ILL WIND: A young boy wears a mask against pollution in Linfen, China. Preliminary results from a study conducted in Tongliang, China, reveal that children exposed to highly polluted air while in the womb had more changes in their DNA—and a higher risk of developmental problems—than did those whose mothers breathed
cleaner air during pregnancy.
Image: Peter Parks AFP/Getty Images
In Brief
- A central goal of molecular epidemiology is to tie environmental factors to genetic changes that contribute to disease.
- Some biologists have questioned the approach, because few candidate molecular markers of susceptibility, exposure or early disease have yet been proved to foretell future illness.
- Now researchers may have found the best test case yet for environmental molecular epidemiology: a city in China whose coal-fired power plant was shut down in 2004.
- Preliminary analysis shows that children born in 2002, when the plant was still operating, have smaller heads and lower scores on developmental tests than those born a year after the plant closed. They also have correspondingly higher levels of pollution-related genetic abnormalities.
More In This Article
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Sidebar
Developmental Delays
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Infographic
From Pollution to Disease--DNA Interference
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Infographic
Another Biomarker--Muting Genes
Editor's Note: This story was published in the August issue of Scientific American.
A few heaping piles of scrap metal and a rusty coal shed are all that is left of the power plant that until recently squatted like an immense, smoke-belching dragon in the middle of Tongliang, a gray city of 100,000 in south-central China. As we walk toward the shed, a Belgian Shepherd begins barking furiously, jerking its iron chain and baring sharp teeth. A brown-eyed face peeks out from the open doorway—it belongs to a girl in a stained shirt, holding a tabby cat that jumps away to hide under a slab of concrete as we approach. The girl is no more than six or seven years old and appears to be living in the shed with her father, who watches us warily from within.
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7 Comments
Add CommentWell, actually it is not a mask. In North China where the weather is particular cold in winter, people wear it to keep warm and prevent from having skin chap.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell, actually it is not a mask. In north China where winter is particular cold, people wear it to keep warm and prevent from having skin chap.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMost definitely, the environmental pollution in China is reaching a critical point, and its ecosystem is fast degrading to a dangerous level. Not that the leaders are not doing anything to alleviate the situation in the past several years, just that their effort has been focused around Beijing and areas where the Olympic events will be taking place soon.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisChildren have been the prime target of pollution poisoning worldwide, and the Chinese children are no exception. Indeed, they would suffer worse in a fast deteriorating environment.
The epidemiologists should keep on with their good work. Perhaps their final report will alert the Beijing regime to act with greater determination.
(Tan Boon Tee)
Chinese Power Simulator - Planning for Coal free China
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have created a power grid simulator of Europe, China, US.
It shows present coal plants and power flow in electric power grids.
We are working with STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math)classes to optimize the simulations for student use. Students may interact with the Power Grids to try out alternative energy choices and future scenarios.
I have also created a simulation of the Polywell Fusion reactor built by EMC Corporation for US Navy. Similar reactors may some day replace coal.
Present simulations are in Java.
Here are some examples in Scratch, a language used by school kids.
Students created some of these simulations of power grids and fusion reactors.
Examples:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/RangerRick/11273
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/GeneMachine/77493
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/GeneMachine/34906
hbrown@sisna.com
formaldehyde, aspartame, and migraines, the first case series, Sharon E Jacob-Soo, Sarah A Stechschulte, UCSD, Dermatitis 2008 May: Rich Murray 2008.07.18
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.htm
Friday, July 18, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1553
Dermatitis. 2008 May-Jun; 19(3): E10-1.
Formaldehyde, aspartame, and migraines: a possible connection.
Jacob SE, Stechschulte S.
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami,
Miami, FL, USA.
Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener that has been linked
to pediatric and adolescent migraines.
Upon ingestion, aspartame is broken, converted, and oxidized into
formaldehyde in various tissues.
We present the first case series of aspartame-associated migraines
related to clinically relevant positive reactions to formaldehyde on
patch testing. PMID: 18627677
formaldehyde from many sources, including aspartame, is major cause of
Allergic Contact Dermatitis, SE Jacob, T Steele, G Rodriguez, Skin and
Aging 2005 Dec.: Murray 2008.03.27
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Thursday, March 27, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1533
"For example, diet soda and yogurt containing aspartame (Nutrasweet),
release formaldehyde in their natural biological degradation.
One of aspartame's metabolites, aspartic acid methyl ester, is
converted to methanol in the body, which is oxidized to formaldehyde
in all organs, including the liver and eyes. 22
Patients with a contact dermatitis to formaldehyde have been seen to
improve once aspartame is avoided. 22
Notably, the case that Hill and Belsito reported had a 6-month history
of eyelid dermatitis that subsided after 1 week of avoiding diet soda.
22"
Avoiding formaldehyde allergic reactions in children, aspartame,
vitamins, shampoo, conditioners, hair gel, baby wipes, Sharon E Jacob,
MD, Tace Steele, U. Miami, Pediatric Annals 2007 Jan.: eyelid contact
dermatitis, AM Hill, DV Belsito, 2003 Nov.: Murray 2008.03.27
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Thursday, March 27, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1532
Sharon E. Jacob, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Dermatology)
University of California, San Diego 200 W. Arbor Drive #8420, San
Diego, CA 92103-8420
Tel: 858-552-8585 �3504 Fax: 305-675-8317 sjacob@contactderm.net;
Hi,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am the Dad of AJ, a 14 year old cancer warrior. I wanted to make you aware (maybe again) and enlist your help for the Cure Childhood Cancer petition! Our goal is to have a one-hour special produced on network TV devoted solely to CHILDHOOD CANCER to raise awareness. And to publish a parent-written book about our miraculous children, with all proceeds going to CureSearch.
The GREAT news is that CureSearch (story on the Petition), LIVESTRONG (story on the Petition) and Alex’s Lemonade Stands have ALL written about the Petition on their websites! And TX Children’s and DUKE University have both allowed us to setup paper versions inside their hospitals! So this is a SERIOUS EFFORT AND WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY! Right now we are at nearly 12,000 signatures! But we need your help! If you can sign, and please make your readers aware, email it around, and give just a little airtime on your site, I know we can make this happen!
Thanks again,
AJs Dad
CarePage - AJsSpace
Childhood Cancer - Petition to Raise Awareness and Funding for a CURE!
This is a very interesting article. Personally, I fall more in line with the views in this article: http://www.mindreign.com/en/mindshare/Environmental-Concerns/China-3a-The-Environmental-Rogue/sl36962308bp325cpp10pn1.html. It blames the western countries for fueling the pollution problem in China - refer to it for more details.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this