Soil

Planting trees in grasslands won’t save the planet – rather protect and restore forests

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
AFR100, Radiation, Employment, Meat, Climate change, Eucalyptus, Risk, Livestock, Climate, Economic development, Milk, Tree, Local, Afforestation, Life, Carbon, Biodiversity, Tourism, Water, Ecosystem, Fire, Great Green Wall, Recreation, Soil, Agriculture

Many of these tree planting projects target Africa’s rangelands (open grasslands or shrublands used by livestock and wild animals).

Key Points: 
  • Many of these tree planting projects target Africa’s rangelands (open grasslands or shrublands used by livestock and wild animals).
  • Our goal is to protect and promote rangelands that combat desertification and support economic
    growth, resilient livelihoods and the sustainable development of pastoralism.
  • In pursuit of this goal, we reviewed all the scientific studies we could find on the effects of planting trees in rangelands.

Why rangelands matter

  • Rangelands provide critical ecosystem services, but these are lost when open grassy vegetation is converted to forest or plantation.
  • Many rangelands are too dry, steep or rocky to grow crops but are suited for livestock grazing to produce meat, milk and fibres such as wool.
  • Read more:
    When tree planting actually damages ecosystems

    The ecosystem services provided by rangelands are generally overlooked while those provided by forests and trees are assumed to be far superior.

Afforestation in the wrong places often fails

  • This is a suitable form of land use for those environments, which would be harmed by planting trees.
  • Tree planting projects are commonly portrayed as reforestation, which implies that the target areas have lost their original forest cover.
  • In fact, planting trees in rangelands that naturally have low tree cover is afforestation.
  • This often fails because they don’t have enough rainfall throughout the year to support high tree cover.

Afforestation can be damaging to people, water and climate

  • Despite being portrayed as supporting local economic development and ecosystem restoration, afforestation projects often exclude existing land users and limit their access to land and resources.
  • Rangeland afforestation also reduces streamflow and lowers water tables as trees use much more water than grasses.

What is a better solution?

  • If these initiatives were focused on degraded forest instead, three-quarters of degraded forests could be restored.
  • In rangelands, the best approach is to protect and enhance their existing carbon stores rather than replacing them with forests or plantations.


Susanne Vetter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Ecosystems are deeply interconnected – environmental research, policy and management should be too

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Rain, Nature, Trust, River, Microplastics, Climate change, Soil, Tree, Research, Movement, Policy, Science, Ecosystem, Forestry

Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change?

Key Points: 
  • Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change?
  • Specifically, we investigate solutions to environmental and societal problems that stem from the disparities between scientific research, policy and management responses to environmental issues.


Our work’s standing among global research aimed at stopping ecosystem collapse has been recognised as one of 23 national champions in this year’s Frontiers Planet Prize.

Read more:
Our oceans are in deep trouble – a 'mountains to sea' approach could make a real difference

More holistic solutions

  • The challenges focused on environmental issues were deliberately created to concentrate on separate ecosystem and management domains (marine, freshwater and land).
  • We focus on solutions where social and ecological connections are at the forefront of environmental management practices and decisions.
  • Most of the microplastics found along coasts and in harbours are blown or washed off the land.
  • This leads to lags in decision making which create undesirable environmental outcomes that are difficult to return from.

Cyclones as a real-world example

  • The exposed soil associated with clear felling was left draped in woody debris to protect it from rain.
  • However, Cyclone Gabrielle hit in February last year, with extreme rainfall washing both soil and woody debris into streams.
  • The debris also clogged harbours and coastal beaches, smothered seafloor habitats, destroyed fisheries and affected cultural and recreational values.
  • This real-world example demonstrates the severe consequences of lags in information flow and management responses.

Living with nature, not off it

  • Living within planetary boundaries requires a paradigm shift in behaviours, including the way we link science and management to on-the-ground action.
  • Crucially, we need to increase the speed at which new research is taken up and rapidly transition this into action that improves environmental outcomes at local scales.
  • This behavioural shift underpins the way to a more integrated, broad-scale ability to act and stay within planetary boundaries.
  • Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher receives funding from philanthropy, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), including from the National Science Challenges, the Marsden Fund and the Rutherford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships.
  • Conrad Pilditch receives funding from Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), including the National Science Challenge Sustainable Seas, Marsden Fund and regional councils.

