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)
Monday, May 11, 2026
Study finds multiple PFAS, the man-made ‘forever chemicals’, in 98.5% of people tested in US study
Across more than 10,500 samples examined, 98.8% had at least one PFAS in their blood
Man-made 'forever chemicals' have been detected in 98.8% of blood tests, in a new study which examined more than 10,500 samples.
The findings are the latest indication to suggest that nearly every single person in the US is living with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) – and usually multiple – in their system.
The results, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, show that most individuals (98.5%) were, in fact, carrying multiple types of these environmentally persistent chemicals in their blood.
The paper demonstrates one of the largest-ever sample sizes determining PFAS levels in blood.
PFAS are a group of approximately 10,000, so-called, forever chemicals – as they do not degrade easily and build-up in the environment and human body. Used for decades, they can be found in thousands of day-to-day items ranging from clothes and cooking utensils to electronics and medical equipment. They live in our food, water and homes.
The dangers of all PFAS are not fully known; however, previous studies have linked some of them to serious complications, including cancer, infertility, high cholesterol, and weakened immunity.
One of the PFAS most commonly detected in this new study (in 97.9% of samples) was perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (linear PFOA), which is already recognised as being linked to adverse health conditions – including potential impacts on the immune system, liver, and thyroid – prompting action, internationally, for its restriction.
Commenting on the results, lead author, Dr Laura Labay, Principal Toxicologist at NMS Labs – the leading independent provider of professional laboratory testing services in the USA – says it is hoped their new dataset can offer future interventions.
“This large dataset provides a real-world snapshot of how multiple PFAS commonly occur together in people. By identifying these shared exposure patterns, the study offers a greater understanding of what widespread, combined PFAS exposure may mean for human health. We hope these findings will help inform future risk-assessment efforts, guide research on harmful PFAS mixtures, and ultimately support clearer clinical and public-health guidance.”
The data in this report were derived from 10,566 serum and plasma samples, of which a PFAS co-positivity assessment was performed by the NMS Labs team. Most samples (10,478) were tested for 13 different PFAS, whilst 88 samples were tested for 18 PFAS. 58 unique chemical combinations were found when testing for 13 PFAS and 16 different combinations were found when testing for 18 PFAS.
Overall, they found 98.8% of samples contained at least one PFAS. Only 19 samples (0.18%) contained a single PFAS, at the lower limit of the reporting threshold (0.1 ng/mL).
Across both testing panels, the most common combination included five PFAS, including historically used PFOS and PFOA as well as their replacement chemicals, frequently found in consumer products such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foam. This combination was detected in 2,754 samples, or 26.1% of those tested.
“These findings reinforce that PFAS exposure rarely occurs as isolated compounds,” Dr Labay adds.
“Instead, individuals typically carry body burdens comprising five or more PFAS with differing bioaccumulation properties and half-lives. The high prevalence and consistency of specific PFAS combinations highlight the importance of mixture-based interpretation in biomonitoring, particularly given PFAS’ potential to affect multiple biological systems in the body.”
The authors detail that limitations of the paper include that not all PFAS potentially present in the samples may have been considered, which may have led to underestimation.
by M Bookchin · Cited by 243 — Our Synthetic Environment. Murray Bookchin ... Recent changes in our synthetic environment have created new problems that are as ... preservatives, and chemical "technological aids," many of which may impair his health. His waterways and ...
On air travel and digital currencies
Baker McKenzie Award Honors Two Outstanding Dissertations in Business Law
FRANKFURT. This year’s Baker McKenzie Award has been awarded to Dr. Alexander Heger and Dr. Felix-Julius Konow in recognition of their exceptional doctoral research. Since 1988, the international law firm Baker McKenzie has presented the €6,000 award to honor outstanding dissertations and habilitations completed at Goethe University Frankfurt’s Faculty of Law. Eligible works must have received the highest distinction, summa cum laude. The award ceremony will take place on May 8, 2026, during the faculty’s doctoral graduation celebration at the Casino Building on Westend Campus. The prize will be presented by Dr. Florian Thamm, partner at Baker McKenzie.
