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The Best Science Writing Online 2012
Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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Last year’s drought increased the spread of a carcinogenic mold called aspergillus (Aspergillus flavus), a fungal pathogen that poisons cattle, kills pets and has infected the 2012 corn crop, rendering significant portions of the harvest unfit for consumption.
Whereas the deadly organism mainly affects countries like China and developing African nations, many U.S. states have experienced an increase in corn contamination since 2011. Farmers are likely to see more of the carcinogen as temperatures continue to rise and droughts become more frequent.
“It's really a climate variable issue,” says Barbara Stinson, founding and senior partner of Meridian Institute, a public policy organization. “We're probably looking at an increase in aflatoxin as a result of that.”
A. flavus releases toxic spores that can be fatal when ingested, prompting symptoms that include jaundice, liver cancer and internal bleeding. The poison is so deadly that in 1995 Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein confessed to weaponizing the mold spores for use in biological warfare. The high toxicity of the mold means crops with more than 20 parts per billion—the equivalent of about 100 kernels in a truckload of corn—can’t cross state lines, says Ronnie Heiniger, professor of cropping systems at North Carolina State University.
That’s bad news for the agricultural industry, which suffers annual losses of more than $190 million due to aspergillus. Last year the green-black mold contaminated more than half the corn harvested in Missouri by October. In contrast, only 8 percent of the 2011 crop suffered, according to the Missouri Grain Inspection Service.
“We have a big aflatoxin problem,” says Charles Woloshuk, a botanist and plant pathologist at Purdue University. “There are loads of corn coming to the [grain] elevators that have been rejected.”
Grains like corn and cereals are well documented hosts of aspergillus, although the fungus is also found in oilseed, spices, tree nuts, groundnuts, milk, meat and dried fruit—all staples on which a significant portion of the world’s population rely for sustenance. Drought conditions don’t cause the mold, but they do help speed its expansion. Unlike the fuzzy stuff that grows on bathroom tiles or in the back of the garage, A. flavus prefers hot, dry climes—precisely like the drought afflicting more than half the U.S.
Although the international community has adopted strict legislation to regulate the acceptable amount of aflatoxin for individual countries, cases of poisoning, called aflatoxicosis, still surface regularly. Because the level of aflatoxins found in any given load of corn can be higher than the legal maximum, farmers are allowed to mix contaminated corn with safe corn to dilute the amount—but sometimes contaminants slip through the cracks.
“That's always the problem with a contaminant at these low levels—the distribution of that contaminant in that load,” Heiniger says. “The detection of these contaminants is almost more of an art than a science because you're searching for this one little kernel.” He adds, “If you selected one bite from that whole area and happened to hit that one kernel you'd get the contaminant.”
Aflatoxin contamination is a global food security issue, but it’s especially a problem in developing countries, which are often largely populated by subsistence farmers who don’t have the resources, technology or infrastructure needed for adequate grain testing. Lack of education about the effects of the mold also contributes to aflatoxicosis poisoning.
“The average person can’t tell whether the mold contains aflatoxin. You can’t tell if it’s highly toxic or an innocuous fungus,” Stinson says. “So people are used to eating it and don’t know that they’re poisoning themselves or their children.”
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32 Comments
Add CommentTo all those deniers that keep harping on how much we DON'T know about climate change: Yeah, we don't know everything, but that doesn't stop frightening surprises like this aflatoxin mold from popping up! How can YOU be so sure we won't face a string of unforseen consequences like this mold as the climate warms? How come you cherry-pick and goad over uncertainties in climate science (both real and imagined) yet are SO SURE that we have nothing to worry about as we increase CO2 concentrations by 40% with no sign of slowing down?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLook, this is just another cost to bear for burning millions of years of buried carbon. If you run your society on fossils, expect to become one soon.
Sault-
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisare you ready to claim that the same thing would not have occured if there had been less CO2 in the atmosphere? Would there have been more or less severe weather?
Answer- you and nobody else knows, but that does not stop the propaganda like claims of harms.
Sisko, if you are such an expert that you know more than all the real scientists why are you not at the IPCC meeting in Tasmania. Surely they need an 'expert' such as yourself.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou would be laughed from the floor.
I think the words 'dunning kruger' come to mind.
First I must say, THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut, the statement that this is "... especially a problem in developing countries, which are often largely populated by subsistence farmers who don’t have the resources, technology or infrastructure needed for adequate grain testing." begs the question, are small CSA and home growers such as are usually distributing through farmer's markets and road side stands able to adequately detect and react to this mold?
