Danger Dust

Anthropogenic organic aerosols are carbon-containing particles emitted by humans into the air, which are classified as particulate matter. They pose a significant health threat and contribute to millions of deaths worldwide each year. Especially in large cities, incomplete combustion processes from transportation, industry, and households produce exhaust gases that form harmful, respirable particles.

However, the new study reveals that anthropogenic emissions behave differently. The precursor gases—such as toluene and benzene from automobile exhaust and organic material combustion—undergo multiple oxidation steps before forming solid particles.

This finding challenges the previous assumption that pollutants form primarily near the emission sources.

“By nature, or say, lack of awareness, lack of protective clothing puts miners at risk. In our province, a significant concern for miners, particularly artisanal miners, is the lack of proper protective clothing. This increases their risk of contracting occupational diseases.

“Essential protective gear, often missing, includes dust masks to prevent silica dust inhalation. The miners also lack gloves to prevent hazardous material from making skin contact.

“They don’t use safety goggles to protect eyes from debris and dust. They normally don’t wear steel-toed boots to prevent foot injuries. At times, they don’t even have overalls or work suits to prevent skin exposure.

“Without proper protection, miners are more likely to contract silicosis from inhaling silica dust. They are at risk of tuberculosis (TB) from inhaling TB bacteria. HIV, mainly through unprotected sexual exposure to infected bodily fluids.

“Artisanal miners are especially vulnerable due to their informal work arrangements and limited access to resources. They hardly have time outside work."

Brazil's bats are harboring a vast and diverse pool of coronaviruses, a new study finds, including a newly identified strain that may pose a danger to human health in the years to come.

Scientists are taking the threat seriously and will soon conduct testing in a secure lab to see if the variant really could spill over to our own species.

The discovery is cause for concern because the strain is eerily reminiscent of the bat-borne virus behind Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) – a contagion that causes a very high case fatality rate of nearly 35 percent in humans.

IMPORTANCE

Lyme disease (LD) is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the U.S. and Europe, and its geographic distribution is continuously expanding worldwide.

Though early LD can be treated with antibiotics, chronic LD is recalcitrant to antibiotic treatments and thus requires multiple courses of antibiotic therapy. Currently, there are no human vaccines nor prophylactic antibiotics to prevent LD.

As the causative agent of LD, Borreliella burgdorferi has evolved unique metabolic pathways, some of which are specific and essential for its survival and thus present as ideal targets for developing new therapeutics.

By using an approach of genetics, biochemistry, structural biology, drug screening, and animal models, this report provides evidence that lactate dehydrogenase can be a potential target for developing genus-specific metabolic inhibitors against B. burgdorferi and potentially other tick-borne pathogens as well.

Ahead of World TB Day on 24 March, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has issued a stark warning about the devastating impact of tuberculosis (TB).

During a media briefing on Wednesday in Johannesburg, he highlighted that TB remains the deadliest infectious disease in human history, surpassing the combined death tolls of Ebola, malaria, smallpox, HIV/AIDS, Covid-19, influenza and the bubonic plague.

In 2023 alone, it caused the deaths of 1.25 million people.

Despite international efforts, he admitted that global awareness campaigns have struggled to capture public interest.

“Unlike other diseases, TB does not make noise. It just kills silently,” he stated.

MINING AND DISEASE

South Africa’s history of gold mining has left a lasting health crisis, with mine workers and communities near mining operations disproportionately affected by TB.

Silica dust exposure in gold mines has been a significant contributor, leading to high rates of TB and silicosis.

The results showed that treatment with cannabidiol was able to inhibit the synthesis of inflammatory mediators, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect, especially after 24 hours. In addition, the substance stimulated the capacity for tooth biomineralization.

These findings indicate that cannabidiol may be a promising bioactive substance for tissue repair in inflammatory contexts, which opens up new perspectives for its use in dental treatments, especially in regenerative dentistry, benefiting patients in different clinical situations.

For most mountaineers, some level of altitude sickness is inevitable. But Indigenous highlanders living on the Tibetan Plateau, known as Sherpas, have inhabited the high Himalaya long enough to have an evolutionary edge at tolerating elevation compared with lowlanders born and raised farther down. For a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, researchers compared Sherpa and lowlander blood samples during a Himalayan trek to investigate the Sherpas’ aptitude for altitude—and they found a crucial clue in the kidney.

The thinner atmosphere up high can lead to hypoxia, a dangerous lack of oxygen. This condition, which often occurs during medical events such as heart failure, can also cause acute altitude sickness; mountaineers can become nauseated, dizzy and disoriented, in severe cases developing deadly fluid buildup in the lungs and brain. Studying the physical responses of altitude-adapted people reveals how their bodies keep them healthy during hypoxia.

