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Brazilian mine disaster threatens river and sea with toxic mud

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Brazilian mine disaster threatens river and sea with toxic mud

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The Fundão dam collapse, which resulted in the flow of toxic mud and iron-ore residue into the Rio Doce, produced a significant environmental disaster in Brazil, which is discussed in the article. The local environment is severely impacted by this pollution, particularly for marine life and threatened species like leatherback turtles. Businesses in the area that depend on fishing and tourism have suffered major losses as a result of the disaster. Despite reaction measures, such as the placement of safety barriers, the long-term ecological and financial effects are unknown. Critics claim that given the severity of the damage, the compensation provided by the concerned mining firms is insufficient.

- Oleksii

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Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions

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Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions

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Summary - Emissions from diesels cars is causing high levels of pollution
Pollutants - carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides
Sources - complete/incomplete combustion of diesel, reactants reacting at high temperatures
Impacts - Air, water, and soil pollution
Point or Non Point Source - Point Source
Persistent or Biodegradable - Persistent
Acute or Chronic - Chronic

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Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on Earth

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Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on Earth

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Summary: man-made fibers, microplastics being the most prominent are being ingested by lysianassoid amphipods at the deepest location of all the Earth's oceans. The physical impacts that happen in shallower waters in which marine life has ingested these fibers are likely to happen in these hadal environments (hadal means 6000 meters below). As they are ingesting these plastics we do not know what their baselines are and now will never know as they have been contaminated before we have had the chance to study them. It is highly likely that now every marin ecosystem has been affected by microplastics

The pollutants: Plastics, microplastics, man-made fibers, organic pollutants

The sources: a potential source was a dracon from the hadal vehicles, sewages, airborne transport

The impacts: at an ecosystem level on the physical and toxicological impacts of microplastic ingestion still remain unclear,

Non point source polution. Persistent. Chronic pollution

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What's going on?
Toxic chemicals are accumulating up the taxonomic ranks and negatively affecting polar bears.

How?
Compounds that have been used to treat industrial and commercial products such as textiles have been found to be disturbing certain enzymes in the polar bears' brains.

This reduces the animal's already slim chances of survival in an increasingly hostile environment - the toxins can deteriorate the polar bears' food-finding abilities by knocking their hormones out of balance.

Additionally, there exists a risk of even wider consequences as polar bears are an apex predator, and their extinction could wreak havoc on the extended environment. josh

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The polar bears in the Arctic have more than just climate change to worry about these days. A new study shows that a number of man-made chemicals end up in the Arctic food chain where they mess with the polar bears' brains.

The new study, a collaboration between scientists from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen, along with colleagues in Canada and the United States, demonstrates how perfluorinated compounds, which have been used to treat industrial and commercial products for decades, disturb different signal molecules and enzymes in the bears' brains.

This may ultimately impact on the polar bears' behaviour, hormonal balance, and their ability to survive in an already hostile environment.

The Arctic is also inhabited by people who are exposed to precisely the same toxic chemicals as the polar bears.

"The amount of these compounds has been increasing in the Arctic in recent years. We should therefore also be aware of the effects they have on the environment and the people who live there," says study lead author Kathrine Eggers Pedersen, a Ph.D. student at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen. "Our research shows that perfluorinated compounds may have a significant effect on polar bears and humans who live from the same diet as polar bears."

The study has just been published in the journal Environmental Research.

Polar bear's brain under stress

The study shows that the number of enzymes and signal substances in the brain of a polar bear depends on the concentration of perfluorinated compounds the bears have assimilated through their food -- which primarily consists seals.

The scientists discovered this by examining brains of dead polar bears from East Greenland.

According to another scientist involved the study, associate professor Bjarne Styrishave from the Toxicology Laboratory of the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Copenhagen, it's particularly concerning because the fall in signal substances and enzymes in the brain may get so bad that they affect the polar bears' nervous and hormonal systems.

"We don't know whether the disruption of enzymes and signal substances is enough to have an effect on the polar bears' senses and behaviour. The brain is plastic and may adapt itself and compensate for the damage to a certain extent," says Styrishave.

The problem is just that we don't know how far the polar bears' brains can be pushed before then nervous systems sustain damage, he says. "It's difficult to say whether we are a long way from the limit, or very close to it."

Brains should not be disturbed at all

According to Styrishave, the nervous and hormonal systems of the polar bears should -- ideally -- not be disturbed in any way.

The two systems control the bears' behaviour and are involved in everything from mating to searching for food.

The polar bears are dependent, among other things, on a good memory and sharp senses when navigating their surroundings.

The nervous system and the hormonal system also control the functions of all the animal's organs including the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, muscles, and genitals.

"It's the fundamental processes vital to being a bear that can potentially be disturbed by the substances," says Styrishave.

Close to documenting correlation

Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen is a professor of toxicology and head of the Centre for Arctic Health at Aarhus University.

Although she did not take part in the new study she has previously performed studies that demonstrated how perfluorinated chemicals are associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer among Greenland women.