Dr. Alexander Heger is being recognized for his dissertation, “European Competition Law and Air Transport – A Suitable Legal Framework?”. The study examines how the air transport sector operates within a market economy, how competitive conditions are shaped, and which legal principles can support a sustainable and competitive aviation sector in the European Union over the long term. Dissertation supervisor Prof. Rainer Hofmann praised the work as an outstanding analysis of a legally and factually complex field, noting that its quality is comparable to that of a habilitation. At the heart of the dissertation is the argument that the EU’s concept of the entrepreneurial state offers an appropriate framework for promoting a competitive and sustainable air transport system.
Dr. Felix-Julius Konow will receive the award for his dissertation, “Regulating Stablecoins – The Regulatory Treatment of E-Money Tokens under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in the Context of the Regulation of Bank Money, E-Money, and Money Market Funds.” In his research, Konow examines the economic function and legal structure of stablecoins – digital currencies linked to the value of traditional currencies. He analyzes potential risks to financial stability and public trust, while also exploring regulatory mechanisms to address them. Dissertation advisor Prof. Katja Langenbucher described the work as a major contribution to the legal classification and regulation of stablecoins and praised its interdisciplinary scope. In particular, she highlighted how the dissertation engages with macroeconomic questions relating to monetary policy, deposit insurance, reserve requirements, and competing monetary theories, integrating these perspectives into a coherent legal framework.
“Baker McKenzie is committed to supporting outstanding young legal scholars, and the Baker McKenzie Award is an important part of that commitment,” says Dr. Florian Thamm, who represents Baker McKenzie on the selection committee of Goethe University’s research council. The firm also supports aspiring legal professionals through additional initiatives such as the Scholarship for Equal Opportunity, which assists law students facing cultural, financial, or family-related barriers to entering legal studies.
Pregnant women’s mental images are directly linked to vaccine hesitancy and uptake
When pregnant women think about vaccinations, many experience vivid mental images – such as a sick baby in hospital – that have a direct link to their opinion of the vaccine and whether they ultimately have it, new research has shown.
The international study is the first known work to investigate the prevalence of vaccination-related mental imagery and to link it to both vaccine hesitancy and vaccination behaviour during pregnancy.
It was carried out with more than 400 pregnant women in Perth, Western Australia, who completed a brief survey while they were waiting for appointments in a maternity hospital.
The women were asked for their perceptions of risks relating to whooping cough, influenza, and COVID-19, and whether they experienced any mental images relating to the diseases or the vaccinations for these diseases.
Verified vaccine uptake data was subsequently obtained through official immunisation records at the end of participants’ pregnancy to examine whether and when each vaccine was received, if at all.
The findings, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, showed that mental images were common and – depending on whether that mental image was a positive or negative one, and about the impacts of diseases or the vaccine itself – could be used in some cases to predict if and when the women ultimately became vaccinated during pregnancy.
Dr Julie Ji is the study's lead author, a Lecturer at the University of Plymouth's School of Psychology and Centre for the Psychology of Health and Wellbeing, and Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia School of Psychological Science. She explained that pregnancy is a sensitive period when health decisions carry extra emotional and psychological weight:
"Our results suggest that vivid emotional mental scenes that pop to mind when someone is thinking about vaccination are not just incidental, they may be meaningfully linked to how people feel about vaccines, and in some cases, whether and when they get vaccinated," she said.
The study’s key findings included that women who reported negative mental images about vaccines – such as worrying scenarios of harm or side effects – also tended to report greater hesitancy towards the whooping cough and influenza vaccines, particularly if they had not yet been vaccinated.
This pattern was observed even after taking into account women’s general attitudes towards receiving government-recommended vaccines during pregnancy, suggesting mental images capture a unique aspect of how vaccine decisions are psychologically experienced, rather than simply reflecting general maternal vaccination attitudes.
