In a few cases, increases were observed; one country for PFOS, four countries for PFOA.

With this study, no spatial and temporal trends could be established mainly due to uneven representation of countries from the UN regions and relatively short time periods between the measurements. Compared with PFOS, PFOA was more difficult to achieve the Stockholm Convention goal of 50% reduction in ten years. Although some impact from geographic location (UN region) and lifestyle factors (income) were found, none of these seems to be a good indicator for PFOS and PFOA body burden. Since there are no health-based values for PFOS and PFOA in human milk, present assessments remain limited to high quality analytical measurements and the interpretation of these results is limited to the assessment of geographic patterns. It is highly recommended to develop “safe” concentrations for PFOS and PFOA in human milk to support breastfeeding without risk as was done for PCDD/PCDF, PCB, and DDT.

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About Higher Education Press

Founded in May 1954, Higher Education Press Limited Company (HEP), affiliated with the Ministry of Education, is one of the earliest institutions committed to educational publishing after the establishment of P. R. China in 1949. After striving for six decades, HEP has developed into a major comprehensive publisher, with products in various forms and at different levels. Both for import and export, HEP has been striving to fill in the gap of domestic and foreign markets and meet the demand of global customers by collaborating with more than 200 partners throughout the world and selling products and services in 32 languages globally. Now, HEP ranks among China's top publishers in terms of copyright export volume and the world's top 50 largest publishing enterprises in terms of comprehensive strength.

The Frontiers Journals series published by HEP includes 28 English academic journals, covering the largest academic fields in China at present. Among the series, 13 have been indexed by SCI, 6 by EI, 2 by MEDLINE, 1 by A&HCI. HEP's academic monographs have won about 300 different kinds of publishing funds and awards both at home and abroad.

 

About Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering (FESE) is the leading edge forum for peer-reviewed original submissions in English on all main branches of environmental disciplines. FESE welcomes original research papers, review articles, short communications, and views & comments. All the papers will be published within 6 months since they are submitted. The Editors-in-Chief are Prof. Jiuhui Qu from Tsinghua University, and Prof. John C. Crittenden from Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. The journal has been indexed by almost all the authoritative databases such as SCI, Ei, INSPEC, SCOPUS, CSCD, etc.

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JOURNAL

Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

DOI

10.1007/s11783-022-1541-8 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

Perfluoroalkane acids in human milk under the global monitoring plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2008–2019)

UC San Diego launches new Human Milk Institute

Combining current programs into single entity, researchers, physicians and educators hope to create a global hub for understanding and accelerating knowledge and application of human milk

Business Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO

 

IMAGE: THE UC HEALTH MILK BANK, OPERATED BY UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH, OPENED IN 2020, ONE OF ONLY 31 NONPROFIT MILK BANKS IN NORTH AMERICA AND ONLY THE SECOND IN CALIFORNIA. LEVERAGING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL RESOURCES, IT SEEKS TO PROVIDE SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY DONOR MILK TO THE NEEDIEST INFANTS AND COMMUNITIES. view more 

CREDIT: ERIK JEPSEN

Building upon a long and robust history, the University of California San Diego has launched a new Human Milk Institute (HMI) to accelerate research into the nature, biology and therapeutic potential of human milk to prevent or treat both infant and adult diseases. The new institute is believed to be the first of its kind worldwide.   

“Physicians and scientists at UC San Diego and elsewhere have been doing this work for a while, but largely isolated in their respective fields of interest,” said Lars Bode, PhD, professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the HMI’s founding director. 

“With the novel, comprehensive approach of the Human Milk Institute at UC San Diego, we have an opportunity to learn, coordinate and interact in a single, go-to place, and be able to speak with one voice. Research can inform clinical care, clinical care can inform research and both can help educate.”

