Iowa Environmental Council launches project on relationship between cancer and environment
Iowa is an outlier for the wrong reasons, according to several environmental advocates who spoke at the Harkin Institute's annual wellness symposium, which this year focused on the future of clean water.
Speakers at the symposium noted Iowa's cancer rates, which are the second-highest in the nation, the state's overwhelming amounts of animal manure and its problems with polluted water.
This was the setup to launch an initiative between the Iowa Environmental Council and the Harkin Institute to explore the relationship between environmental risk factors and cancer rates in Iowa.
'At its heart, this entire initiative is about each out you, and about Iowans,' Sarah Green, IEC's executive director said.
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The initiative will combine both community outreach and a 'rigorous' review of academic research on the subject.
The review will result in a public report and journal article with visual data mapping to show environmental risks and cancer rates. The two organizations aim to share these reports widely across the state and hold 15 listening tours to hear and amplify Iowan's lived experiences with cancer.
'Our goal is to give voice to Iowans — whether they're urban or rural — give them a voice, give them the opportunity to share and document their story,' Green said.
Green said it's now 'well established' that certain factors, like tobacco use, tanning beds and alcohol consumption contribute to cancer rates, but she questioned 'what else might be at play.'
Cancer research was a priority outlined in Gov. Kim Reynold's Condition of the State address earlier this year, when she called on the Legislature to fund a $1 million partnership between the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Iowa to research factors contributing to Iowa cancer cases.
Adam Shriver, the director of wellness and nutrition policy at the Harkin Institute, said the partnership between Harkin and IEC would 'address the gaps' in the conversations about cancer in the state.
'Part of what's motivating our project is that even though there are lots of groups talking about studying the high cancer rates, there are some groups that want to limit what we're looking at when we're having these conversations' Shriver said.
The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement, based at Drake University aims to facilitate public policy research and citizen engagement. Previous iterations of the Harkin On Wellness symposium have centered on topics like well-being in schools and healthy food.
Sue Mattison, Drake University's provost, said the 2025 topic, the future of clean water, touches 'every community, every discipline and every life.'
Mattison, who is also an epidemiologist, said she has seen 'firsthand' the impact environmental factors, like water quality, can have on health outcomes.
'We know that climate change, population growth, pollution and the burden of inequitable environmental infrastructure are putting immense pressure on our water systems, and it's clear that no single sector can change these challenges alone,' Mattison said in her opening comments at the symposium. 'The problems we face require collaboration across every sector.'
The event featured speakers across disciplines who discussed the need for cleaner water through the lenses of cancer research, environmental ligation, public policy, community action and even art, with a satirical video listing the ingredients in Iowa's 'pure' drinking water.
Speakers identified industrial agriculture practices, like the over-application of nutrients to cropland, and runoff from confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, as key polluters to Iowa's water.
The most mentioned pollutant, nitrate, enters streams from manure, fertilizer, septic and sewage runoff. On its own, nitrate is not a carcinogen, but when ingested, it interacts with other compounds that can be carcinogenic, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Excessive consumption of nitrate can also cause health issues like blue baby syndrome, thyroid problems and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Citizen scientists take to Iowa's waters to monitor nitrate levels
Lu Liu, an assistant professor at Iowa State University, said only 4% of public water systems in Iowa treat drinking water for nitrates, according to a recent study.
The study 'Disparities in potential exposures to elevated nitrate in Iowa's Public Water Systems' was published in February and found that more than 7% of Iowa's average population are exposed to drinking water with nitrate levels in excess of 5 milligrams per liter. This metric is half of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit on nitrate in drinking water, but Liu said existing research of exposure at the 5 mg/L level has demonstrated negative health outcomes.
Jim Larew, an attorney with the northeastern Iowa environmental group Driftless Water Defenders, said he has seen the reputation of Iowa change over the years from a state with high education rates and healthy citizens, to the state with some of the highest rates of cancer in the country.
Larew, who has litigated against issues like the renewal of a water use permit for a CAFO at the head waters of a trout stream, said it would be a 'misstatement' to blame all of the cancer in the state on industrial agriculture.
'But surely, when you look at the maps and incidences of cancer and where we're doing the most intensive farming, there's at least an association,' Larew said.
He said environmental work, to him, is also a social movement that is on the 'cusp of a civil rights movement' in Iowa.