And the second question is whether this is a safe feedstock for ethanol plants, or would this possibly turn the effluent from ethanol plants into a toxic plume?
And a second question ... can the big seed distributors guarantee their seeds and be held responsible if they are not careful? (A due diligence question)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe I have developed an increased sensitivity to aflatoxin do to eating so many nuts, figs, and chocolate over the past few years (all of which can contain aflatoxin). I believe that contaminated nuts taste like a bad nut, moldy, and stale, and also will make your tongue tingly a bit and a little numb feeling. I have had to throw away a lot of nuts lately cause they have obviously been contaminated. These nuts include almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, and pecans. One way to test is with a UV light. The mold will glow bright greenish blue. but the aflatoxin itself doesn't glow...only the mold that produces it, so that isn't a sure way. I think the US should lower the acceptable levels to 5 parts per billion and do a better job at checking for it cause they are letting a lot slip by right now.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe problem with A. flavus used to be restricted to the tropics and subtropics, but due to warming it is spreading to (what used to be) temperate zones.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLike greenhome123, I have the distinct impression that I can taste the mold, I find it very unpleasant, almost to gagging, so, in spite of
".. the European Union has imposed strict regulations on the import from Brazil of Brazil nuts in their shells, as the shells have been found to contain high levels of aflatoxins, which can lead to liver cancer"
last year, I had several mouldy tasting unshelled brazil nuts, and have now given them up alltogether!
I am sure it is part of our evolution, that some harmful moulds taste awful, while a mouldy cheese tastes wonderful (to me, at least;-)
Fortunately, I took the red pill, i.e. per Neo in the movie The Matrix. What's really going on is that fungal spores are in all of us, it's just a matter of how much. I had an illness called candidiasis, a fungal overgrowth in the body caused by too many antibiotics in a short period. There are doctors at the World Health Organization, who specify which flu vaccine we take here in the US, believe there is only one disease, fungal overgrowth, masquerading as many diseases, including cancer. As I though I'd die from this illnes, it takes courage to put diluted poisons into your body to fight them, as there aren't effective pharmaceuticals. But what a improved difference for me! We all should be adopting a lifestyle per the article that saved me, http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1661807
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThread didn't come through, google "Successfully Treating and Eliminating Systemic Candida" at curezone.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen low phytate crops were being developed I questioned many researchers relating to the fact , phytic acid is what PROTECTS a plant from aflatoxin , and so removing phytic acid may raise liver cancer rates due to the rise NOW in aflatoxin due to the lack of phytate.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"The effect of phytic (inositol phosphate) and linoleic acids on the biosynthesis of aflatoxin"
I received no answers to my queries.
Is the corn crop a phytate reduced crop ?
"Phytate-Reduced Maize"
According to Amanda Rose, Phytic Acid: good or bad? on Youtube, phytic acid can be either good or bad. My main point here is that I know fungus lives and metabolizes within the human body. I know that an acidic body is favorable to funji, so I'd rather not take phytic acid. I know fungus creates aflatoxin within my body, which most probably caused me considrable blurry vision for many years such that I had to stop working as an engineer. Unless one is trying to solve an undiagnosable illness, it's probably best not to take phytic acid. I prefer digestive enzymes to help destroy any aflatoxins in the food supply.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"I know that an acidic body is favorable to funji, so I'd rather not take phytic acid."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou believe phytate makes a body acidic ? Fungus is being treated with ciclopirox , an iron chelator which disallows fungus access to the iron.
"Chelation of intracellular iron with the antifungal agent ciclopirox olamine"
Phytate is an iron chelator which protects plants FROM aflatoxin so one might think refusing to eat anything with phytate may be predisposing oneself to fungal infection.
Where's the link to the scientific paper proving this? How come you think you can post these extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFrom wiki describing Ciclopirox: "A meta-analysis of the six trials of nail infections available in 2009 concluded that they provided evidence that topical ciclopiroxolamine had poor cure rates and that amorolfine might be substantially more effective, but more research was required."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've had much greater success with my nail fungus with North American Herb & Spice Oreganol™ Oil of Oregano P73 -- 1 fl oz from vitacost. The body doesn't reject food like this, as it does pharmaceuticals.
