philips biology blog: 2011

Monday, May 9, 2011

Biosolids: The Truth Behind the Poop

Biosolids: What are they? To get straight to the point, it is whatever you can drop down the drain, but contrary to popular belief it's not the end of the road. Humans are no strangers to using animal by-products as fertilizers for crops so why is the use of human wastes such a big deal? are there some unknown facts the government is hiding, or is it all blown out of proportion by enviornment friendly organizations?

Yeah, sure.

A report written by the Division of Environment Epidemiology says that the main risk is that biosolids hold pathogens. Pathogens are microscopic parasites and viruses that can infect and harm plants and animals. These microbes have been found in sewage wastes and if not treated properly will end up on crop lands and in our food supplies. The second danger is that inorganic chemicals like arsenic and mercury as well as organic chemicals like suficants and flame retartants from people pouring products down the drain could potentially contaminate the plants using biosolids and make them unknowingly dangerous for people. Third, is the detection of persistent organic pollutants which can potentially dangerous because it can add up in soils for very long periods of time and make the soil toxic. Finally critics say that although there hasn't been a documented case, there is a possibility for radioactive wastes to enter the sewer systems and in turn, enter the biosolid process.

A little fun fact here: Ontario has been using biosolids for fertilization since the 1970's. Before it ends up on what is essentially your breakfast, a Government and Environment Ministry, covered by the Ontario Nutrient Management Act monitors the safe, proper treatment and distribution of biosolids on crops. Sewage plants are required to test for metals, bacteria and harmful organic materials. Some facilities don't test certain risk because there is either no health risk to check for or they do not even have a method to test or a system to check how dangerous, an example would be pharmaceuticals.

As of now there has not been a documented case of health problems or any severe environmental damage in Canada or the United States. As quoted by Eileen Smith, from the Ministry of the Environment regarding the effects of biosolids: "There hasn't been any harm to human health or the environment" after a team tested plots of land that used biosolids for seven years.

Companies have been constantly trying to make biosolids safer and have promised environment agencies that they will look for solutions for problems they hope will never happen. So, if companies are solving problems biosolids don't even have yet, why are we so worried? Who cares what was used to help your breakfast bagel grow, our first and only concern is "Is what I am eating safe?" The answer will always be yes, Bon Appetit!

Sources
http://www.biosolids.com/Headlines/archives/000533.shtml
http://cropsoil.psu.edu/extension/esi/biosolids-use
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/nm/nasm/sewbiobroch.htm
http://www.thestar.com/article/459347
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/epidemiology/DEE/documents/Biosolidsfinal.pdf

Comments

http://ankerlovesbio.blogspot.com/2011/04/biosolids-ew-but-wait.html?showComment=1304951874906#c4942503320099688406
http://bioblog-erica.blogspot.com/2011/04/biosolids-are-used-as-fertilizers.html?showComment=1304949872761#c3692484478014538440

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Medical Technology: Always On The Move

Throughout the history of mankind, we have always wondered what goes on inside our bodies. Way back in the 1500's Leonardo DaVinci set our understanding of anatomy in motion with his anatomy drawings of the body. It wasn't until 1895 when the X-Ray was invented when we could actually look beyond the skin and see inside a living human being. Now in modern day hospitals, there are a wide variety of tools that doctors can use to diagnose and treat different health problems. We can access images of the internal body systems that many believed were not possible.

The CT and MRI are not really new technologies (invented in 1972 and 1973) but they are invaluable sources of detailed internal images of our body. CT and MRI scanners use X-Ray and radio waves to look into the depths of our internal structures and a technician can identify a wide variety of internal problems,from internal bleeding to broken bones to cancers and tumors, they all can be quickly and accurately observed for rapid treatment. With these scanners they remove the need for operations to reveal internal problems. because they are non-invasive forms of observation. CT and MRI Scanners technology has been constantly been improved since it's invention to provide safer and more comfortable service for the patient and will continue to play a major part in hospitals and rapid patient assessment.

