#pollutants

We tested if a specialized magnetic powder could remove microplastics from drinking water: The answer is yes

Microplastics are the crumbs of our plastic world, tiny pieces that come from bigger items breaking apart or from products like synthetic clothing and packaging. They're now everywhere. Scientists estimate there are about 51 trillion of these particles floating in the world's surface waters, and low levels have even been found in South African tap water. That's worrying because these particles can carry chemicals and bad bacteria, get eaten by fish and other wildlife, and may end up in our bodies. We're water scientists who are looking for ways to solve this problem. In a recent study, we tested a practical fix: two "magnetic cleaning powders" that can attach onto microplastics in water; the combined clumps can then be pulled out using a magnet. These materials are called magnetic nanocomposites (think: very fine powders with special surfaces).

"... the council’s own assessment of the proposed site warns that the new town would be at risk of regular flooding and that development could cause “landscape harm”. ..."

“...The Malvern Hills AONB’s own lighting guidance warns that once dark skies are lost, they are almost impossible to regain. This development would effectively write off one of the last good stargazing spots left in the Midlands”, he added.

Sudden light pollution over the Malvern Hills would devastate natural habits, Mr Gamble added, noting that councils must take light pollution into account when allocating land for planning.

“Nocturnal animals – bats, moths, owls, hedgehogs – rely on true darkness to hunt, navigate and breed – artificial light throws their whole ecosystems out of sync”, he said. ..."

".Now, light pollution expert Ben Gamble, has warned that Glynchbrook threatens the “priceless” and “incredibly rare” dark-sky site at Castlemorton Common – 2.9-miles from the proposed new town."

“Light pollution is now recognised as a form of pollution under the Environment Act and in national planning guidance.

“Councils already have to assess air, noise and water pollution; light should be no different. It affects biodiversity, public health, and the character of protected landscapes like the Malvern Hills National Landscape.

“Ignoring it isn’t just short-sighted – it’s legally and morally indefensible when better lighting solutions exist and when other sites with lower environmental impact are available.”

Mr Gamble’s concerns were shared by local residents, all of whom want to see the Glynchbrook plan scrapped. ..."

"The assessment also recognises that the 113.8-hectare site is “poorly located for low carbon access to services”."

For the people who aren't from countries where it's more so domes of light than it is dark-sights, I must say, it is always rather ominous when I see cities in a distance. Even with modern lighting being so cold and blue-looking. They still look like tall domes fire. It's quite terrifying, really. Now imagine youre a creature that is practically blind in the light and can only truly see in the darkness. Imagine losing one of the final few places in the midlands that you can finally see, live, forage, hunt, meet others, copulate, so that the beings that took everything else and covered it in concrete, to have yet another place.

And for the people that don't care about animals, think about the fact that this is one of the last places in the midlands where you can actually see some of the stars. Light pollution travels so far, and despite the fact that I live in a forest, and the closest town is an hour away (via motorway), we can still see where the town is, as it creates a wide lightdome where it is at night. It's all rather frustrating when you want to see the stars, but literally can't, as the light is causing reflections to happen in the atmosphere, thereby making the sky less transparrent.

I find it so deeply depressing that most people alive today have never actually truly seen the stars.

“It will no longer be a rural oasis. It’ll be just another hill, next to an anonymous town.”

---

"A plan for a new town near the Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire border has been described as a "horror story" by nearby residents."

"Andrew Elliot, from Bromsberrow, said: "It's a travesty, it's a horror story". Herefordshire Council and Malvern District Council have both lodged opposition to the plan."

"

"Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester, Elliot said infrastructure in the area was "already bursting".

"The schools, the doctors, the dentists and Forest of Dean District Council are suggesting 3,500 new homes, which could equate to possibly 9,000 people.

"Do they think they're going to service them within the Forest of Dean district? Personally, I think that's very unlikely.""

"

He added: "Quite simplistically, Glynchbrook should be taken out of the draft Local Plan, end of."

Elliot also said he had experienced issues with the authority's consultation process, which he described as "so user unfriendly".

"I have found it complex, I have found it confusing, and I know I'm one of very, very many others who have found it really daunting indeed," he said.

"I know many people who have just given up trying to voice their concerns.""

yup, let's just take the whole forest, shall we. It's not like we need them to survive, breathe, and eat, or anything. No, not at all. Let's just smack a new settlement, right slap bang in the middle of everything. I'm sure it wouldn't negatively impact the encironment, local, infrastructure, etc. at all, in a negative way/s

""It's right up to the border of the area of outstanding natural beauty, which is the Malvern Hills," she explained."

