A new study done by the University of Queensland shows how bad the pesticide mixture problem is, in the first comprehensive analysis of the pesticide mixtures in rivers and creeks that discharge into the Great Barrier Reef.

Image credit: Force Change

Professor Michael Warne, a researcher at UQ’s School of Environmental Sciences, analyzed 2,600 water samples from 15 different waterways that discharge into the Great Barrier Reefs, over a four-year time span.

The data showed pesticide mixtures in 99.8% of the samples collected, with as many as 20 different pesticides in one sample. The more individual pesticides in a sample, the more detrimental the pesticide mixture is to the aquatic ecosystem. The results of the study further encourage the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.

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Dr. Warne said the best way to address the problem of pesticides and pesticide mixtures in run-off was to work with land managers, share information and help them to improve their pesticide management practices.

“We are doing just that with other partners including Farmacist, James Cook University and the Department of Environment and Science through Project Bluewater which is funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation,” he said.

Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought

The study found that pesticide runoff was generally the worst in areas where sugar cane was being grown. As a result of these findings, the researchers are working with sugar cane farmers to improve pesticide management and application through upgraded equipment as well as reduce overall pesticide usage while switching to lower risk pesticides.

Scientists from Australia and China recently released a study examining the effectiveness of CRISPR gene editing in rice plants. The developers involved in the project attempted to approve the yield of already high-yield rice by disrupting a semi-dwarfing gene in the plant (SD1). While the scientists used small gene inserts and deletions in the genome to accomplish this, analysis in the study published in the Journal of Genetics and Genomics found large insertions, deletions, and rearrangements in the rice’s DNA.

Given these findings, the likelihood of unpredictable changes in multiple gene functions leading to altered biochemistry in gene-edited food plants, with consequent health risks (toxicity, allergenicity) is very real.”

Dr. Michael Antoniou, molecular geneticist at King’s College London

In addition to the large and unpredicted insertions and deletions, the CRISPR rice did not show an increased yield. The plants were reduced in height, but scientists were not able to achieve their second goal.

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Many COVID-19 patients are testing positive for COVID-19 through stool samples even after testing negative for viral respiratory infections. Scientists have found that patients have prolonged viral gut infections, even without gastrointestinal symptoms.

SARS-Cov-2 primarily spreads through respiratory droplets but finding viral infections in the stool of patients shows that Sars-CoV-2 does more than just infect the respiratory system. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 also affects the intestinal tract.

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“We used to think of SARS-CoV-2 as just a pulmonary or respiratory disease,” said Siew Chien Ng, assistant dean of medicine and associate director of the university’s Centre for Gut Microbiota Research, in an interview Tuesday. “But over the last couple months, a lot of evidence has emerged that SARS-CoV-2 also affects the intestinal tract.”

Covid-19 May Cause Prolonged Gut Infection, Scientists Say

Within a study that tested 73 patients, more than half tested positive for coronavirus through stool samples. Data collected showed that patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in the gut had an abundance of opportunistic microbes and a loss of beneficial protective microbes. This was amplified in cases where antibiotics were used for treatment.

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Scientists are just now beginning to understand the important role gut health plays in overall health. We have known this for quite some time. If you’re at all worried about COVID-19 or any other disease, the best thing you can do is focus on gut health.

A new study done by the University of California showed that 1 in 3 young adults is at risk for severe COVID-19, and smoking plays a big role in determining that risk.

Researchers looked at more than 8,000 participants between the ages of 18-25 and found that 32% of the total survey population fell into the high-risk category.

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The participants answered the National Health Interview Survey to determine what their medical vulnerability was to severe COVID-19. Results were determined based on risk indicators laid out by the CDC.

Recent evidence indicates that smoking is associated with a higher likelihood of COVID-19 progression, including increased illness severity, ICU admission or death,” said Sally Adams, lead author of the study and a specialist at University of California, San Francisco’s National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center, in a press release. “Smoking may have significant effects in young adults, who typically have low rates for most chronic diseases.”