When the researchers looked at what women actually did, a different pattern emerged. Those who reported positive mental images about vaccines, such as imagining antibodies being passed through the umbilical cord, were more likely to receive the whooping cough vaccine, and to get it earlier in their pregnancies.
This highlights the potential importance of positive mental imagery in vaccine decision-making and behaviour, such as being able to imagine how vaccines offer protection for oneself and one’s baby. Again, these effects were not simply a reflection of general maternal vaccination attitudes or disease-specific hesitancy levels.
By the end of their pregnancy, participants were most likely to receive the whooping cough vaccine (82.1% vaccinated), with lower uptake for influenza (60.1%) and very low uptake for COVID-19 (7.2%). At a time when hesitancy and suboptimal vaccine uptake pose significant threats to public health, the study highlights the importance of examining modifiable psychological factors involved in maternal vaccination decision-making.
The study builds on extensive work on the cognitive, emotional, and motivational impacts of mental imagery by leading mental imagery researchers at the University of Plymouth.
Dr Ji added: "A lot of research, including that done here in Plymouth, shows that mental imagery makes memories and future thoughts feel real. These images can powerfully influence our emotions and beliefs, and motivate helpful or unhelpful behaviours. Because mental imagery is something we know how to work with from mental health research, understanding its role in vaccine decision making during vulnerable periods like pregnancy is an important step towards developing new ways to support both individual and public health."
The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers spanning psychology, midwifery, paediatrics and infectious diseases, and social science, across institutions in Australia and the UK. It was funded by the Telethon Channel 7 Western Australia Child Research Fund, supporting work focused on improving health outcomes for children and families.
This unique collaboration brought together expertise in mental health and cognitive science with clinical knowledge of pregnancy care and vaccination, as well as population‑level insights into vaccine policy and uptake.
The authors say this interdisciplinary approach was critical to examining vaccine decision‑making during pregnancy using real‑world behavioural data, and they are now exploring how mental imagery can be harnessed to support informed decision-making during pregnancy.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Baby dinosaurs were likely fed more nutritious food than their adult counterparts, a finding that could offer insights into their social evolution, suggests a new study.
Paleontologists uncovered this finding by studying wear on the fossilized teeth of Maiasaura peeblesorum, a duck-billed dinosaur species that lived about 75 to 80 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous. First discovered in Montana, these large, herbivorous dinosaurs lived in herds and were thought to have been highly social creatures, especially in contrast to those that may have had different reproductive strategies.
Extensive fossil findings of preserved Maiasaura nests have since made them a key species for understanding the reproductive behaviors and ecology of many other types of duck-billed dinosaurs. Now, closer analysis of their dental wear patterns has revealed that while juvenile Maiasaura teeth had significantly more crushing wear, adults exhibited more shearing wear, suggesting parents could have been bringing softer, higher-protein food to their children than they themselves ate.
Today, this behavior is typical of birds whose young are confined to the nest for a time after hatching, said John Hunter, lead author of the study and an associate professor in evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University, meaning that these dinosaurs could have exhibited a level of parental care unusual for most species on Earth at the time.
“The urge for a bird to feed a youngster is a very old behavior,” said Hunter. “What we’re providing is that evidence for that behavior probably goes much further than the origin of birds, perhaps to the origin of dinosaurs.”
Learning more about which social behaviors may have endured throughout evolutionary history can give scientists a better glimpse into how organisms made a living tens of millions of years ago, as well as help predict traits modern animals might pass on to their descendants.
Researchers specifically detail that juvenile Maiasaura likely ate more nutritious low-fiber foods like fruit while their caretakers consumed a greater proportion of tougher, nutritionally poor high-fiber plant parts. In mammals today, the same patterns of shearing wear would likely be present in grazers like horses, antelopes and cows, while low-fiber diet eaters like tapirs would have dental patterns similar to the young dinosaurs.
