Jul 2, 2021 07:35 PM
Microbiome bacteria in cow’s stomach can break down man-made plastics
https://www.genengnews.com/news/microbio...-plastics/
INTRO: Plastic is notoriously hard to break down, but a study by researchers in Austria has shown that bacteria from a cow’s rumen—one of the four compartments of its stomach—can digest certain types of man-made polyester plastics, including poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET. The scientists, headed by a team at the University of Vienna, had suspected that bacteria in the cow’s digestive system might be useful for PET degradation, given that the animals’ diets already contain natural plant polyesters.
“A huge microbial community lives in the rumen reticulum and is responsible for the digestion of food in the animals,” said research lead Doris Ribitsch, PhD, of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, “so we suspected that some biological activities could also be used for polyester hydrolysis.” Their newly reported studies found that each of the three plastics they tested was broken down by microorganisms in the cow’s stomach, with the results indicating that the collective microbial community may act synergistically to result in more effective plastic degradation. The team suggests that their results could feasibly point to the development of a sustainable way of reducing plastic litter.
Ribitsch and colleagues reported on their studies in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, in a paper titled, “Together is better: the rumen microbial community as biological toolbox for degradation of synthetic polyesters.” (MORE)
Moskowitz: Cellphone radiation is harmful, but few want to believe it
https://www.scivillage.com/thread-10577-...l#pid44503
INTRO: For more than a decade, Joel Moskowitz, a researcher in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley and director of Berkeley’s Center for Family and Community Health, has been on a quest to prove that radiation from cellphones is unsafe. But, he said, most people don’t want to hear it.
“People are addicted to their smartphones,” said Moskowitz. “We use them for everything now, and, in many ways, we need them to function in our daily lives. I think the idea that they’re potentially harming our health is too much for some people.”
Since cellphones first came onto the market in 1984, they have gone from clunky devices with bad reception to today’s sleek, multifunction smartphones. And although cellphones are now used by nearly all American adults, considerable research suggests that long-term use poses health risks from the radiation they emit, said Moskowitz.
“Cellphones, cell towers and other wireless devices are regulated by most governments,” said Moskowitz. “Our government, however, stopped funding research on the health effects of radiofrequency radiation in the 1990s.”
Since then, he said, research has shown significant adverse biologic and health effects — including brain cancer — associated with the use of cellphones and other wireless devices. And now, he said, with the fifth generation of cellular technology, known as 5G, there is an even bigger reason for concern.
Berkeley News spoke with Moskowitz about the health risks of cellphone radiation, why the topic is so controversial and what we can expect with the rollout of 5G... (MORE - the interview)
https://www.genengnews.com/news/microbio...-plastics/
INTRO: Plastic is notoriously hard to break down, but a study by researchers in Austria has shown that bacteria from a cow’s rumen—one of the four compartments of its stomach—can digest certain types of man-made polyester plastics, including poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET. The scientists, headed by a team at the University of Vienna, had suspected that bacteria in the cow’s digestive system might be useful for PET degradation, given that the animals’ diets already contain natural plant polyesters.
“A huge microbial community lives in the rumen reticulum and is responsible for the digestion of food in the animals,” said research lead Doris Ribitsch, PhD, of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, “so we suspected that some biological activities could also be used for polyester hydrolysis.” Their newly reported studies found that each of the three plastics they tested was broken down by microorganisms in the cow’s stomach, with the results indicating that the collective microbial community may act synergistically to result in more effective plastic degradation. The team suggests that their results could feasibly point to the development of a sustainable way of reducing plastic litter.
Ribitsch and colleagues reported on their studies in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, in a paper titled, “Together is better: the rumen microbial community as biological toolbox for degradation of synthetic polyesters.” (MORE)
Moskowitz: Cellphone radiation is harmful, but few want to believe it
https://www.scivillage.com/thread-10577-...l#pid44503
INTRO: For more than a decade, Joel Moskowitz, a researcher in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley and director of Berkeley’s Center for Family and Community Health, has been on a quest to prove that radiation from cellphones is unsafe. But, he said, most people don’t want to hear it.
“People are addicted to their smartphones,” said Moskowitz. “We use them for everything now, and, in many ways, we need them to function in our daily lives. I think the idea that they’re potentially harming our health is too much for some people.”
Since cellphones first came onto the market in 1984, they have gone from clunky devices with bad reception to today’s sleek, multifunction smartphones. And although cellphones are now used by nearly all American adults, considerable research suggests that long-term use poses health risks from the radiation they emit, said Moskowitz.
“Cellphones, cell towers and other wireless devices are regulated by most governments,” said Moskowitz. “Our government, however, stopped funding research on the health effects of radiofrequency radiation in the 1990s.”
Since then, he said, research has shown significant adverse biologic and health effects — including brain cancer — associated with the use of cellphones and other wireless devices. And now, he said, with the fifth generation of cellular technology, known as 5G, there is an even bigger reason for concern.
Berkeley News spoke with Moskowitz about the health risks of cellphone radiation, why the topic is so controversial and what we can expect with the rollout of 5G... (MORE - the interview)