The new institute harmonizes efforts across multiple, ongoing enterprises and programs at UC San Diego related to human milk and lactation, including:

• In research, the Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Researcher Excellence or MOMI CORE focuses on better understanding how the components of human milk can be leveraged to treat or prevent infant and adult diseases. Funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Maternal and Pediatric Precision in Therapeutics and Center of Excellence in Therapeutics takes a human milk-centered approach to investigate the role of maternal and pediatric therapeutics at intersections of the mother-milk-infant ‘triad’ and aggregates and disseminates knowledge, tools and expertise in maternal and pediatric therapeutics to the larger research, regulatory and drug development communities.
• In clinical care, the University of California Health Milk Bank, operated by UC San Diego Health, opened in 2020, one of only 31 nonprofit milk banks in North America. It leverages research and clinical resources to improve the quality and safety of donor milk. The UC Health Milk Bank seeks to address disparities in donor milk provision to the most vulnerable infants, and to promote voluntary milk donations to meet those needs. The Supporting Premature Infant Nutrition program at UC San Diego Health is a multi-disciplinary approach that engages medical staff and families to improve premature infant outcomes by enhancing human milk provision and nutritional management in clinical settings. The follow-up Premature Infant Nutrition Clinic provides continuing nutritional support to infants and their families during the critical transition from hospital to home.
• In education, the Center for Better Beginnings, part of the Department of Pediatrics at UC San Diego Health, combines multiple maternal and infant programs to identify, prevent and treat birth defects, and includes the Mommy’s Milk Human Milk Research Biorepository. The Lactation and Perinatal Education Program at UC San Diego Extended Studies offers clinical lactation education to professionals at all levels.
• In community health, the Center for Community Health at Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute seeks to improve lactation accommodation equity through its Lactation Supportive Environments projects and the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative.

“The goal is to exponentially increase expertise and the pace of progress by convening great minds and converging programs,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “This collaborative approach will generate synergies that jumpstart further discovery and innovation. 

“There is a long history of human milk research and advocacy at UC San Diego. Our scientists in health sciences and physicians at UC San Diego Health have been thought leaders on this topic for decades. With the HMI, we’re thinking ahead to what can be done next and what needs to happen next to improve the lifelong health of all people through human milk.”
 
As an interdisciplinary institute with a strong clinical and community component, the HMI will also focus on effective communication within and across groups, said Bode, allowing for easy-to-understand, actionable information that increases community’s engagement in research and outreach programs. 

“Pediatricians are regularly asked about human milk by patients and new parents. In the past, we haven’t always been able to provide answers with evidence-based data,” said Gabriel Haddad, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “With the continuing work of the HMI, we can confidently provide guidance based on science, much of it discovered at UC San Diego.” 

All of these efforts, said Bode, will help direct national and global recommendations and policies regarding human milk and improved health care.

“With our ongoing research and published results, we continue to educate families and our community on the invaluable benefits of human milk,” said Christina Chambers, PhD, MPH, professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine, director of Mommy’s Milk Human Milk Research Biorepository and co-director of the Center for Better Beginnings.

“From the research lab to the neonatal intensive care unit, the HMI will bring us together in unprecedented ways to support our monumental efforts in discovering how human milk can help people of all ages.”

Bode, Chambers and Lisa Stellwagen, MD, a pediatrician at UC San Diego Health and executive director of the UC Health Milk Bank, are co-directors of HMI. 

In recent years, experts at UC San Diego and UC San Diego Health have published key research findings regarding human milk. For example, a study in 2018 found that the composition of complex sugars in breast milk might prevent future food allergies. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, UC San Diego scientists reported that the causative SARS-CoV-2 virus did not appear to be transmitted through breastfeeding from mother to infant. UC San Diego researchers are currently investigating whether medications taken by breastfeeding women affect their milk or infants.

“We will work to answer critical and life-saving questions, such as ‘Can components of human milk be developed into natural therapies or serve as non-invasive diagnostics?’” said Bode. “The answers could prevent diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis, a deadly gastrointestinal disease that primarily affects premature babies. Our findings could also help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults.

“We envision a future where human milk is the first and critical foundation for human life and equitable access to better health for the global community. Today, we are laying the foundation for achieving this vision by establishing a world-class institute and creating a sustainable model for ongoing research that will not only promote health, growth and development, but save lives.”