In comparing the types of wear on dinosaur teeth, researchers also suggested that shifts in diet may have also performed an important role in early growth and development. In this instance, their results show that the diet of juvenile Maiasaura may have caused them to grow particularly fast in their first year.
The study also considers other interpretations of their results. Instead of consuming completely different fare, dinosaur parents could have been feeding their young partially regurgitated food, yet another behavior now common in birds. Alternatively, juveniles could also have left the nest to forage for themselves, an activity now seen in modern herbivorous lizards.
While that solution is less likely as juveniles were helpless, and probably dependent on their parents to feed them during the first weeks after hatching, learning more about their remains can widen scientists’ perspectives of what sophisticated biological and social systems dinosaurs may have had, said Hunter.
“The further back in time you go, the less of a fossil record you have, so paleontologists have to draw from different sources of inspiration from different parts of the living,” he said. “So even among closely related dinosaurs, there is probably still quite a bit to learn about them.”
If possible, future studies could examine other fossils of the very youngest dinosaurs for dental microwear to test other hypotheses regarding dinosaur embryos and hatchlings.
Christine Janis from the University of Bristol and the University of Brown was a co-author. This work was supported by Brown University.
Collagen obtained from bycatch jellyfish showed the same main structural features and very similar quality to collagen from carefully collected specimens.
Ballesteros: We have always been fascinated by nature and by the many unanswered questions surrounding marine ecosystems. The sea is dynamic, complex, and full of interactions that are still not fully understood. For us, becoming researchers was a natural way to combine curiosity with the possibility of contributing useful knowledge to society.
Jellyfish are fascinating animals. They have inhabited the oceans for millions of years, play important ecological roles, and possess unique biological characteristics that we are still discovering. However, they often carry a negative reputation, usually associated only with stings or blooms. Part of our work is to help people understand them better, showing their true role in marine ecosystems as well as their scientific and biotechnological potential.
We were especially drawn to applied marine science—the kind of research that not only advances knowledge but can also help address real environmental and social challenges. In our case, working with fisheries, marine resources, jellyfish, and focusing on sustainability allows us to connect science directly with coastal communities and ocean conservation.
Can you tell us about the research you’re currently working on and why it’s important?
Ballesteros: Our current research focuses on the sustainable use of marine biological resources, particularly species that are often overlooked, underused, or considered problematic. This work is aligned with current circular bioeconomy and zero-waste policies and strategies, which aim to reduce waste and give new value to materials that have traditionally been discarded.
Torres: Our research is important because it shows that environmental challenges can sometimes become opportunities when approached creatively and collaboratively.
Jellyfish bycatch is often seen as a nuisance for fishers because it damages nets, increases workload, and can reduce the value of commercial catches. However, jellyfish are also rich in collagen, a biomaterial widely used in cosmetics, medicine, food technology, and tissue engineering.
By demonstrating that jellyfish bycatch can provide collagen without compromising quality, we propose a circular bioeconomy solution: reducing waste, creating new economic opportunities, and supporting small-scale fisheries at the same time.
Can you tell us about the collaboration with fishers? Were you surprised by any of their attitudes towards recycling jellyfish bycatch? What did they identify as opportunities and difficulties?
Torres: The collaboration with fishers was one of the most valuable parts of the project. Their practical knowledge of the sea, seasonal changes, fishing gear, and species behavior is incredibly valuable and often underappreciated.
We were especially impressed by their high level of involvement. Many reported almost daily on catches – or non-catches. They also shared photographs and observations directly from the sea. This was particularly important, as data on non-catches are extremely valuable for understanding patterns of presence and distribution. All of this showed a clear willingness to collaborate and a genuine commitment to the project.
We were also positively surprised by how open and interested many fishers were. Most participants saw the potential of transforming jellyfish bycatch into something useful, especially if it could generate additional income and reduce waste.