Hypoxic people breathe faster to bring more oxygen into their lungs. But extra breathing also empties the lungs of more carbon dioxide than usual, which in turn reduces the production of carbonic acid in the blood. And even tiny changes in acidity risk damaging the proteins and enzymes that keep our cells functioning. Once blood acidity shifts, “the only thing that can fix it is the kidneys,”

Tiny microplastic fragments, often smaller than a grain of rice, are turning up in surprising places. From city streets to remote oceans, they persist in the air, water, and soil.

Scientists have learned that these particles can also invade the human body, showing up in organs that keep us alive.

For years, researchers have warned us about the possible dangers microplastics pose to animals, our food sources, and human health. Now a fresh study suggests even plants are feeling the pressure.

Most microplastics come from everyday sources. Plastic bottles, packaging, and synthetic clothing shed fibers that break into smaller pieces. Rain and wind carry these particles into rivers, and eventually they end up in oceans.

In agricultural fields, plastic mulch or irrigation systems contribute fragments that seep into the soil. Over time, these bits degrade further, leading to a steady accumulation in places we least expect.

This constant spread worries experts because smaller sizes mean they can slip into living organisms more easily.

Researchers have found these particles in fish, shellfish, and even table salt. In recent years, labs have also identified plastic remnants in bottled water and tap supplies.

While ongoing investigations continue to measure how widespread they are, one thing is clear: once plastic breaks down, it does not disappear. That lingering presence has potential consequences for all life on Earth.

In a recent, cross-institutional study, researchers report that healthy human airways are at higher risk for dehydration and inflammation when exposed to dry air, an occurrence expected to increase due to global warming. Inflammation in human airways is associated with such conditions as asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic cough.

Based on mathematical predications and experiments, researchers now explain that higher VPD can dehydrate upper airways and trigger the body's inflammatory and immune response.

The UK’s social security payments cover a much smaller proportion of the average wage than most other countries in Europe.

The benefit cap harms mental health, pushes people deep into poverty, and increases economic inactivity. Both policies are punitive and, in our view, need to be removed.

Other reforms to disability-related social security have left people hungry, pushed people into economic inactivity, increased depression, and may have even raised the suicide rate.

While spending on disability-related support has gone up in recent years, the overall welfare bill has not. On top of that, the proportion of people who are not in work and who are claiming disability-related social security is actually about the same as it has been for the last 40 years. Indeed, the fact it is so low, given population ageing, could be read as good news.

The NZCTU is also among those calling for stronger regulation of all work involving silica to protect workers from the deadly lung disease silicosis.

WorkSafe estimates that 80,000 workers are working in conditions where the workplace exposure standard for silica dust is regularly exceeded, showing the need for better protections against exposure.

In summing up, the judge stated that despite repeated visits by HSE and multiple notices being served, risks subsisted over a long period and the company failed to make any appropriate changes. The judge concluded by saying that there had been a systemic failure within the organisation to manage health and safety.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Gordon Nixon said: “This company showed a total disregard to keeping its workers safe.

“They failed to meet even the most basic health and safety standards, continually exposing operatives to serious risks.

Exposure to either wood or silica dust can result in very serious and life threatening health conditions, including asthma, nasal and lung cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and silicosis. HSE provides a range of guidance for stone workers and those working with wood.

Revelations in today’s The Sun Herald 13 tunnel workers in the still under construction M6 tunnel have been diagnosed with silicosis should prompt immediate prosecutions by SafeWork NSW to bring those responsible to justice, said the Australian Workers' Union.

The workers are constructing the tunnels that will become stage 1 of the M6, the four kilometres of tunnels linking the M8 at Arncliffe to President Avenue, Rockdale.

“Thirteen workers on a single project were diagnosed with silicosis - an entirely preventable disease.

“This isn't just negligence, it's a complete betrayal of workers.

“And we know workers on the WestConnex M4 East, new M5, and Rozelle Interchange were exposed to dangerous levels of silica dust.

“Not one prosecution has been launched by SafeWork NSW, zip, zilch, zero, that’s a damning indictment.

It has long been thought that only nerve and heart cells use electric impulses to communicate, while epithelial cells—which compose the linings of our skin, organs and body cavities—are mute, serving mostly as protective barriers that can absorb and secrete various substances.

"Epithelial cells do things that no one has ever thought to look for," says Granick. "When injured, they 'scream' to their neighbors, slowly, persistently and over surprising distances. It's like a nerve's impulse, but 1,000 times slower." His team's curiosity-driven approach, blending polymer science and biology, unveiled this hidden cellular signaling.

Clouds reflect sunlight and slow down the melting of ice, protecting the Arctic. Ice crystals make clouds heavier and more likely to dissipate, leaving the ice vulnerable to rays of hot sun. But the ice can't form in the clouds without something to latch on to. That's where the dust comes in, providing a kind of "seed" or "nucleus" for the ice to form around.

NASA scientists hypothesize that as the ice retreats, more of Greenland's exposed landmass is shedding dust, which is then carried north by heavy winds to form ice particles in the clouds above. These dust-heavy clouds then disappear more quickly and leave more Arctic ice exposed, hastening the melt.