Ancient bacteria might lurk beneath Mars’ surface

New study finds the chances of uncovering life on Mars are better than previously expected

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: DEINOCOCCUS RADIODURANS (AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS “CONAN THE BACTERIUM”) IS PARTICULARLY WELL-SUITED TO SURVIVING MARS' HARSH ENVIRONMENT. IN EXPERIMENTS, IT SURVIVED ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNTS OF RADIATION IN THE FREEZING, ARID ENVIRONMENT. view more 

CREDIT: MICHAEL J. DALY/USU

• Researchers simulated Mars’ harsh ionizing radiation conditions to see how long dried, frozen bacteria and fungi could survive
• Previous studies found ‘Conan the Bacterium’ (Deinococcus radiodurans) could survive over a million years in Mars’ harsh ionizing radiation
• New study shatters that record, finding the hearty bacterium could survive 280 million years if buried
• This means evidence of life could still be dormant and buried below Mars’ surface

EVANSTON, Ill. — When Mars’ first samples return to Earth, scientists should be on the lookout for ancient sleeping bacteria, a new study has found.

In a first-of-its-kind study, a research team, including Northwestern University’s Brian Hoffman and Ajay Sharma, found that ancient bacteria could survive close to the surface on Mars much longer than previously assumed. And — when the bacteria are buried and, thus, shielded from galactic cosmic radiation and solar protons — they can survive much longer.

These findings strengthen the possibility that if life ever evolved on Mars, its biological remains might be revealed in future missions, including ExoMars (Rosalind Franklin rover) and the Mars Life Explorer, which will carry drills to extract materials from 2 meters below the surface.

And because the scientists proved that certain strains of bacteria can survive despite Mars’ harsh environment, future astronauts and space tourists could inadvertently contaminate Mars with their own hitchhiking bacteria.

The paper will be published on Tuesday (Oct. 25) in the journal Astrobiology.

“Our model organisms serve as proxies for both forward contamination of Mars, as well as backward contamination of Earth, both of which should be avoided,” said Michael Daly, a professor of pathology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and member of the National Academies’ Committee on Planetary Protection, who led the study. “Importantly, these findings have biodefense implications, too, because the threat of biological agents, such as Anthrax, remains a concern to military and homeland defense.”

“We concluded that terrestrial contamination on Mars would essentially be permanent — over timeframes of thousands of years,” said Hoffman, a senior co-author of the study. “This could complicate scientific efforts to look for Martian life. Likewise, if microbes evolved on Mars, they could be capable of surviving until present day. That means returning Mars samples could contaminate Earth.”

Hoffman is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry and professor of molecular biosciences in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. He also is a member of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute.

Simulating Mars

The environment on Mars is harsh and unforgiving. The arid and freezing conditions, which average -80 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 degrees Celsius) at mid-latitudes, make the Red Planet seem inhospitable to life. Even worse: Mars also is constantly bombarded by intense galactic cosmic radiation and solar protons.

To explore whether or not life could survive in these conditions, Daly, Hoffman and their collaborators first determined the ionizing radiation survival limits of microbial life. Then, they exposed six types of Earthling bacteria and fungi to a simulated Martian surface — which is frozen and dry — and zapped them with gamma rays or protons (to mimic radiation in space).

“There is no flowing water or significant water in the Martian atmosphere, so cells and spores would dry out,” Hoffman said. “It also is known that the surface temperature on Mars is roughly similar to dry ice, so it is indeed deeply frozen.”

Ultimately, the researchers determined that some terrestrial microorganisms potentially could survive on Mars over geologic timescales of hundreds of millions of years. In fact, the researchers discovered that one robust microbe, Deinococcus radiodurans (affectionately known as “Conan the Bacterium”), is particularly well-suited to surviving Mars’ harsh conditions. In the novel experiments, Conan the Bacterium survived astronomical amounts of radiation in the freezing, arid environment — far outlasting Bacillus spores, which can survive on Earth for millions of years.

Radical radiation

To test the effects of radiation, the team exposed samples to large doses of gamma radiation and protons — typical to what Mars receives in the near subsurface — and far smaller doses, which would occur if a microorganism was deeply buried.

