Major study exposes the ‘most underrated threat facing humanity'
The investigation found over 3,600 synthetic chemicals, including dangerous PFAS, present in human bodies globally, with PFAS detected in almost everyone tested.
The report establishes strong links between chemical exposure and severe health issues, such as escalating cancer rates, declining fertility, obesity, and ADHD, noting that pesticide use may rival smoking in its impact on cancer.
Researchers highlight that the production of persistent chemicals has breached a 'safe planetary boundary', leading to widespread contamination, and deem current international chemical management inadequate.
The report urges urgent, coordinated global action and improved standardisation to protect human health and the environment from pervasive chemical contamination.
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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Scientists recreate universe's first molecule to crack 13-billion-year-old mystery
Scientists have recreated the first molecule ever to form and found that it likely played a much bigger role in the birth of early stars than previously thought. The universe was unimaginably hot and dense immediately after it formed about 13.8 billion years ago, and cooled down seconds later to form the first elements, hydrogen and helium, albeit in a completely ionised form. It then took another 380,000 years for the temperature in the early universe to drop enough for neutral atoms to form by combining with free electrons to pave the way for the first chemical reactions. The first molecule created this way is thought to be helium hydride ion (HeH+), formed from a neutral helium atom and ionised hydrogen. Helium hydride's origin also marked the beginning of a chain reaction that led to the formation of molecular hydrogen (H2), which is by far the most common molecule in the universe, scientists say. Although the infant universe at this point was transparent due to the binding of free electrons, there were still no light-emitting objects, such as stars. Researchers found that this ancient helium hydride molecule helped cool the universe over a process lasting several hundred million years before the first stars ignited. Stars are powered by nuclear fusion in which light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a tremendous amount of energy. However, for any early contracting gas cloud of a protostar to collapse to the point where nuclear fusion can begin, heat must be dissipated via collisions between atoms and molecules, which then emit this energy in the form of photons. But below 10,000C, this process becomes ineffective for the dominant hydrogen atoms. So researchers have long considered helium hydride ions as a potentially important candidate for cooling in the formation of the first stars. These ancient molecules could facilitate further cooling by emitting additional energy through rotation and vibration, particularly at low temperatures. The concentration of helium hydride ions in the universe was likely key to the effectiveness of early star formation, the study found. New research, published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, used a special ultra-cold lab setup to mimic conditions from over 13 billion years ago that led to the formation of these molecules. The study recreated conditions similar to those in the early universe for the first time at the Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) instrument at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kernphysik – a globally unique lab set up for investigating molecular and atomic reactions under space-like conditions. In the research, scientists superimposed HeH⁺ ions stored in a 35-metre-diameter storage ring for up to just a minute at a few kelvins (-267C) with a beam of neutral hydrogen atoms. They studied how the collision rate varied with temperature and found that, contrary to earlier predictions, the rate at which this reaction proceeds does not slow down with decreasing temperature. 'Previous theories predicted a significant decrease in the reaction probability at low temperatures, but we were unable to verify this in either the experiment or new theoretical calculations by our colleagues,' said study co-author Holger Kreckel from the MPIK. The findings suggest the reactions of HeH⁺ with hydrogen were far more important for chemistry in the early universe than previously thought.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Major study exposes the ‘most underrated threat facing humanity'
A new report, 'The Invisible Tsunami', warns that chemical toxicity is the 'most underrated threat facing humanity', with its risks to human and planetary health 'widely underestimated'. The investigation found over 3,600 synthetic chemicals, including dangerous PFAS, present in human bodies globally, with PFAS detected in almost everyone tested. The report establishes strong links between chemical exposure and severe health issues, such as escalating cancer rates, declining fertility, obesity, and ADHD, noting that pesticide use may rival smoking in its impact on cancer. Researchers highlight that the production of persistent chemicals has breached a 'safe planetary boundary', leading to widespread contamination, and deem current international chemical management inadequate. The report urges urgent, coordinated global action and improved standardisation to protect human health and the environment from pervasive chemical contamination.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists pick up massive surge in painful gut disorder - and they think it's linked to a virus that has touched almost everyone's life
A new study has revealed a post-pandemic surge in gut-brain related disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The researchers compared data from the UK and US before the pandemic in 2017, and after the pandemic in 2023. They found a sharp 28 per cent increase from 4.7 to six per cent in cases of IBS which can cause stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhoea. This troublesome condition is classified as a gut-brain interaction disorder because it is rooted in problems with the gut communicating with the brain. There was also a 44 per cent rise from 8.3 to 11.9 per cent in functional dyspepsia—which causes stomach aches, bloating and premature feeling of fullness. Those with Long Covid—fatigue, breathlessness and muscle weakness triggered by the virus—were significantly more likely to have a gut-brain disorder. Worryingly those with the debilitating condition Long Covid also reported worse anxiety, depression and quality of life. Their recent findings were published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. It is estimated that since the pandemic began, nearly two million people in the UK have experienced Long Covid. This includes 1.3 million people with symptoms lasting for more than a year and 762,000 with symptoms lasting more than two years. Earlier this year, experts said they finally discovered the cause of Long Covid—and it is linked to dementia. Those suffering from Long Covid have suffered unique changes to their brains which can make it harder to think and speak. The previous study found they have fewer protective proteins in their brains and higher levels of inflammation—both of which have been linked to dementia. Long Covid patients also perform worse in language tests, such as finding the right word or understanding what certain words mean, which can be signs of brain fog. The study suggested, for the first time, that damage to the brain, rather than a ramped up immune system, causes the symptoms of Long Covid. Though the study included just 17 people, the researchers planned to use the findings to launch larger-scale studies to find the causes of Long Covid. The recent findings also follow a warning from experts that the virus may also dramatically raise the risk of dementia. Previously, US researchers found those suffering from Long Covid may be five times more likely to get the memory-robbing illness. Dr Gabriel de Erausquin, a neurologist at University of Texas Health San Antonio is exploring the link. The existing studies show those over 57 who've suffered Long Covid 'have the profile of a person with very early Alzheimer's', he told the Wall Street Journal. What is Long Covid? According to the NHS, if someone continues to have symptoms 12 weeks after being infected, they may be suffering from Long Covid. The most common symptoms include: Extreme tiredness (fatigue) Feeling short of breath Memory and concentration difficulties i.e. 'brain fog' Dizziness Heart palpitations Muscle aches and joint pains However, others also include:
