Daniel Salzler No. 1196
EnviroInsight.org Four Items April 7, 2023
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1. More Water Found on Moon, Locked in Tiny Glass Beads
By Eric NiilerFollow Updated March 27, 2023 3:20 pm ET
The moon’s surface contains a new source of water found embedded in microscopic glass beads, which might one day help future astronauts produce drinking water, breathable air and even rocket fuel, scientists say.
The findings come from a Chinese rover that spent two weeks on the moon in 2020. The Chang’e 5 rover drilled several feet into the lunar surface and returned 3.7 pounds of material, among which were the glass beads from an impact crater, according to a paper published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The moon’s surface is covered with tiny spherical beads of silicate glass, which range in size from a few tens of micrometers to a few millimeters. Some of the glass beads formed when asteroids slammed into the moon, others are the result of ancient volcanic activity on the lunar surface, both of which occurred millions of years ago.
In their Beijing laboratory, scientists from Chinese institutions examined a handful of the microscopic spheres using a special instrument called a secondary ion mass spectrometer that analyzes solid surfaces with a beam of ions, and discovered water embedded inside, according to the study.
The water is the result of a chemical reaction between oxygen in the beads and hydrogen atoms emitted from the sun that are transported to the moon’s surface by solar winds and deposited into the soil.
While the amount of water is tiny in each bead, there are a lot of beads on the moon—enough for an estimated 270 trillion kilograms of water, according to the study. That is the equivalent of 71 trillion gallons.
“Our direct measurements of this surface reservoir of lunar water show that impact glass beads can store substantial quantities of solar wind-derived water on the moon and suggest that impact glass may be water reservoirs on other airless bodies,” the authors wrote.
The researchers think other moons in the solar system might also have such a water reservoir.
“Maybe it is a common feature in our solar system and a way to understand other worlds,” said Sen Hu, a professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and an author on the paper.
The water found in tiny glass beads isn’t the only source of water on the moon. Water ice is also hidden in the permanently shadowed craters on the moon’s north and south poles. That is where both the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and China are planning to put future moon bases. In 2020, astronomers using an infrared telescope aboard a highflying NASA aircraft detected the presence of water locked inside lunar grit on a sunny section of the lunar surface.
Wall Street Journal March 28, 2023
2 Health ‘Truths’ You Can Ignore. These 16 common beliefs about wellness just don’t hold up. Here’s why sometimes, an offhand comment seems to become a fact when it’s repeated often enough—even without evidence to support it. That’s particularly the case when it comes to health. Luckily, many of these “facts” are not matters of life and death. But any kind of misinformation is potentially dangerous. We gathered a wide mix of common assumptions about ordinary health concerns to give you the right facts. Here’s what we found.
Claim.You Need 10,000 steps a day to boost your longevity
What science shows: The latest research shows that as few as 6,000 steps a day can do it. One 2022 study found that adults 60 and older who clocked 6,000 to 8,000 steps daily had a 50 to 60 percent lower chance of early death.
Claim: Running will damage your knees. What Science shows: Studies in recent years reveal that running does not raise your risk of knee problems. In fact, pounding the pavement seems to protect your joints. One large study found that runners were half as likely to
develop knee osteoarthritis compared with non-runners. Runners typically have stronger quadriceps muscles, which helps to protect the joint, explains Grace Lo, a researcher at Baylor University College of Medicine
Claim:You need to drink eight glasses of water a day. What science shows:Many people aim for the often recommended eight glasses of water a day, but there’s no science behind that number, says Karyn Eilber, a professor of urology and obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Urine color is a good indicator; it should be light to medium yellow.
Claim: Everyone should take a daily multivitamin. What Science shows: A 2022 review of 84 studies by the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force found no convincing evidence that multivitamins have any benefit for nonpregnant adults. “You’ll get much more bang for your buck if you eat a healthful diet with plenty of fruits and different vegetables,” says Jeffrey A. Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Claim:Rest when you have back pain. Why science shows: While it’s fine to rest for a day or two after a back flare-up, studies over three decades show that you will recover faster if you remain active, says James Powers, an internal medicine geriatric physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Prolonged bed rest makes most types of back pain worse. “The more you don’t use your muscles, the stiffer you will get,” he says.
Claim: CPR requires mouth-to-mouth contact. Studies of adults who experienced cardiac arrest outside a hospital found that
cardiopulmonary resuscitation involving only chest compressions given by rescuers who weren’t medical professionals is just as effective as—if not more effective than—CPR administered with rescue breathing, says Ahamed Idris, an emergency medicine physician.
Claim: Green or yellow mucus means you need an antibiotic. What science shows:Green or yellow mucus is a sign your body is fighting
off an infection, says William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Most respiratory infections are caused by viruses, not bacteria, he notes—and antibiotics don’t work on viruses.
Claim: The flu shot can give you the flu. What science shows: This exasperates doctors because it’s biologically impossible, Schaffner says. “The vaccine is made from [inactive] pieces of the virus.” People who say they got the flu after the shot may have picked up a different type of respiratory infection. It takes about two weeks for the shot to be fully effective.
Claim: You’ll get sick if you go out with wet hair or no coat. What science shows: Going out in winter temperatures without a coat or
with wet hair may make you shiver, but that alone won’t make you sick. “Colds are caused by viruses, not by cold temperatures,” Schaffner says. A few studies have found that cold temperatures may suppress the immune response, so if you do encounter a virus, you may be more likely to get sick.
Claim: Avoid dairy if you have a cold. What science shows: The idea that milk increases mucus is centuries old, but most research indicates that dairy products do not increase the production of phlegm. In one study published in the American Review of Respiratory Disease, people with the common cold showed no increased phlegm or congestion when they drank milk. Another study found no difference in mucus production between milk and soy milk.