Then, Hoffman’s team at Northwestern used an advanced spectroscopy technique to measure the accumulation of manganese antioxidants in the radiated microorganisms’ cells. According to Hoffman, the size of the radiation dose that a microorganism or its spores can survive correlates with the amount of manganese antioxidants it contains. Therefore, more manganese antioxidants means more resistance to radiation — and more enhanced survival.

In earlier studies, previous researchers found that Conan the Bacterium, when suspended in liquid, can survive 25,000 units of radiation (or “grays”), the equivalent to about 1.2 million years just below Mars’ surface. But the new study found that when the hearty bacterium is dried, frozen and deeply buried— which would be typical to a Martian environment — it could weather 140,000 grays of radiation. This dose is 28,000 times greater than what would kill a human.

Although Conan the Bacterium could only survive for a few hours at the surface while bathed in ultraviolet light, its lifetime improves dramatically when its shaded or located directly below Mars’ surface. Buried just 10 centimeters below the Martian surface, Conan the Bacterium’s survival period increases to 1.5 million years. And, when buried 10 meters down, the pumpkin-colored bacterium could survive a whopping 280 million years.

Looking to future missions

This astonishing survival feat is partially thanks to the bacterium’s genomic structure, the researchers found. Long suspected, the researchers discovered that Conan the Bacterium’s chromosomes and plasmids are linked together, keeping them in perfect alignment and ready for repair after intense radiation.

That means that if a microbe, similar to Conan the Bacterium, evolved during a time when water last flowed on Mars, then its living remains could still be dormant in the deep subsurface.

“Although D. radiodurans buried in the Martian subsurface could not survive dormant for the estimated 2 to 2.5 billion years since flowing water disappeared on Mars, such Martian environments are regularly altered and melted by meteorite impacts,” Daly said. “We suggest that periodic melting could allow intermittent repopulation and dispersal. Also, if Martian life ever existed, even if viable lifeforms are not now present on Mars, their macromolecules and viruses would survive much, much longer. That strengthens the probability that, if life ever evolved on Mars, this will be revealed in future missions.”

The study, “Effects of desiccation and freezing on microbial ionizing radiation survivability: Considerations for Mars sample-return,” was supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (grant number HDTRA1620354) and the National Institutes of Health (grant number GM111097).

CONAN THE BACTERIUM

Deinococcus radiodurans (affectionately known as “Conan the Bacterium”) is particularly well-suited to surviving Mars' harsh environment. In experiments, it survived astronomical amounts of radiation in the freezing, arid environment.

CREDIT

Michael J. Daly/USU

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JOURNAL

Astrobiology

DOI

10.1089/ast.2022.0065 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Effects of desiccation and freezing on microbial ionizing radiation survivability: Considerations for Mars sample-return

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Oct-2022

Microbial survivability of ionizing radiation on Mars: considerations for sample return

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC./GENETIC ENGINEERING NEWS

 

IMAGE: UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION AND PERSPECTIVES ON EXCITING NEW RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCOVERIES EMANATING FROM INTERPLANETARY EXPLORATION AND TERRESTRIAL FIELD AND LABORATORY RESEARCH PROGRAMS. view more 

CREDIT: MARY ANN LIEBERT INC., PUBLISHERS

As the goals of Mars exploration expand to include sample return, it becomes important to protect Earth from potential extraterrestrial sources of contamination. Likewise, it is important to avoid mistaking Earth life for indigenous life brought back from Mars. In a new study, scientists examine the effects of desiccation and freezing on microbial ionizing radiation survivability on Mars. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal Astrobiology. Click here to read the articles now. 

Corresponding author Michael Daly, PhD, from the School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and colleagues sought to better understand the impact of the martian surface on microbial dormancy and survivability. Mimicking the conditions on Mars, they tested the influence of desiccation and freezing on the ionizing radiation survival of six model microorganisms: vegetative cells of two bacteria, a strain of yeast, and vegetative cells and endospores of three Bacillus bacteria. The investigators found that desiccation and freezing increased radiation survival of vegetative microorganisms. 