'This is not something that just involves lawyers and judges — if we're going to move things in the right direction — it requires people,' Larew said.
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As such, he recommends an approach he calls 'front-loading,' which means getting the majority of your calories earlier in the day (think: a hearty breakfast and/or lunch, followed by a lighter dinner around 5 to 7 p.m.). This, he explains, better aligns with your circadian rhythm and may boost metabolism, blood sugar control and even sleep. And since research shows that eating at night is associated with weight gain and unstable blood sugar levels (which can lead to chronic health issues over time), it's best to avoid big or heavy meals shortly before bedtime. An easy way to break down your daily calorie intake is to aim for 25% to 40% at breakfast, 30% to 40% at lunch and 15% to 20% at dinner, with snacks making up the rest of your day. 🦶 Step up your foot game Giving your feet a little TLC can help you avoid pain and improve mobility and strength. Dana Santas, a strength and conditioning specialist, tells CNN that she recommends her clients roll their bare feet over a textured ball twice a day, making sure to shift position every 30 seconds to target different areas of the foot. Don't have a textured ball? A golf or lacrosse ball works too in a pinch. Another easy way to ensure you're giving your feet proper care? Try wearing toe spacers for 15 to 20 minutes a night, Santas says. You'll fight foot fatigue and counteract the effects of restrictive footwear. 🍟 Skip the fries We're so sorry to tell you this: Research published in the BMJ found that eating these fast food favorites often — about three servings per week — can raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 20%. Those who ate baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes did not see a large rise of their risk, however. 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As NBC News reports, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that participants with elevated blood pressure saw lowered systolic blood pressure readings after using HEPA filters for a month. While those with normal blood pressure saw no change, these filters could be a good call for anyone concerned about their numbers and the pollution around them. 🍔 Add this 1 thing to your burger Give your burger an upgrade by adding something plant-based to your ground beef, Today suggests. Mushrooms are a great pick, from both a flavor and a health standpoint. They boast good-for-you nutrients like vitamin D, selenium, potassium and B vitamins, and because they're low in calories, adding them to your patty mix (and cutting down on the beef) keeps your burger from being such a calorie bomb. 📺 Scale back screen time A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that too much screen time can come with health risks for children. 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Signing up for an intense, early-morning boot camp or challenging yourself to use your monthly gym pass every day might not be sustainable over time. Personal trainer Kristen McParland says that it's 'really difficult for a beginner to go from zero days to five.' It's better to 'smart small and build,' she advises. Maybe that's hitting an exercise class twice a week to start, or going for a run on Sunday mornings until you get into a nice groove. And don't push yourself to work out in the mornings if you loathe getting up early — you'll eventually abandon your routine. As McParland says, the 'best time' to work out is the one that works for you and your body. 🍪 Cut back on ultraprocessed foods Need one more reason to cut out ultraprocessed foods, such as packaged cookies and chips? A new study published in Thorax found that eating them could up your risk of lung cancer, Prevention reports. While it's unclear what is behind this association, it's not the first study to find negative impacts of ultraprocessed foods, which can often be higher in sugar and fat, as well as lower in fiber, vitamins and minerals, than whole food options. One way to combat the health risks of ultraprocessed foods is to aim for whole foods (vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, nuts and eggs) whenever possible. 🐟 Eat fatty fish for better cholesterol When we think of cholesterol, we often think about reducing our 'bad cholesterol' — aka LDL, which can build up in the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. But you also need to think about your 'good cholesterol,' called HDL, which helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream. One way to do that, our friends at EatingWell say, is to add more fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel and sardines. to your diet. They're rich in omega-3s, which have been shown to boost HDL and reduce inflammation in the body. 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Bedtime? Study tracks when Americans fall asleep
Is there a 'prime' bedtime? A new study found the average American falls asleep at 11:18 p.m. Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Avocado Green Mattress, a new survey of 2,000 general population Americans explored respondents' nighttime routines and sleep habits — digging into their bedtimes. The results found that the average respondent begins their nighttime routine at 10:15 p.m., taking 21 minutes to get ready for bed, on average — meaning respondents are then tucked into bed by 10:36 p.m. But it takes about forty minutes before they actually fall asleep, as results revealed the average American doesn't drift off until about a quarter past 11 o'clock. Solve the daily Crossword
