Leaded gasoline linked to rise in mental health disorders, mysterious outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo
In a mysterious outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, researchers have found evidence that exposure to leaded gasoline is associated with an increase in mental illness. We’ll also explain why killer whales wear salmon as hats.
Anassa Luis Tejada/scientific american
Happy Monday to all our listeners! for Scientific American”s science fastI’m Rachel Feltman. Take a few minutes to catch up on some science stories you may have missed.
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo reported last week that dozens of people died in November from an unidentified illness with flu-like symptoms. Last Tuesday, a World Health Organization spokesperson said the organization was aware of the outbreak and was working with local public health investigators to find out more.
As discussed in previous episodes, the Democratic Republic of Congo is already grappling with serious epidemiological problems. According to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is considered the epicenter of the current global mpox epidemic, accounting for 99 percent of related deaths. . siam Our editors are closely monitoring this new, as-yet-unidentified infectious disease outbreak and will share further information as it becomes available.
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In other public health news, a new study looking back at the effects of leaded gasoline has reached some alarming conclusions.
Before we get into the details, a little background on how lead affects us. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that can affect children’s brain development when it accumulates in the body. Researchers have previously shown that the use of lead in gasoline, which was widespread in the United States since the 1920s and was finally banned in 1996, likely affected many Americans. . A study conducted in 2022 found that half of all Americans alive at that time were exposed to harmful levels of lead during childhood, and millions more were exposed to more than five times the recommended level. Estimated.
In a new study published last Wednesday, the same researchers estimate that lead exposure may be the cause of approximately 151 million mental health disorders that have occurred over the past 75 years. There is. These lead-related effects were greatest among members of Generation X.
While leaded gasoline is thankfully a thing of the past, lead exposure is not. An estimated one in four homes in the United States has levels of lead in their soil that require cleanup. Old paint and pipes can also pose a threat. If you’re concerned about lead exposure, you can ask your doctor to do a blood test for you or your child. Testing the soil for heavy metals is also an option. You can also contact your state or local health department and ask about having your home inspected for paint or dust.
I would like to end the health section of the news summary on a more optimistic note. You probably already know that it’s important to move your body to stay healthy, but it’s easy to feel like you’re either a health-conscious gym freak or a guilty couch potato.
New research reminds us that every little thing really does matter. Researchers surveyed more than 22,000 middle-aged people in the UK and found that ‘vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity’ (abbreviated as VILPA) was linked to the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke and heart attack. We investigated what kind of influence it has.
VILPA is not a burst of intense activity during a gym workout. This is like the increased heart rate that you experience while going about your daily life. They might sneak in. cheeky Have a VILPA session by climbing stairs, carrying heavy laundry, or chasing your pet.
Men who consumed an average of 5.6 minutes of VILPA per day were 16 percent less likely to experience a cardiac event than men who did no strenuous activity. But the results for women were even more promising: an average of just about 1.5 minutes a day reduced the risk of a heart attack by 33 percent, and an average of 3.4 minutes reduced the chance of a heart attack by 51 percent.
These results don’t mean it’s not worth pursuing structured exercise. It’s generally better to exercise more than less, as long as you don’t exhaust your energy or injure your body. But if you’re a sedentary person right now, jumping into a month-long workout routine starting January 1st probably isn’t the answer.
Even if you do it slowly, you may not become a complete gym rat. Studies like this show that increased movement means improved cardiovascular health. Exercise doesn’t have to make counting a pain.
Now let’s jet to Venus for some space news. As many science geeks and Mitsuki fans know, one school of thought holds that Venus was once much like Earth, but turned into a hellish mess thanks to runaway greenhouse gases. By hellish, I mean clouds of sulfuric acid and surface temperatures of approximately 870 degrees Fahrenheit.
last Tuesday natural astronomynew research has cast a serious shadow on that idea. The study reports that Venus is probably not very similar to our home world, despite its size and distance from the Sun being similar to Earth.
Researchers analyzed Venus’ atmosphere and found a distinct lack of water vapor in volcanic ejecta, suggesting that Venus’ interior is super dry – in fact, very dry. Because it is so dry, it is thought that liquid water never existed on Venus. That doesn’t mean Venus was never habitable, but the life that exists there is strange, never seen before, like microbes that evolved to survive in those nasty sulfuric acid clouds. There must be something.
Back to Earth, here are some stories about marine mammals. First, scientists in New Zealand have acquired a whale so special that even finding a dead whale is thrilling. Like, Really exciting.
When this spade-toothed whale washed ashore this summer, it became just the seventh specimen of its kind recorded since the 1800s. These deep-sea beaked whales have never been found alive, and this is the first complete specimen that scientists have been able to dissect.
Whales are sacred animals in the traditions of the indigenous Maori people of Aotearoa, New Zealand, so the scientists plan to spend an entire week quietly and carefully dissecting the whales, along with members of the local iwi (tribe). is standing. Participate and observe.
Here’s a killer whale story to round out this week’s roundup. The story goes back to 1987, when scientists noticed that one particular female killer whale kept appearing with strange accessories. It was a dead salmon balanced on his head like a hat.
For a year or so, scientists observed that other killer whales seemed to take advantage of this trend, but then it fizzled out. Fashion is so fickle! But eventually everything comes back to normal and it looks like the dead fish hat is making a comeback. In November, a 32-year-old man was arrested with a dead salmon on his head. Scientists don’t know why this happened in the first place or why it would happen again, but they suspect the fish’s hats could be a way to preserve food for later. I’m thinking.
That’s all for this week’s news summary. And indeed, this concludes our 2024 news roundup. Following our deep dive into Google’s quirky new AI podcast tool this Wednesday, we’re sharing a fascinating four-part series on the changing science of animal protection. We’ll then close out the year with a look back at some of the wildest science of 2024 before taking a short break for the holidays. Lots of good stuff coming before the season ends, so stay tuned!
science fast It is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg, and Jeff DelVisio. Shayna Possess and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe scientific american Check out more latest and in-depth science news.
for scientific american, Rachel Feltman. Have a great week!