“We report that desiccated and frozen cells of the bacterium D. radiodurans can survive astonishing ionizing radiation,” stated the investigators, “exposures equivalent to hundreds of millions of years of background radiation on Mars.”

The investigators concluded that “if martian life ever existed, even if viable lifeforms are not now present on Mars, given that whole viable D. radiodurans cells can survive the equivalent of 280 million years in the frozen martian subsurface, then their macromolecules would survive much, much longer. This strengthens the probability that, if life ever evolved on Mars, this will be revealed in future missions.”

Astrobiology Editorial Board Member, John Rummel, noted that “the work put forward by Michael Daley and his colleagues represents a comprehensive look at the interactions between desiccation, freezing, and radiation survivability in one of our most tenacious microbes, Deinococcus radiodurans. The potential for D.  radiodurans or other Earth microbes to survive present-day conditions on Mars draws attention to the need for a complex analysis regarding the very real possibility of Earth microbes contaminating specific landing sites on Mars, and even some of them—as qualified martian survivors—showing up in our studies after a ride home to Earth in a sample returned from Mars.”

About the Journal
Astrobiology, led by Editor-in-Chief Sherry L. Cady, PhD, at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory (MCRL), and a prominent international editorial board comprised of esteemed scientists in the field, is the authoritative peer-reviewed journal for the most up-to-date information and perspectives on exciting new research findings and discoveries emanating from interplanetary exploration and terrestrial field and laboratory research programs. The Journal is published monthly online with Open Access options and in print. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Astrobiology website. The 2021 Journal Impact Factor is 4.045.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s more than 100 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at the  Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

 

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JOURNAL

Astrobiology

DOI

10.1089/ast.2022.0065 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Effects of Desiccation and Freezing on Microbial Ionizing Radiation Survivability: Considerations for Mars Sample Return

Something Buried For Centuries Has Just Been Uncovered - Intro To 2001 Movie Ghost Of Mars

 

Study estimates how much deforestation could increase if restrictions on mining in the Amazon are lifted

Study estimated that opening the area up to mining would lead to the destruction of 183 km² of forest and and further loss of 7,626 km² due to the direct and indirect impacts of the infrastructure required to implement and operate projects

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

 

IMAGE: MODEL OF THE FUTURE IMPACTS OF POSSIBLE INCLUDED NEW MINING AREAS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED TO REACH THEM, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS view more 

CREDIT: JULIANA SIQUEIRA-GAY/PERSONAL ARCHIVE

A model developed by Brazilian researchers shows that opening up protected areas of the Amazon to mining projects would lead to the deforestation of 183 square kilometers (km²) due directly to new mines and the loss of an additional 7,626 km² of forest to the direct and indirect impacts of infrastructure construction. 

The scientists mapped 242 mineral deposits in the National Reserve of Copper and Associated Minerals (RENCA), an area located in the northern states of Amapá and Pará. The Brazilian government created RENCA in 1984 to protect mineral assets and conduct geological research in the area. Its total area is 47,000 km², so that the deforestation risk corresponds to about 17%.

Opening up the area to exploration and production would require 1,463 km of new roads to facilitate access, causing indirect deforestation estimated to be 40 times larger than the amount of clearing due directly to mining operations, as well as forest fragmentation with significant losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services now provided by the forest.

The results of the study are reported in an article published in the journal Nature Sustainability. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Congress is currently debating bills that would allow mining in protected areas including Indigenous territories (TIs). Moreover, deforestation in the Amazon has accelerated, reaching 8,590.33 km² between August 2021 and July 2022, when it was the third highest since 2015 according to data from DETER, the real-time satellite-based deforestation detector operated by the National Space Research Institute (INPE).

The researchers modeled five 30-year scenarios of mining expansion in RENCA. Nine conservation units currently cover 90% of the area: two TIs, three full protection units, and four sustainable use units. The law prohibits mining in all protected areas within RENCA.

In 2017, then President Michel Temer moved to allow commercial development of RENCA but backed down in response to pressure from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society associations.