Israel hits back at Iran: How domestic politics is determining Israeli actions

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 19, 2024
Knesset, Hamas, Pressure, Quds Force, Benjamin Netanyahu, Politics, Hezbollah, National Unity, Ambiguity, Axis of Resistance, National security, Axis, Soil, Government, Human, Violence

Notably, Israel’s strike against Iran appears to have been more symbolic than substantive.

Key Points: 
  • Notably, Israel’s strike against Iran appears to have been more symbolic than substantive.
  • Nevertheless, the overnight Israeli strike is the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries.

Reputations at stake

  • To do otherwise would have damaged the Iranian government’s reputation among both its allies and its citizens.
  • But the form that Iranian retaliation took is a key indication of Iran’s intentions.
  • Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system and U.S. military bases in the region made the likely impact of Iran’s attack minimal.

The proxy dilemma

  • Since the Iranian Revolution, Iran, through the Quds Force and its predecessors, has actively courted several proxy groups in the Middle East to increase its strategic influence.
  • Hezbollah came into existence in response to Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon in the 1980s, and received extensive support from Iran.
  • While these proxy groups have increased Iran’s political influence and strategic options in the Middle East, they can simultaneously be a burden for the country’s leadership because they aren’t under Iran’s complete control.
  • For Iran, this presents a strategic dilemma.

A coalition of many

  • The 2022 elections returned a fractured Knesset, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was only able to form a coalition government that included several far-right parties.
  • The small size of his majority meant that far-right partners were able to demand concessions to support his government.
  • The government’s inability to negotiate a release for the remaining hostages held by Hamas remains a festering wound in Israeli politics.
  • National Unity’s leader, Benny Gantz, formed a war cabinet with Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to direct the war effort.

Netanyahu’s hand forced?

  • The smaller far-right parties in Netanyahu’s coalition that are outside the war cabinet, however, likely forced the prime minister’s hand.
  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the ultra-nationalist Otzma Yehudit party, has stated that Israel needs to “go crazy” in its response.

What’s next?

  • It eliminated a leader of the Quds Force, and Iran’s retaliation did not manage to breach the defences of Israel or its allies.
  • Now, the world waits to see if Israel’s latest strike against Iran leads to a broader regional escalation.


James Horncastle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Press release - New EU rules to improve urban wastewater treatment and reuse

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
PFAS, EPR, Environment, Nitrogen, Microplastics, Public, Policy, Virus, Parliament, Commission, Risk assessment, Plant, Council, Water, Atmosphere, Cosmetics, Soil, Collection, Phosphorus, Legislation, Sewage treatment

- Better monitoring of chemical pollutants, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance

Key Points: 
  • - Better monitoring of chemical pollutants, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance
    - Producers of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics and member states will have to finance costs of additional treatment for micro-pollutants
    - Wider reuse of treated urban wastewater to prevent water scarcity
    On Wednesday, MEPs approved new EU rules for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater.
  • the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus) will be applied in all wastewater treatment plants covering 150,000 p.e.
  • An additional treatment removing a broad spectrum of micro-pollutants ('quaternary treatment') will be mandatory for all plants over 150,000 p.e.
  • EU countries will be required to promote the reuse of treated wastewater from all urban wastewater treatment plants where appropriate, especially in water-stressed areas.

Visualising the 1800s or designing wedding invitations: 6 ways you can use AI beyond generating text

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Health, Forecasting, Burj Khalifa, Climate, Research, Learning, AI, Small business, News, Animation, NASA, Mariana Trench, Water, Photography, Nine News, Adobe, Music, ChatGPT, Poster, Midjourney, Soil, State, Medicine, Weather, Medical device

Many people are now using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to get advice, find information or summarise longer passages of text.