There is much that I've learned, and I see I cannot convince you of the basics, i.e. the systemic funji within us. It's an uphill battle which the Germans and Japanese are starting to win. Funji, - slow working insidious eukaryotics.
Actually, I found the paper for you:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Published online by the Journal of Geophysical Research, the four-year study roughly doubles most of the previous estimates of the warming that occurs when carbon particles absorb solar radiation, which heats the atmosphere and results in the melting of snow and ice. Black carbon’s impact on the climate is larger than that of methane and roughly two-thirds that of carbon dioxide, according to the study.
“This study suggests we should be putting even more effort into reducing black carbon pollution,” says Durwood Zaelke, who heads the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development in Washington DC. Although CO2 dominates the long-term effect, understanding the timescale is crucial, Zaelke says. “Reducing black carbon gives you immediate cooling.”
It's 2/3 of the short-term warming potential of CO2. Reducing black carbon helps over the next decade, but if we don't reduce CO2 emissions, all those gains will be swept under by the steadily increasing greenhouse warming. Bet you were planning on leaving out this little detail, so I included it for you.
Agreed, raising millions of acres of monocrops allows epidemics to rise up and spread out of our farms. Ireland was dependent on a small number of potato varieties and 1 fierce blight decimated their crops. This fungus finds it easier to spread for several reasons, one of them being the hot, dry conditions that our CO2 emissions are making more severe and more likely.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSeriously, your line of thinking about the potato famine is completely false. It's just like thinking that, since there have been forest fires for millions of years before humans evolved, there is no way arsonists or careless campers can start them today. A classic hasty generalization:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasty_generalization
As I said , the evidence , ciclopirox , an iron chelator , removes of iron from fungus which , coincidentally according to you , results in recovery , EVEN THOUGH research has shown phytate , another iron chelator , protects the plant from aflatoxin. I'm really not sure how you would attempt to convince me iron chelators don't work for fungus.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Iron can severely damage or destroy the whole mechanism of natural resistance, leading to rapid bacterial or fungal growth in tissue fluids."
Hi KSama, I agree that ciclopirox kills fungus, but funji and very resilient and come back. They hibernate in spores. I spent several months doing systemic chelation therapy without seeing much improvement in fungal symptoms. Using the methods from curezone, I've had these improvements: elimination of hip and knee arthritis, improved heart left ventricale ejection fraction from 45 to greater than 58%, oxygen level in blood from mid 80's to 100 % (SPO2), and recently the ability to run 3 to 5 miles a day, hopefully marathon train again. If you'd like to learn more, please look into Bill from Phillpines at curezone. I think we agree - my comment about taking phytic acid increases body acidity was absolutely in error.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this------> but fungi are very resilient and come back.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo how can those of us who eat lots of popcorn tell in the bag is contaminated? I've recently tasted mold in several bags of Act II popcorn. Any hints?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou are the one who makes extraordinary claims blaming CO2 as THE culprit with in your view other players being minor to insignificant.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.nature.com/news/soot-a-major-contributor-to-climate-change-1.12225
The contribution of ordinary soot to global warming is much higher than previously thought, according to a comprehensive new assessment, which ranks so-called “black carbon” second only to carbon dioxide in terms of its warming impact on the current climate.
Released online Tuesday by the Journal of Geophysical Research, the four-year study roughly doubles most previous estimates of the warming that occurs when carbon particles absorb solar radiation, heating the atmosphere as well as melting snow and ice. Black carbon’s impact on climate is larger than that of methane and roughly two-thirds that of carbon dioxide, the principle greenhouse gas, according to the study.