“One of the innovations in the study was modeling of the future impacts of possible new mining areas and the infrastructure required to reach them, including construction of roads. We believe the discussion about proposals to reduce the protected areas should consider the impact on the forest, on its biodiversity and ecosystem services. Strategic planning is vitally important in such cases,” environmental engineer Juliana Siqueira-Gay told Agência FAPESP.

She is the first author of the article on the study, which was part of her PhD research at the University of São Paulo’s Engineering School (POLI-USP). Her work was recognized by the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), which in 2022 gave her its Youth Award for “innovative research and modeling” in analyzing the “impacts of policy on forest landscapes, mining and infrastructure development, and mining inside Indigenous lands”. She has also been recognized recently by CAPES, the Brazilian Ministry of Education’s Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, which funded her via a research scholarship and gave her an honorable mention in its CAPES Thesis Awards.

For Luis Enrique Sánchez, a professor at POLI-USP, Siqueira-Gay’s thesis advisor and a co-author of the article, the research can contribute to decision-making. “It shows that before any changes are made to the rules with the aim of reducing conservation areas, opening up Indigenous territories to mining or allowing production in RENCA, environmental impact assessments must be conducted, not case by case but strategically. These decisions can have implications on a regional scale. Our study shows that government policies should be subject to impact assessments,” said Sánchez, whose research has been supported by FAPESP. 

Earlier research by the group, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and reported in 2020 in the journal One Earth, focused specifically on Indigenous territories. According to this study, mining in the areas concerned could increase the impact on the forest by 20% and lead to losses worth up to USD 5 billion in ecosystem services such as rainfall regulation and food production.

Scenarios

The group developed spatial models of land use to simulate the expansion of mining and associated access infrastructure in a total of some 250,000 km² in RENCA and the vicinity (corresponding to 5% of the Brazilian Amazon).

Under one of the five scenarios for the policy of permitting mining and an increase in other human activities in RENCA, legal protection of the area as a reserve remains in force and there are no changes to conservation areas. Under the other four, the existing legal framework is replaced by rules that (1) change the restrictions concerning Indigenous lands to allow mining and construction of access roads; (2) change the management plan for sustainable-use areas to allow economic activities there; (3) allow mining in TIs and sustainable-use areas; and (4) suspend restrictions in all conservation units throughout RENCA.

None of the scenarios led to a desirable outcome in terms of conservation, and deforestation rose to some extent in all cases, with losses of high-biodiversity areas and increased landscape fragmentation. In some cases, a long and costly road network would be required, creating additional pressure to open up more protected areas and increasing forest fragmentation.

The researchers do not specifically discuss gold mining but note that the area is known to contain several gold deposits with wildcat prospectors in operation there. Given the growth of these illegal activities in the Amazon due to the price of gold and political support, opening up the area to exploration, mining and infrastructure would lead to more informal occupation in search of gold deposits, they write.

According to Sánchez, pressure on the Amazon Rainforest is intensifying in the current context of weak governance. “Roads and other means of access are gateways for the penetration of other activities, both legal and illegal. When governance is weak, the impact of mining multiplies,” he said.

A report published in 2021 by MapBiomas, a collaborative network run by NGOs, universities and tech startups to map land use and forest cover in Brazil, states that mining expanded sixfold nationwide between 1985 and 2020. The estimate is based on analysis of satellite images with the aid of artificial intelligence. The authors reckon mining jumped from 310 km² to 2,060 km² in the period, with part of the expansion occurring in the Amazon. In 2020, three in every four hectares of mining operations were in the Amazon, mainly pertaining to wildcat prospecting (garimpos).

“Our models don’t categorize mineral deposits by type of ore, so we don’t analyze gold mining separately. We know there are many gold deposits in the region, and it wouldn’t be possible to ignore the fact that new roads would make access a lot easier,” said Siqueira-Gay, who is currently researching mining and deforestation at Instituto Escolhas, a sustainability think tank.