Key Points: 
  • Many people are now using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to get advice, find information or summarise longer passages of text.
  • But our recent research demonstrates how generative AI can be used for much more than this, returning results in different formats.
  • On the one hand, AI tools are neutral – they can be used for good or ill depending on one’s intent.

1. Imagining what lies beyond the frame

  • Adobe’s recently developed “generative expand” tool allows users to expand the canvas of their photos and have Photoshop “imagine” what is happening beyond the frame.
  • You might do this when trying to edit a square Instagram photo to fit a 4x6 inch photo frame.

2. Visualising the past or the future

  • Photography was only invented within the past 200 years, and camera-equipped smartphones within the last 25.
  • That leaves us with plenty of things that existed before cameras were common, yet we might want to visualise them.
  • NASA currently works with artists to illustrate concepts we can’t see, but artists could also draw on AI to help create these renderings.

3. Brainstorming how to visualise difficult concepts

  • As one of the deepest places on Earth, few people have ever seen it firsthand.
  • Or creating a layered illustration that shows the flora and fauna that live at each of the ocean’s five zones above the trench.

4. Visualising data

  • For example, you might upload a spreadsheet to ChatGPT 4 and ask it to visualise the results.
  • Or, if the data is already publicly available (such as Earth’s population over time), you might ask a chatbot to visualise it without even having to supply a spreadsheet.

5. Creating simple moving images


You can create a simple yet effective animation by uploading a photo to an AI tool like Runway and giving it an animation command, such as zooming in, zooming out or tracking from left to right. That’s what I’ve done with this historical photo preserved by the State Library of Western Australia.

  • I used this description to create the following video:
    Tracking shot from left to right of the snowy mountains of Nagano, Japan.
  • Tracking shot from left to right of the snowy mountains of Nagano, Japan.

6. Generating a colour palette or simple graphics

  • In these cases, having a consistent colour palette can help unify your design.
  • You can ask generative AI services like Midjourney or Gemini to create a colour palette for you based on the event or its vibe.
  • This is true for both browser-based generators like Adobe Firefly, as well as desktop apps with built-in AI, like Adobe Illustrator.


T.J. Thomson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

Draft guideline on good agricultural and collection practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin - Revision 1

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Reproduction, SCOPE, Eating, Pesticide, Convention, Change control, Confusion, Alkaloid, Climate, Fungus, Directive (European Union), Ethylene oxide, Wind, Wood, Glass, European Medicines Agency, HMPS, QDG, Hygiene, Water, Marketing, Fertilizer, Legislation, Manure, Distillation, Risk, Education, Committee, Compost, Draft, Policy, Person, EMA, Seed, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, Collection, Freezing, GMP, Risk assessment, GACP, Sunlight, Fermentation, Personal protective equipment, Animal, Herbal, Herbicide, Weather, INTRODUCTION, Documentation, Regeneration, Decontamination, EudraLex, Disease, International trade, European Pharmacopoeia, Part, Livestock, Public, Inhalation, Knowledge, Seedling, Factorization of polynomials, Record, Plant, Skin, API, Irrigation, Part Two, Soil, Directive, Pharmacopoeia, Codex, Guideline, Temperature, Attention, Hydrocarbon, Pyrrolizidine alkaloid, Polychlorinated biphenyl, Growth, Rotation, Incineration, Environment, Humidity, Smell, Ventilation, Light, Bird, Mineral, Fumigation, Pyrrolizidine, SOP, Housing, Smoking, Atmosphere, Postharvest, Rain, Liver, QWP, Medicinal plants

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Key Points: 
    • REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14

      29

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 3/14

      30

      EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

      31
      32
      33
      34
      35
      36

      This guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin

      37

      1.

