A Concerned Scientist @BE@qoto.org
Moved full time to my other account @BE soon as this instance is still having issues.
Joined Nov 2022
The real indignity is that the 12yo's working on it with her now. I've been sidelined 😂
Oh no. Now I have to go tell her she was right on top of the indignity 😬
My wife's reviewing a future Biology curriculum and she came to me with a sentence she needed to suggest a revision for because it was "just stupid." It said:
"Plants are easier to study because they don't move."
I tried to get her to change it to "Plants are easier to study because they don't scream" and apparently my "future's not in curriculum." 
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
When you consider that in 2023, Chinese factories put out over 80% of solar modules & battery cells, 65% of wind nacelles, & 56% of electrolyzers, the US & EU have some catching up to do if they're serious about #cleanenergy manufacturing. https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy-manufacturing/chart-global-clean-energy-manufacturing-by-the-numbers
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Children With #LongCOVID: A Case-controlled Study
"Children with #LC have a reduced VO2 peak […], abnormal cardiovascular efficiency (VO2/HR% pred), pathological VE/VCO slope […], and abnormally reduced slope of VO2 work" "48% of the LC patients had a suspicious phenotype for pulmonary hypertension."
Hashtags:
@longcovid #PwLC #PostCovidSyndrome #PASC #postcovid
#CovidBrain #COVID19 #COVID #COVID_19 #SARSCoV2 #LongCOVIDKids
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
CDC puts early end to free COVID vaccines for uninsured | The Hill
Hope you're going to like the number of Fall/Winter Covid outbreaks, starting with those who can't afford the full costs and spreading to those who don't vaccinate b/c reasons who could, and then to the rest of us. Here's hoping we don't get a nastier variant....
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4670459-cdc-ending-free-covid-vaccines-uninsured/
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
I'm slowly realising that I probably have some mild #LongCovid
Since having covid (now had it twice since 2022): iron deficiencies, breathing problems, constant asthma, and now a sudden allergy to some foods apparently.
My partner and I have been careful throughout the pandemic but clearly not careful enough at times (twice each) since "opening up".
And though it could be far far worse, I feel pretty violated right now TBH.
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
NC Senate Votes To Ban Masks, Send Children To Adult Prisons, Generally Do Bad Stuff https://www.wonkette.com/p/nc-senate-votes-to-ban-masks-send
We keep blaming obesity and ignoring the effects of pollution. Just a couple of examples.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-022-05695-5
Yup. As it was always going to be, unfortunately.
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
The last link above, to the actual bill, now states "Senate Judiciary Committee Substitute Adopted 5/14/24" without a link to the substitute. It took me a little digging to find a link to it.
https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillSummary/2023/H237-SMCE-99(CSCE-38)-v-5
I think the opening is pretty clear on the subject of whether they intend to remove the right to wear masks for health and safety reasons:
"SECTION 1
Under Article 4A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes, Prohibited Secret Societies and Activities, it is generally a crime for an individual to wear a mask in public. However, under G.S. 14-12.11(a)(6), an
individual can wear a mask in public for the physical health or safety of the wearer or others. If an individual wears a mask in public for health or safety reasons, a law enforcement officer can require the individual to remove the mask during traffic stops and criminal investigations when the officer has reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
Section 1 of the PCS would repeal G.S. 14-12.11(a)(6), and individuals would no longer be able to wear
masks in public for health or safety reasons."
It definitely is a lot. I've also spent years trying to be as plastic free as possible, and it's hard in modern society.
Just going back to the water part, even if your utility filters out all micro and nano plastics, most houses have PVC or PEX pipes, which also shed micro plastics over time on your end. Filtering at your tap is the only real solution, but, utilities could do a lot more, too.
Yeah, that's why if I were really curious, I'd be looking for the breakdown chemical signatures.
But, you can assume you have PFAs, micro and nanoplastics, etc. in your tap water and act accordingly. They're ubiquitous.
If you felt like getting deep into the science of plastics breakdown and possible indicator chemicals, this is the paper:
Looks like the fifth is mostly PFAs along with Lithium. I should have linked you to all 5, and not just the most recent. The fourth is here and ended in 2021:
https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/fourth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
You might have some luck under the alcohols. 1-butanol, for instance, is used in many plastics and may indicate breakdown of plastics.
If you're looking out for something like "Here's the number of microplastics in x volume of water" then I don't think that number exists for municipal water to date. The EPA's in the early days of coming up with a standard test for that:
https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/assessing-methods-measuring-microplastics-water
As of 2019 the WHO only found 2 studies on microplastic concentrations in tap water to date:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135419301794
If they take up the same pace that they did for PFAs then local utilities won't be giving a microplastics concentration number for another decade, at least.
Most states and local utilities haven't been. The new PFA rules came from the EPA's monitoring under UCMR(Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule) for example, and there's a chance they have data on your water here:
https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr/fifth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule-data-finder#data-finder
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
May 16, 2024- Large California Study: “.. SARS-CoV-2 infection is tied to increased preterm birth (PTB), high blood pressure during pregnancy, and severe maternal morbidity. Infection tied to high blood pressure, severe outcomes” ” “Birth outcomes noted included preterm birth (PTB), high blood during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and severe maternal morbidity.” - https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-19-linked-increased-preterm-birth-other-problems-pregnancy
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
"... how many people know COVID-19 infection can cause headaches and migraines weeks or months later? Or that it can cause fainting? Nausea? Heart attacks? Cardiac complications in adults and children? Embolisms? ADHD-like symptoms? Neurological issues? How many people are suffering the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 infection but not drawing the causal link and instead ascribing their new conditions to bad luck or aging?"
https://johnsnowproject.org/primers/honesty-about-covid-is-essential-for-progress/
A Concerned Scientist
boosted
After 2020 presidential election as some #Trump supporters falsely claimed that #PresidentBiden had stolen the office many of them displayed a startling symbol outside their homes on their cars and in online posts: an upside-down #Americanflag. 1 of homes flying an inverted flag during that time was residence of #SupremeCourt #SCOTUS Justice #Alito - Samuel A. Alito Jr., in Alexandria, Va., according to photos & interviews with neighbors in Alexandria VA https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/us/justice-alito-upside-down-flag.html?unlocked_article_code=1.sU0.0yWX.zzuHOt566eaH&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb #ImpeachAlito
Moved full time to my other account @BE soon as this instance is still having issues.
Joined Nov 2022