At the same time, they were realistic about the barriers. They highlighted the lack of infrastructure, limited market demand, the absence of clear incentives, and the need for specific training. In other words, they were willing to participate—but they need systems that make participation truly viable.
Can you tell us about the analyses you ran in the lab? Is the collagen from jellyfish bycatch of the same quality as jellyfish that wasn’t caught accidentally?
Torres: In the laboratory, we extracted collagen from R. pulmo jellyfish collected in two different ways: individuals caught accidentally in fishing nets, and individuals carefully collected by hand-net to better preserve their structure.
We then compared the collagen using several analytical techniques which allowed us to assess the protein profile and apparent molecular weight distribution, structural integrity, and the characteristic molecular and crystalline features of collagen.
The key result was very encouraging: collagen obtained from bycatch jellyfish showed the same main structural features and very similar quality to collagen from carefully collected specimens. In other words, despite being considered a discarded material, the accidental capture did not significantly damage the collagen. This supports the feasibility of using jellyfish bycatch biomass as a sustainable raw material and demonstrates its significant biotechnological value.
What potential applications of collagen harvested from jellyfish bycatch are possible? Which one are you most excited about?
Torres: Jellyfish collagen has a wide range of possible applications. It could be used in cosmetics, for example in skin-care products; in biomedical fields, such as wound dressings, scaffolds for tissue regeneration, or drug delivery systems; and potentially in nutraceutical or food-related products.
One of the most exciting areas for us is regenerative medicine. Marine collagen is attracting attention as an alternative to mammalian collagen because it may reduce concerns linked to zoonotic diseases, religious restrictions, or consumer preferences.
Are there any common misconceptions about this area of research? How would you address them?
Ballesteros: One common misconception is that jellyfish are only harmful organisms with no positive value. While blooms can create challenges, jellyfish are natural components of marine ecosystems and can also provide ecosystem services and useful biomaterials.
Another misconception is that waste materials are automatically low quality. Our results show that, with proper handling and scientific validation, bycatch biomass can become a valuable resource.
Finally, some people assume sustainability and profitability are incompatible. Innovative circular economy models can help support both environmental goals and coastal livelihoods.
What are some of the areas of research you’d like to see tackled in the years ahead?
Ballesteros: We would like to see more long-term studies on jellyfish bycatch patterns in different fisheries and regions, as climate change and other environmental and human-driven factors may alter their abundance, distribution, and interactions with fisheries.
We are already expanding this line of work to other areas of the Spanish Mediterranean to understand the perceptions of more fishing communities and to assess more deeply the impact that jellyfish are having on the sector. New research groups have joined in to replicate and expand the study in other regions, which reflects the growing scientific and social interest in this topic.
We would also like to see further progress in optimizing collagen extraction methods, scaling up production processes, and evaluating commercial applications in real industrial settings.
Another very important area is understanding how fishers, policymakers, consumers, and scientists can jointly design practical, participatory solutions adapted to each territory. Sustainable innovation only works when all stakeholders are actively involved in decision-making.
How has open science benefited the reach and impact of your research?
Ballesteros: Open science is essential for increasing visibility, transparency, science communication, and collaboration. By publishing openly, our findings can be accessed not only by scientists, but also by fishers, environmental organizations, policymakers, students, and entrepreneurs.
This is especially important in sustainability-focused research, where knowledge should be as accessible, understandable, and as widely shared as possible. Open access also supports science communication, allows ideas to move more quickly into practice, encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, and increases the real-world impact of the work.
For a topic like jellyfish valorization, open science helps connect people who might otherwise never meet and who together can create solutions.
Engaging small-scale fishers in a circular bioeconomy: valorization of Rhizostoma pulmo (Macri, 1778) jellyfish bycatch for sustainable collagen production
Article Publication Date
11-May-2026
Fishers brought practical knowledge of the sea, seasonal changes, fishing gear, and species behavior to the project.