    • Due to the inherent
      complexity of medicinal plants and herbal substances the quality of these starting materials requires an
      adequate quality assurance system for the collection and/or cultivation, harvest, and primary
      processing.
    • (either outdoor, indoor or in greenhouses) should be carefully considered, since each of the mentioned
      types could have several problems and advantages.
    • The used cultivation method may be dependent on
      the final application of the herbal medicinal product.
    • primary processing of herbal substances that are used for the preparation of herbal medicinal products.
    • medicinal plants and herbal substances, ensuring that they are handled appropriately throughout all
      stages of cultivation, collection, processing and storage.
    • their preparations are exposed to a large number of environmental contaminants of both biotic and
      abiotic origin.
    • to existing wildlife habitats and must adhere to CITES (Convention on International Trade in
      Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
    • https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/bd537ccf-9271-4230-bca1-2d...
      4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/fd318dd6-2404-4e67-82b0232...
      3

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 5/14

      104

      4.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

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      148
      149

      8.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

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      7.

    • Where possible, stable varieties and cultivars naturally
      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
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      228

      resistant or tolerant to disease should preferably be used.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 9/14

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      269
      270
      271
      272
      273

      The application should be carried out only by qualified staff using approved equipment.

    • The following should be noted:

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 10/14

      309
      310

      ?

      311
      312
      313

      ?

      314
      315
      316
      317

      ?

      318
      319
      320

      ?

      321
      322

      ?

      323
      324
      325

      ?

      326
      327
      328

      ?

      Damaged plants or plant parts need to be excluded or limited in accordance with a specific
      pharmacopoeia monograph, where relevant.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 11/14

      347
      348

      directly to the sun (except in cases where there is a specific need) and must be protected from
      rainfall, insect infestation, etc.

    • The label must be clear, permanently fixed and made from

      6

      Reflection paper on the use of fumigants (EMEA/HMPC/125562/2006)

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 12/14

      386
      387

      non-toxic material.

    • Certain exudates that have not been subjected to a specific treatment are

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 13/14

      425
      426
      427

      also considered to be herbal substances.

    • European Pharmacopoeia General Monograph ?HERBAL DRUGS? 07/2017:1433

      Are obtained by subjecting herbal substances to treatments such as
      extraction, distillation, expression, fractionation, purification, concentration
      or fermentation.

Draft guideline on good agricultural and collection practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin - Revision 1

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Reproduction, SCOPE, Eating, Pesticide, Convention, Change control, Confusion, Alkaloid, Climate, Fungus, Directive (European Union), Ethylene oxide, Wind, Wood, Glass, European Medicines Agency, HMPS, QDG, Hygiene, Water, Marketing, Fertilizer, Legislation, Manure, Distillation, Risk, Education, Committee, Compost, Draft, Policy, Person, EMA, Seed, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, Collection, Freezing, GMP, Risk assessment, GACP, Sunlight, Fermentation, Personal protective equipment, Animal, Herbal, Herbicide, Weather, INTRODUCTION, Documentation, Regeneration, Decontamination, EudraLex, Disease, International trade, European Pharmacopoeia, Part, Livestock, Public, Inhalation, Knowledge, Seedling, Factorization of polynomials, Record, Plant, Skin, API, Irrigation, Part Two, Soil, Directive, Pharmacopoeia, Codex, Guideline, Temperature, Attention, Hydrocarbon, Pyrrolizidine alkaloid, Polychlorinated biphenyl, Growth, Rotation, Incineration, Environment, Humidity, Smell, Ventilation, Light, Bird, Mineral, Fumigation, Pyrrolizidine, SOP, Housing, Smoking, Atmosphere, Postharvest, Rain, Liver, QWP, Medicinal plants

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Key Points: 
    • REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14

      29

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 3/14

      30

      EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

      31
      32
      33
      34
      35
      36

      This guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin

      37

      1.