The energy transition will lead to rising demand for certain minerals in the years ahead, she added, particularly those used to produce solar and wind power and in electric car batteries. “The importance of protecting the landscape is an issue that will be discussed all the more widely from now on. The debate about opening up new areas has to do with our research lines here,” she said.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe

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JOURNAL

Nature Sustainability

ARTICLE TITLE

Strategic planning to mitigate mining impacts on protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon

New horizons in neural recording systems

New whitepaper reveals first brain signals recorded by the ABILITY system and the next steps to human clinical trials for people with severe paralysis

Reports and Proceedings

WYSS CENTER FOR BIO AND NEUROENGINEERING

 

IMAGE: ABILITY IS A FULLY IMPLANTABLE NEURAL RECORDING SYSTEM DESIGNED TO AMPLIFY AND WIRELESSLY TRANSMIT HIGH CHANNEL COUNT, HIGH FREQUENCY NEURAL DATA FROM THE BRAIN TO A COMPUTER IN ORDER TO RESTORE COMMUNICATION AND INDEPENDENCE FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE PARALYSIS. view more 

CREDIT: ©WYSS CENTER

Geneva, Switzerland - A new whitepaper, released by the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, reveals the first neural signals recorded by the ABILITY brain-computer interface (BCI) system. It also lays out the plan for a forthcoming human clinical trial with ABILITY to enable communication for people locked-in as a result of brain stem stroke or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). The Wyss Center team, together with academic and clinical collaborators and a network of industrial technology partners, is developing ABILITY, a wireless implantable medical device, to improve quality of life and provide independence for people with paralysis.  

Jonas Zimmerman, PhD, Senior Neuroscientist at the Wyss Center, explains: “Neuroscience is experiencing a global renaissance. In recent years many talented research groups and industry leaders have developed new technologies ready to be tailored for people with severe paralysis. Now is the time to build on these achievements, overcome the final hurdles, and bring neural interface technology to those who need it most.”

“The Wyss Center team and my lab are working together towards the same goal of restoring communication for people who are locked-in. We believe that future brain-computer interfaces will go far beyond current technology and have the exciting potential to bring new levels of independence to people with paralysis in their daily life.” says Prof. Nick Ramsey from the UMC Utrecht Brain Center and Wyss Center collaborator.

George Kouvas, MBA, Wyss Center Chief Technology Officer says: “With fully implantable brain-computer interfaces still in their infancy, our approach at the Wyss Center is to offer a versatile system that not only connects to multiple electrode technologies, but that records neural signals from many channels at very high frequencies and wirelessly transmits the raw data using a high-speed optical link. In these early days, we believe that a versatile technology like ABILITY addresses the unmet needs of early adopters and, as a consequence, has the potential to help the BCI market grow.”

The whitepaper draws on experience from a recent clinical case study that successfully enabled BCI communication for a person completely locked-in because of ALS. It reviews existing methods of recording electrical activity from the brain and describes the clinical need for breakthrough implant technology. Finally, it describes the next steps to a clinical study that will not only assess the device performance but also the acceptance of implantable BCIs by patients, caregivers, and health care professionals.

ABILITY is a fully implantable neural recording system designed to amplify and wirelessly transmit high channel count, high frequency neural data from the brain to a computer in order to restore communication and independence for people with severe paralysis.

CREDIT

©Wyss Center

ENDS

Download the whitepaper and high resolution images here

Image captions: ABILITY is a fully implantable neural recording system designed to amplify and wirelessly transmit high channel count, high frequency neural data from the brain to a computer in order to restore communication and independence for people with severe paralysis. ©Wyss Center

About the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland

The Wyss Center is an independent, non-profit, research and development organization that advances our understanding of the brain to realize therapies and improve lives. 

The Wyss Center staff, together with the Center’s academic, clinical and industrial collaborators, pursue innovations and new approaches in neurobiology, neuroimaging and neurotechnology.

Wyss Center advances reveal unique insights into the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of the brain and the treatment of disease to accelerate the development of devices and therapies for unmet medical needs.

The Wyss Center was established by a generous donation from the Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss in 2014. Additional resources from funding agencies and other sources help the Wyss Center accelerate its mission.

www.wysscenter.ch/