Bonefeld-Jørgensen believes, however, that caution should be exercised before we conclude that the perfluorinated compound also affect human brains.

"Polar bears have much higher concentrations of these substances in their brains than humans. So we can't draw any conclusions about humans before we have carried out similar studies on human brains," says Bonefeld-Jørgensen. "Nevertheless, it's important that we focus on the substances so they don't reach the same high concentrations in humans as they do in polar bears."

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Read the original story in Danish on Videnskab.dk
Translated by: Hugh Matthews

Scientific links

External links

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Chemical pollution is causing brain damage in polar bears

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Toxic chemicals end up in the Arctic where they cause brain damage in polar bears. They could even affect humans, scientists warn.

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Far more microplastics floating in oceans than thought

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Although we are roughly aware of the fact that the amount of plastic ending up in the oceans is extremely large, we do not know the shape or location of all the plastic. Majority of the plastic found further out at sea is microscopic, compared to bigger single use plastic products. A study done showed that these microplastics made up around only 1% of plastics entering oceans. The amount of microplastics is believed to be 93,000 to 236,000 tonnes, 37 times larger than earlier estimates. These numbers are more reliable because they take into account different sampling conditions, and how to work in those conditions to get more honest results. Although these results show a lot about microplastics in the ocean, they only make up a small percentage of plastic in the ocean. It proves much harder to count the rest of the plastic in the ocean because we are not sure where they are. As well as the severity of plastics impact due to its ability to have a multitude of different shapes and sizes.
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The source : The source of the bio-plastics is from humans, mainly in the form of domestic waste.
The impacts : They cause an array of different threats towards sea life, due to the diverse sizes and shapes of the plastics. Mostly, these plastics lead to injuries, indigestion of plastics or death. We do not fully understand the impact of plastics in the oceans, because we do not know the location of all of these plastics on the oceanic ecosystems.
Point or Non-point Source Pollution : Non-point source pollution
Persistent or Biodegradable : Persistent organic pollution (POPs)
Acute or Chronic : Chronic pollution
- Colette

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Heavy metal poisoning in Scotland's beached whales

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Heavy metal poisoning in Scotland's beached whales

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The article discusses the issue of heavy metal poisoning in Scotland's beached whales. It highlights the alarming prevalence of heavy metals like cadmium and lead in the bodies of stranded whales along the Scottish coast. These metals are believed to be causing various health problems in marine life, including whales, and are linked to industrial pollution in the region. The article underscores the need for further research and environmental regulations to address this concerning issue and protect Scotland's marine ecosystem and the whales that inhabit it.

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Photochemical smog creeps back on hot, still days

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Photochemical smog creeps back on hot, still days

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Chemical Pollution is causing brain damage to polar bears

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Chemical Pollution is causing brain damage to polar bears

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Man made chemicals end up in the food chain and cause brain damage to polar bears. This impacts their behaviour and their ability to survive. These chemicals can also affect the people that stay there. It is a disruption of enzymes that are affecting the brain.

Scientists discovered this by examining dead polar bears' brains. Polar bears have much higher concentrations of these substances in their brains than humans.

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China air pollution far worse than expected

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Main, most dangerous pollutant: PM2.5
Others: Ozone, CO2, nitrogen oxides

Combustion of fossil fuels: cars, industry, coal power plants

Impacts: Respiratory diseases, boom in facemask sales

Non-point
Persistent
Chronic

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Polar bears are getting brain damage from chemicals used in textiles, which is negatively impacting their ability to find food, as it affects their hormonal system. Non point source pollution. Persistent. Chronic. marla

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Chemical pollution causes brain damage in polar bears

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Chemical pollution causes brain damage in polar bears

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Polar bears have been experiencing brain damage due to chemical pollution in the arctic. Scientists have even warned that it can affect humans.

Pollutants: perfluorinated compounds
Sources: They have arrived via the atmosphere and may be originally from industrial emissions such as those from electronic and semiconductor manufacture as well as improper waste disposal.

It is Non-Point source, Chronic pollution and although there is evidence of the compounds decomposing it is incomplete and doesn't result in complete mineralisation.

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England Say goodbye to free plastic bags. 

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England Say goodbye to free plastic bags. 

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English residents are forced to pay 5p in sales tax when they want to purchase a single-use plastic bag.  According to the government, 8.5bn thin-gauge plastic bags were used last year by customers of UK supermarkets alone. That is down from the all-time peak of 12bn in 2006, but still amounts to more than 23m a day. This article was written 7 years. - Poppy

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Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions

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Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions

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Volkswagen cars were found to have 3-4 times the alleged amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in their diesel models. Increased exposure to NOx emissions can cause heart problems, dementia, and respiratory issues, as well as cause global warming and climate change. While the emissions caused by diesel and petrol cars today are significantly less than cars in the 1970s, they are still a major factor in increasing global temperatures. Electric cars are seen as the solution, however, they are not a cure-all as tires and brakes still give off small, toxic particles as they're driven -jane