    • Due to the inherent
      complexity of medicinal plants and herbal substances the quality of these starting materials requires an
      adequate quality assurance system for the collection and/or cultivation, harvest, and primary
      processing.
    • (either outdoor, indoor or in greenhouses) should be carefully considered, since each of the mentioned
      types could have several problems and advantages.
    • The used cultivation method may be dependent on
      the final application of the herbal medicinal product.
    • primary processing of herbal substances that are used for the preparation of herbal medicinal products.
    • medicinal plants and herbal substances, ensuring that they are handled appropriately throughout all
      stages of cultivation, collection, processing and storage.
    • their preparations are exposed to a large number of environmental contaminants of both biotic and
      abiotic origin.
    • to existing wildlife habitats and must adhere to CITES (Convention on International Trade in
      Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
    • https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/bd537ccf-9271-4230-bca1-2d...
      4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/fd318dd6-2404-4e67-82b0232...
      3

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 5/14

      104

      4.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 6/14

      147
      148
      149

      8.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 7/14

      185

      7.

    • Where possible, stable varieties and cultivars naturally
      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 8/14

      227
      228

      resistant or tolerant to disease should preferably be used.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 9/14

      268
      269
      270
      271
      272
      273

      The application should be carried out only by qualified staff using approved equipment.

    • The following should be noted:

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 10/14

      309
      310

      ?

      311
      312
      313

      ?

      314
      315
      316
      317

      ?

      318
      319
      320

      ?

      321
      322

      ?

      323
      324
      325

      ?

      326
      327
      328

      ?

      Damaged plants or plant parts need to be excluded or limited in accordance with a specific
      pharmacopoeia monograph, where relevant.

    • Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 11/14

      347
      348

      directly to the sun (except in cases where there is a specific need) and must be protected from
      rainfall, insect infestation, etc.

    • The label must be clear, permanently fixed and made from

      6

      Reflection paper on the use of fumigants (EMEA/HMPC/125562/2006)

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 12/14

      386
      387

      non-toxic material.

    • Certain exudates that have not been subjected to a specific treatment are

      Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
      EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

      Page 13/14

      425
      426
      427

      also considered to be herbal substances.

    • European Pharmacopoeia General Monograph ?HERBAL DRUGS? 07/2017:1433

      Are obtained by subjecting herbal substances to treatments such as
      extraction, distillation, expression, fractionation, purification, concentration
      or fermentation.

An economist explains: Textbook economics is badly flawed when it comes to climate change

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
University, McGill University, Climate change, University of Alberta, Tax, Letter, Growth, Nutrient, Climate, Policy, The Wealth of Nations, Textbook, Doughnut (economic model), Carbon, Keen, Harvard University, GDP, Water, Soil, Economics, Government, Wealth, Leach, Renewable energy

But economists are hardly infallible experts on the carbon tax and other fiscal measures implemented by governments.

Key Points: 
  • But economists are hardly infallible experts on the carbon tax and other fiscal measures implemented by governments.
  • While the carbon tax increase kicked in, the Alberta fuel tax was hiked by 13 cents the same day.
  • In other words, the carbon tax has been a blessing for Smith as she deflects attention away from her own government’s role in raising gas prices.

Double standards

  • For instance, some homeowners have blamed the carbon tax for higher electricity bills in Alberta, ignoring the fact that the carbon tax does not apply to the electricity sector.
  • Double standards abound on the carbon tax.
  • While protesters chant “Axe the tax,” they ignore that fossil fuel subsidies cost them more than the carbon tax.

Textbook economics backs carbon tax

  • As an economics instructor, a key lesson is that the carbon tax is the least costly method to address carbon emissions.
  • In my pedagogical paper on climate change, I refer to McGill University economist Chris Ragan, who states that the carbon tax is more efficient than regulation.
  • But the carbon tax incentivizes investment in new technologies to limit the tax payment.

The limits of textbook economics

  • The way textbook economics approaches climate change through externalities suggests it’s simply a minor aberration.
  • Energy and raw materials are ignored, which means that biophysical or ecological limits are disregarded in the pursuit of growth.
  • Keen argues that mainstream economics assumes 90 per cent of GDP will be unaffected by climate change.
  • In short, he argues, mainstream economics has been complicit in the existential crisis of climate change.

Radical solutions

  • But it may be too little too late, necessitating radical solutions beyond the carbon tax.
  • In this regard, Keen argues that carbon pricing is not enough, calling for carbon rationing.
  • This happens by going beyond textbook economics and technical jargon by highlighting the ecological and biophysical limits to growth.