Hi JRWermuth - It's just too difficult to know what is in everything we are eating and exposed to. I just assume I'm getting the bad stuff in me, and if I am in any way symptomatic I take steps, i.e. oil pulling every morning to rid my blood of possible poisons. On any given day, the obituaries have about 15% under age 60 who die. I think I improve my odds greatly by doing on-line research, it takes time to sift through it all and create valid believable opinions, opnons that challenge current medical thinking.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor years you have been adamant that CO2 was causing global warming. When others, including myself, challenged you, saying that there could be other significant contributors, you have always scoffed at the idea. as far as you were concerned, the science was done & dusted. Now you have proof from a source you often quote, that indeed they claim there is another significant contributor. now are you going to claim again there is nothing else or are you going to concede that perhaps there could be an as yet unexplained other phenomenon at play. I still think the sun has a much larger role than CO2. Scoff all you like. this latest development blows a massive hole in your previous claims & rehems of Evidence, PEER REVIEWED' no less.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSo is there an effective way to treat affected produce? If we are to live with this might it be better to work on a solution rather than making many irrelevant comments?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thissomething really needs to be done about Brazil nuts. I have noticed that in a can of mixed nuts, about half of the Brazil nuts taste really bad like mold. Whoever is in charge of monitoring imported Brazil nuts is doing a horrible job. I would be willing to bet that the majoriy of Brazil nuts in the US are over the 20 parts per billion allowable aflatoxin level.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIsn't it true that in 20,000 years or less, the earth will enter another ice age, with mile high ice where NYC is? If so, how significant is global warming?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf the fungus growth and global warming are tied together, then find a solution to the fungus growth problem. Global warming is with us and here to stay. Just ask the people in Wisconsin. They want warmer winters. Period.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEl Dono - Finding a solution to fungus growth is very difficult. Fungi's job in nature is to decompose and recycle, including us. Recently fungi has been discovered in Ecuador that will decompose polyurethane, i.e plastic gallon milk containers, which were previously though to take hundreds of years to decompose. I developed a medical condition, caused by too many anti-bacterial antibiotics, that allowed fungi to invade parts of my body, and it's real difficult and dangerous to get rid of. Modern medicine couldn't even tell me it was present, let alone how to get rid of it. Fungi have been here on earth at least one billion years, the their record of how to survive lots of dangers is contained in their cell nucleus, which virus and bacteria don't have. They are dimorphic, which means they change form such that any threat, i.e. say some kink of anti-fungal medicine, becomes harmless to them in their new form. Also called pleomorphism.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this15. sault
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisin reply to Carlyle
11:46 AM 1/16/13...Writes...
...It's 2/3 of the short-term warming potential of CO2. Reducing black carbon helps over the next decade, but if we don't reduce CO2 emissions, all those gains will be swept under by the steadily increasing greenhouse warming. Bet you were planning on leaving out this little detail, so I included it for you....
The difference is that carbon particles (soot) and their effects are reproducible. Whereas the purported effects of CO2 scattering a couple of specific frequencies of infra red are highly speculative. Note I used the word scattered. That is because that small portion of affected infra red is neither absorbed nor entirely reflected and trapped.
There is no explanation that can be advanced to justify the prominence attached to CO2 as a forcing agent other than everything else is so finely balanced that the environment is a mere house of cards requiring the tiniest nudge to completely collapse.
Other much larger fluctuating agents are dismissed as being of no interest. A short list of such agents includes, but is not limited to, solar luminescence and radiation, geomagnetic flux, water vapor, aerosols etc.
I left out cloud cover which everyone can experience in their daily lives as having a readily observable impact on temperature and being highly variable. Of course we can`t express clouds mathematically nor can we measure their volume. We just know that its effect is obviously really, really, really big.
Of course we ignore them all except CO2 because their readily apparent impact doesn`t support reorganizing all of current society`s socio-economic arrangements along certain preferred lines.
Whereas with CO2 ..well luckily we have the U.N. and related agencies to tell us who should prosper and who should be punished for having supposedly created the assumed problem.
Gee - it is survival of the fitest folks! Some of you need to die to get the planet population under control (re: Georgia Guidestones, Bilderbergs, Japanese Prime Minister's recent rant, etc.). Aspergillus spores are ALL AROUND US, in all of it's many species.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://blackmold.awardspace.com/aspergillus.html
Like penicillin, BEANO is manufactured from the black aspergillus niger mold that occurs on produce. Some people may have an allergic reaction to aspergillus, though that occurs from breathing it, not from swallowing it. What's so valuable about this mold is the enzyme alpha galactosidase, which works in your digestive system to help break down complex sugars in healthy foods such as legumes, cruciferous vegetables and whole-grain bread. When those sugars ferment, they can cause painful gas, but this enzyme prevents that foul fermentation, as long as you take Beano before you eat the offending food. Molds, fungi, pollen, dust, the air is teeming with them - get used to it or die.
Rick, Very informative info, Thank You. I'd just add that we should start the fight against fungi overgrowing within us, and by doing so we'll live a longer active life. However, I believe that one never wins the fight, eventually the fungi decompose all including us. To enter the battle against fungi overgrowth within us: http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1661807
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou're all wrong. It's the sequester.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this