Claim:Avoid exercise if you are unwell. What science shows: Studies have found that mild to moderate exercise when you have an upper
respiratory infection may help you feel better faster. Lying in bed can weaken your muscles and predispose you to pneumonia, Schaffner says. Light exercise prompts you to breathe deeply and cough, which “gets things up.
Claim:Coffee dehydrates you. What science shows: : Caffeine is a mild diuretic, meaning it can stimulate your body to produce extra urine. However, research shows the liquid in coffee counteracts any dehydration effects. One study published
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people urinate the same amount whether they drink coffee, soda, tea, a sports drink or water.
Claim: If it’s an actual heat attack, you will have chest pain. Why science shows: About 42 percent of women and 31 percent of men don’t have chest pain during a heart attack, according to a study published in JAMA. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, light-headedness, nausea and pain or discomfort in the back, neck, jaw, or one or both arms.
Claim: Cranberry juice cures urinary tract infections. What science shows: : Chugging cranberry juice won’t help if you have a bladder infection, says Pamela Levin, associate professor of urogynecology at the University of Pennsylvania. “If you have symptoms such as burning while urinating, you typically need antibiotics and care from your doctor,” she says. “[Cranberries] are linked to preventing, not treating, infections.”
Claim: Air and dryers are more hygienic than paper towels. What science shows: They may save trees, but air hand dryers in public restrooms don’t remove germs as well as paper towels, according to research. Even worse, they may
spread germs around. One study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection found that airborne bacteria counts were 27 times higher when jet air dryers were used.
Claim:You can loose weight and toxins with a juice cleanse. What science shows: Juice cleanses are touted as healthy and slimming. But research shows no proof of benefit, and some cleanses may put your health at risk. In fact, one review study found no evidence that detox diets work to eliminate toxins.
3. Growing A “Culture Of A Safety” Mindset
What are the practices and standards that organizations should prioritize when protecting those working at height? An expert shares some insights.
- By David KopfMar 01, 2023
For 12 years in a row, fall protection has topped OSHA’s annual Top 10 Safety Violations. In 2022, fall protection led the rankings with 5,260 citations. For comparison, the number two ranking, hazard communication, trailed behind with 2,424 citations. But let’s be real: statistics only go so far when it comes to tabulating the essentially incalculable human cost of workplace falls.
That’s why it’s critical that companies establish a culture of safety. Falls remain the leading cause of death outside of transportation. When you’re looking at a job site, falls are the number one driver of fatalities in our industry. And if you look more broadly, after fall protection being the number one cause of death, then there are ladders, scaffolding and fall protection training.
While fall protection is clearly a concern, it’s fair to say that it’s often misunderstood. Why are falls a repeat problem, per OSHA’s Top 10, and why is fall protection misunderstood?
A lot of industries in our trade pay their employees by piece; they’re not hourly employees. So with regard to that, when you’re putting on safety equipment, it impedes productivity fundamentally because if you’re working safer, you’re typically going to be working a little more intentionally, a little slower, and the equipment itself may have restrictions on it.
For example, if you connect an SRL to your body, you can’t walk as fast as if you’re not connected to an SRL. So, there are limitations with the equipment, and all of that impacts productivity. So, people can be resentful of the fact that using the safety equipment means they’re going to be working a bit slower, which in the end, can potentially cost them money.
But what we take from that is to try and make the equipment as user friendly as possible and really focus on the user experience. We try and make our products as comfortable and usable as possible. So we spend a lot of time on the fitment of the product and doing our best not to impede productivity.
What roles do the standards play in keeping workers safe? OSHA is the statutory authority in the United States, so from the standpoint of occupational health and safety, OSHA is the enforcement authority, and ANSI would be considered best practices. There are scenarios where ANSI does work as an OSHA-like enforceable rule. That would be by letters of incorporation, or say, if it’s implicit in the standard.
For example, if using a piece of ANSI-compliant equipment would have eliminated the fatality or reduced the severity of an injury, then that would fall under the OSHA General Duty Clause.
Talk about the user’s comfort, and a more comfortable employee is typically a safer employee. So, if you are producing safety equipment that people perceive as a nuisance and uncomfortable, they’re less likely to use it and use it consistently. If you’re really focused on the user experience, and you’re making sure that people are comfortable in what they do, they’re much more likely to use the product consistently.
How does an organization make that shift from simply being in compliance to fostering a proactive culture of safety? That happens when you connect the profit motive to the safety culture. I think that a lot of times, organizations perceive safety as a cost center of the business. But the larger the organization gets, the more risks only increase. So, if you focus on managing your experience modification rate, reducing incidents, and focusing on safety, it ultimately saves the company money.
The new iteration’s Class 1 and Class 2 categories focus more on the potential risk or exposure. They’re more focused on, for example, if a user is anchoring off below the D-ring — that would be more of an application consideration.
ANSI is trying to eliminate the misuse of product. When a user takes a Class A device or even a Class B device that’s not suitable for a leading-edge application, and then anchors it off at their feet, at that point they’re endangering their life, if they take a fall. What the ANSI committee is trying to do is correct that, and ensure that, when a user has a leading-edge fall hazard exposure, then they’re using suitable equipment for that application.
There’s no ANSI police, so it is essentially an honor system with respect to manufacturing. For example, you can have a company that manufactures soft goods, which would be something like lanyards and harnesses, and they might source the devices from a third party, so they’re not the manufacturer of record for the devices. www.oshonline.vom/Vol 90 No 1
4. Water Reuse Day July 23- 25.Deadline to submit an abstract for consideration
by the Arizona Water Reuse 2023 Symposium planning committee is March 1, 2023
Abstract can be submitted via this link. For more information about our symposium visit theArizona Section of WateReuse Association.
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