Let's also ignore that some of the towns close by are under protected status, shall we.

A woman drops her porcelain tea-cup in horror upon discovering the monstrous contents of a magnified drop of Thames water; revealing the impurity of London drinking water.

Fiberglass in humans has been found to cause:

Skin, eye and upper respiratory tract irritation in humans

Lung disorders and

Increased risk for certain cancers

It also hurts the shellfish ability to digest food and reproduce, alongside causing inflammation

Fiberglass is a type of plastic material that is made stronger by having little fibers of glass woven into it.

Classified as marine debris, man made materials are polluting the world’s oceans.

SOLUSI LARI DARI POLUSI

Judulnya nampak berbobot, padahal isinya... tentu tidak.

Semenjak ramai sekali berita tentang buruknya polusi di Jakarta & sekitarnya, tadi pagi pas lagi nemenin Umar naik sepeda, disempatkan menatap langit lebih seksama dari biasanya. Alhamdulillah masih biru, walaupun sebagain lainnya berkabut, gunung (entah apa) yang biasanya nampak, ga  nampak pulak tadi. Mengutip kata favoritenya Umar belakangan ini, "oh my god", ternyata nyata adanya polusi udara seburuk ini. Tapi, tahukan kita? Bahwa kendaraan menyumbang 30% dari total polusi di Jakarta, selebihnya PLTU dan sisanya yang lain-lain. Ini fyi ajasi. Tentu, tidak ada solusi praktikal untuk info diatas, dari saya. Ntar lah, kalau ada kesempatan jadi caleg partai, baru dipikirin solusinya😌 hehe.

Ohya, tadi setelah mengamati langit, ku wa lah suami. Bilang, sedih juga sama polusi ini. Suamiku sungguh sangat visioner, dia balas, "nanti kita beli rumah aja di Bandung, daerah Setiabudi/Ledeng". Mantap kali kan? Solusi yang diberi tidak tanggung-tanggung. Yaa, tapi setelah dipikir, Bandung kota juga mungkin akan makin padat kedepannya, jadi gimana kalau kita cari di Ciparay/Cililin aja? Tapi itu, jauh entah antah, gimana pulak kalau tiba-tiba ingin jajan di Gempol? Hm. Apa daerah Cigugur Girang/ Gerlong aja kalau gitu? Aamiin aja dulu dari sekarang.

Jadi, solusi lari dari polusi nih, nampaknya kita hijrah tempat tinggal aja gitu ya? Jadi, bagus dong agenda pemerintah sekarang ini yang mau pindah ke IKN? Mantap. Jaya selalu Pakde dan Pak Luhut👍 lah.... wkwk.

Yaudahlah, mana sini yang punya info rumah dijual di Bandung kota agak minggir dikit, yang daerahnya ga macet, masih hijau, masih ada sejuk dingin-dingin enak, fasum lengkap, tapi harga dibawah 600an🙃 hehe. Sungguh banyak ingin, minim modal. Seperti para caleg politik yang balihonya membuat mata perih👌

Network Failure

October 2021 saw the biggest communications outage in history. Facebook went down. Although the disruption only lasted six hours, it caused worldwide chaos and cost Mark Zuckerberg $6 billion. Researchers have discovered that our brains experience similar network failures in response to bisphenol A. We’re exposed to this chemical every day – it’s in food packaging, shopping receipts, and medical equipment. Here, we see neurons (black) from mice exposed to bisphenol A for two months. Compared to untreated cells, the number of dendritic spines on these neurons decreased by 42%. These long thin structures allow neurons to talk to each other, and are vital for learning and memory. Mice exposed to bisphenol A suffered from anxiety and disrupted memory processing, and the scientists have uncovered how the chemical causes these changes to the brain’s network. This work explains how a ubiquitous chemical can disturb our brains, supporting efforts to regulate its use.

Written by Henry Stennett

Image from work by Sung-Ae Hyun, Moon Yi Ko & Sumi Jang, et al

Department of Advanced Toxicology Research, Korea Institute of Toxicology, KRICT, Daejeon, South Korea

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in and on the cover of Disease Models & Mechanisms, July 2022

Bayer and Monsanto Settle to Pay Oregon for PCB Pollutants

Bayer and Monsanto have settled a lawsuit with Oregon, agreeing to pay the state almost $700 million over PCB pollution allegations. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are toxic compounds formerly used in many applications, from coolants to copy machines and fluorescent light bulbs. Monstanto is the only company ever to manufacture PCBs in the United States, a factor which helped lead to their…