I am not affiliated with any organization. Though, I have in the past done research assistance work for the Parkland Institute.

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’: Why EPA set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Research, GxP, Toxicity, Health, Obesity, PFNA, Liver, Gore-Tex, 3M, PFAS, PFOS, Environment, Name, Risk, Food packaging, Fertility, PFOA, Pregnancy, Life, Diet, Thyroid disease, EPA, Agency, National academy, Water, Kidney, Breast cancer, Scotchgard, Inflammatory bowel disease, Birth weight, Cosmetics, Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, Vaccine, Soil, Family, Map, Drinking water, Pre-eclampsia, Poison

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes there is no safe level for two common PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – in drinking water, and it acknowledges that very low concentrations of other PFAS present human health risks.

Key Points: 
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes there is no safe level for two common PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – in drinking water, and it acknowledges that very low concentrations of other PFAS present human health risks.
  • The agency issued the first legally enforceable national drinking water standards for five common types of PFAS chemicals, as well as PFAS mixtures, on April 10, 2024.

What exactly are PFAS?

  • This is a large group of human-made chemicals – currently estimated to be nearly 15,000 individual chemical compounds – that are used widely in consumer products and industry.
  • They can make products resistant to water, grease and stains and protect against fire.
  • The short answer is that PFAS are harmful to human health and the environment.
  • Some of the very same chemical properties that make PFAS attractive in products also mean these chemicals will persist in the environment for generations.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey estimates common types of PFAS are now in at least 45% of the country’s tap water.

What are the health risks from PFAS exposure?

  • Research consistently demonstrates that PFAS are associated with a variety of adverse health effects.
  • A review by a panel of experts looking at research on PFAS toxicity concluded with a high degree of certainty that PFAS contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage, and kidney and testicular cancer.
  • Additionally, current research suggests that babies exposed prenatally are at higher risk of experiencing obesity, early-onset puberty and reduced fertility later in life.
  • Collectively, this is a formidable list of diseases and disorders.

Who’s regulating PFAS?

  • DuPont called it Teflon, which eventually became a household name for its use on nonstick pans.
  • Decades later, in 1998, Scotchgard maker 3M notified the Environmental Protection Agency that a PFAS chemical was showing up in human blood samples.
  • At the time, 3M said low levels of the manufactured chemical had been detected in people’s blood as early as the 1970s.
  • The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has a toxicological profile for PFAS.

How can you reduce your PFAS exposure?

  • The best ways to protect yourself and your family from risks associated with PFAS are to educate yourself about potential sources of exposure.
  • Products labeled as water- or stain-resistant have a good chance of containing PFAS.
  • Strategies for monitoring and reporting PFAS contamination vary by location and PFAS source, so the absence of readily available information does not necessarily mean the region is free of PFAS problems.


Kathryn Crawford receives funding from National Institutes of Health and US Geological Survey.

Syngenta Group reports $32.2 billion sales and $4.6 billion EBITDA in 2023

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
HTC, CER, Farmer, Pressure, Farm, Growth, Nutrition, Biologicals, Crop protection, Flower, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Syngenta, Acquisition, IPO, Seed, MAP, Soil, Huludao, Fine chemical

Full-year sales of Syngenta Crop Protection were 5 percent lower at $15.5 billion after exceptional growth in the previous year.

Key Points: 
  • Full-year sales of Syngenta Crop Protection were 5 percent lower at $15.5 billion after exceptional growth in the previous year.
  • ADAMA sales decreased 17 percent to $5.6 billion for the full year 2023, with significant channel destocking, particularly in the Americas, affecting the comparison.
  • Syngenta Seeds sales grew 2 percent to $4.8 billion in the full year 2023 in an overall growing seeds market.
  • Sales of Syngenta Group China, consisting of the Group’s Seeds, Crop Protection, Crop Nutrition, MAP and digital activities in China, grew 11 percent to $9.6 billion in the full year 2023.