1 in 3 young adults vulnerable to severe Covid-19 — and smoking plays a big part, research finds

Within the study, 1 in 10 young adults reported smoking within the last 30 days, and 1 in 14 young adults reported E-cigarette usage. When you remove smokers from the analysis, the percentage of young people medically vulnerable to COVID-19 drops to 16%.

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Young men were at a higher risk for COVID-19 than women. However, women had higher rates of asthma and immune conditions, making them a higher risk for COVID-19 when you remove smokers from the analysis.

Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that suicide rates in youth aged 10-24 have increased by 57% between 2007 and 2018. This is a rise from 7 in every 100,000 people to 11. The U.S suicide rate within all age groups was 14 people in every 100,000 in 2018. More than a quarter of young adults reported seriously considering suicide in the last 30 days.

“There are many reasons to suspect that suicide rates will increase this year too, not just because of Covid-19 but because stress and anxiety seem to be permeating every aspect of our lives,”

Suicides Among U.S. Kids, Young Adults Jumped 57% in Past Decade

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Rural states showed the highest suicide rates, namely Alaska, South Dakota Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Alaska was the highest with 31.5 young suicides per 100,000 young people. In contrast, Northeastern states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts had the lowest suicide rates. That being said, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts saw 44%, 39%, and 64% increases in suicide rates respectively.

With the ongoing political, social, and socioeconomic stress in today’s climate, plus the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is likely that suicide rates will continue to rise.

Police in Portland have been using tear gas on protestors since May, and officials are worried about the effect of the gas on the health of the protestors and the water in the area, especially the Willamette River. Since July 24th, the state has received 160 complaints about tear gas, in addition to comments on social media.

While aren’t many studies on the long-term effects of tear gas exposure, which authorities have sprayed over protestors since George Floyd’s death on May 25th, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that prolonged exposure to riot control agents like CS gas can cause eye problems like scarring, glaucoma, and cataracts, and may possibly cause breathing problems such as asthma. A small sample of protestors has reported that frequent exposure to tear gas has altered their menstrual cycles. The Oregon Health & Science University released a statement on tear gas and COVID-19.

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While large gatherings in general provide increased opportunities for the transmission of COVID-19, the use of tear gas could significantly exacerbate the spread. Tear gas is a chemical that attacks the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs and causes severe pain and irritation; exposure to tear gas can result in blindness, bleeding, crying and coughing. The release of airborne droplets through tear gas-induced coughing could accelerate the spread of COVID-19 and lead to a surge in new cases. Damage to the respiratory tract can put individuals at greater risk of adverse outcomes if they become infected with COVID-19.”

Danny Jacobs, President of OHSU

In addition to human health, environmental regulators are also concerned about the nightly applications of tear gas. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has asked the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services to respond to that.

Due to the unprecedented amount of tear gas products used within the downtown area over the last 90 days, DEQ is requiring the City to conduct additional water quality monitoring…” 

Christine Svetkovich, DEQ Water Quality Manager

The DEQ has also asked the city to report on the collections of lead, copper, barium, zinc, perchlorate, total chromium, and hexavalent chromium in the water supply.

Through researching the relationship between diet and COVID-19 death rates, researchers have found a positive correlation between the consumption of fermented food and COVID-19 mortality rates.

Although aspects such as age structure, the timing of interventions, employment type, and housing conditions are likely to be the most relevant factors, other potentially relevant factors such as nutrition should not be overlooked, say Bousquet and colleagues.  

Study links fermented vegetable consumption to low COVID-19 mortality

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The study, which was conducted by Jean Bousquet, looked at COVID-19 mortality rates based on data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. For information on fermented food consumption, researchers looked at the Comprehensive European Food consumption Database to assess the consumption of different fermented foods from each European country.

The study found that “For each gram per day increase in the average national consumption of fermented vegetables, the risk for COVID-19 mortality fell by 35.4%.” Of all the fermented foods, only fermented vegetables made a significant impact on mortality rates. The study looked at the consumption of a variety of different fermented foods, including vegetables, milk, yogurt, sour milk, and pickled/marinated vegetables.

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Researchers believe that changes in the microbiota, fueled by less fermented foods and less diversity, may contribute to increased spread or severity of COVID-19.