Because no one had ever studied SARS-CoV-2 before, scientists came with their own assumptions about how it would adapt. Many were guided by experiences with another RNA virus that causes respiratory infections: influenza. “We just didn’t have much information about other respiratory viruses that could cause pandemics,” says Hodcroft.

Influenza spreads mainly through the acquisition of mutations that allow it to evade people’s immunity. Because no one had ever been infected with SARS-CoV-2 before 2019, many scientists didn’t expect to see much viral change until after there was substantial pressure placed on it by people’s immune systems, either through infections or better yet, vaccination.

The emergence of faster-transmitting, deadlier variants of SARS-CoV-2, such as Alpha and Delta, obliterated some early assumptions. Even by early 2020, SARS-CoV-2 had picked up a single amino-acid change that substantially boosted its spread. Many others would follow.

RNA-based therapeutics

Understanding the structural and biochemical properties of ADAR1 could also aid in designing drugs that fine-tune RNA editing for specific therapeutic goals with potential applications in gene therapy and precision medicine.

Additionally, the study's findings may broadly influence drug discovery efforts targeting RNA-binding proteins.

In humans and other multicellular organisms, cells multiply. This defining feature allows embryos to grow into adulthood, and enables the healing of the many bumps, bruises and scrapes along the way.

Certain factors can cause cells to abandon this characteristic and enter a zombie-like state known as senescence where they persist but no longer divide to make new cells. Our bodies can remove these senescent cells that tend to pile up as we age. The older we get, however, the less efficient our immune systems become at doing so.

In addition to no longer growing and proliferating, the other hallmark of senescent cells is that they have this inflammatory program causing them to secrete inflammatory molecules.

Although WUI fire emissions are small relative to total fire emissions, the health impacts of WUI fire emissions are disproportionately large due to the proximity to human settlement. Here, we looked at PM2.5- and O3-related health impacts. At the global scale, the fraction of WUI fire–induced APDs to all fire–induced APD is about three times the fraction of WUI fire emissions to all fire emissions. Over WUI and urban regions, WUI fires tend to have a larger contribution to APD compared to other areas.

Most cells in the body send out little messengers called extracellular vesicles that carry proteins, lipids, and other bioactive molecules to other cells, playing an important role in intercellular communication. But healthy cells are not the only ones that rely on extracellular vesicles. Cancer cells do, too. Small extracellular vesicles that are shed from tumor cells contribute to how cancer spreads to healthy tissue.

These small messengers could be a key to developing new cancer-fighting drugs and therapies, but it has been unclear how exactly the recipient cells absorb the extracellular vesicles and their cargo. Recent research used state-of-the-art imaging to observe the uptake of tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles by target cells.

For millions of healthcare workers, hairdressers, and other professionals, chronic skin conditions like eczema and contact dermatitis directly result from their work environments. Yet, despite the overwhelming prevalence of occupational skin diseases, most companies have failed to establish meaningful wellness programs that address these issues.

The result? Employees are left to suffer in silence, with painful and sometimes debilitating conditions that could be prevented or managed with proper workplace initiatives.

Many industries, including mining, struggle to attract and retain employees in the aftermath of the 2020 “great resignation” and mass retirements. Part of this has to do with the health risks workers take every day.

From dust exposure to nerve damage to hand-arm vibration syndrome, younger individuals entering the workforce have seen the outcome of working in these industries long term. They are looking for safer alternatives that protect them and allow them to use the most up-to-date technology.

OP: @[email protected]

In early 2023, the Forever Pollution Project showed that nearly 23,000 sites all over Europe are contaminated by the “forever chemicals” PFAS. This unique collaborative, cross-border and cross-field investigation by 16 European newsrooms revealed an additional 21,500 presumptive contamination sites due to current or past industrial activity. PFAS contamination spreads all over Europe.

Highlights

• PFAS are found in polar bears and ringed seals in Greenland

• ∼90% of the East Greenlandic hunting community exceeds TWI for immune effects by 13-fold

• Multi-generational toxication will continue until 2090

• Need for non-toxic compounds and global phase-out

We estimate that the average inhabitant will continue to exceed established toxicity guidelines until 2090, posing the risk of immune suppression and disease susceptibility. Our findings emphasize the need for additional regulation of PFAS and the development of non-toxic sustainable compounds through international collaboration, not least through the Stockholm Convention.

According to new research from NOAA, the potent and often pungent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off from cooking food are now responsible for over a quarter of the ozone production from VOCs generated by human activity in the LA basin. This is roughly equal to the amount of ozone produced by VOCs from on-road and off-road motor vehicles.

Source:

Urban ozone formation and sensitivities to volatile chemical products, cooking emissions, and NOx upwind of and within two Los Angeles Basin cities

https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/1121/2025/