Not all medical technology is as impressive as the MRI and CT scanners, in fact just as important medical improvements have been on the small side. The external artificial pacemakers was developed by Canadian John Hopps in 1950 and was improved to be an internal device in 1958. These little guys help keep the beat when the heart becomes weaker and cannot keep up with the demands of the body. A pacemaker works by monitoring your heart rate with sensors, when the heart is needed to speed up or slow down, the pacemaker sends an electronic impulse to an electrode on the heart which causes the heart to contract. Newer pacemakers even monitor your body temperature and breathing and adjust to what ever demands are required for the heart, so a patient isn't restricted from physical activities.

The Smart Pill and Gut Bot have been introduced as new ways to study the digestive system. Both can be swallowed by a patient and use cameras and sensors to measure variables like pH level, temperature and pressure inside the gastrointestinal tract. The pills can send information to the doctor or it can preform small tasks like release drugs, or remove cells for study. The research team behind the Gut Bot is also confident that in the future the robot will be able to use lasers and treat internal injuries.

As we continue on the road of constant technological advances, our understanding of ourselves have been greatly affected. As new developments come in, you can help but wonder, what will tomorrow bring?

Sources

http://www.canhealth.com/News928.html

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/ct_scan/article_em.htm

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=46&HistoryID=aa05&gtrack=pthc
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pace/pace_howdoes.html

http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=headct

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414131652.htm
http://www.smartpillcorp.com/index.cfm?pagepath=Products/The_SmartPill_Capsule&id=17814
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/17470/?mod=related&a=f
http://technologyreview.com/biomedicine/21153/?a=f

Comments

http://bridgettebioblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/technology-whats-in-it-for-you.html?showComment=1303911834605#c64528249182794525

http://sbi3u1carminachu.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-technology-to-understand.html?showComment=1303912539685#c4218968294606665290

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Genetically Enhanced Agriculture - A Step Forward for Humanity or a Step Back for Ecology?

We live on a planet that could be in major trouble in the future. Our population is rapidly growing, so quickly that scientists have suggested that our agricultural industry will not have a chance to produce enough food to feed many parts of the world unless we modernize agricultural methods. If we hope to avoid such problems, it might be very possible that our future food supplies will come from genetically modified foods and industrial agricultural methods.

Genetically modified foods are becoming a increasing force in industrial agriculture. Micro-biologists have been constantly improving this new technology to make foods have more desired qualities like higher productivity, richer in vitamins and minerals as well as resistant to pests and survive in harsher climates. A good example is Golden rice: It was created to provide villagers of poorer areas of Asia more nutrients, vitamins and minerals because the wild rice that was grown did not provide these things for them. However there is alot of controversy toward GM foods, a study by the AAEM suggested that eating GM foods might result in health problems like aging and weakened immune systems, aswell as possible environmental damage from GM plants being able to breed. Genetic modification is heavily mandated by the government and only products that are 100% safe are available for purchase, in fact almost 65% of all food products bought have some trace of genetic modification inside. If we support GM foods and products it might be able to support the future population of Earth while being safe and responsible at the same time.

Industrial agriculture also seems to be the solution to our food shortages. Using the benefits of GM technology, it uses sophisticated technologies to improve productivity and collect as much out of what little we have. Many argue that with agriculture being industrialized, we are destroying the environment and diversity. Corporations may force people to leave their homes in order to gain productive lands like when indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico were forced to leave their lands and settle in infertile lands. Besides physical destruction of enviorments, the large amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used leach into the soil and natural water bodies spreading the destruction and ecological devastation.

Is industrial agriculture a prime place to get our food supplies? In the past we have been careless to the environment and if we continue to use very dangerous methods in our agriculture we will not only harm the ecosystems but potentially ourselves. We need to look at how we currently farm and change our methods to safer and more responsible ways. If other industries like automotive and power generation are going green, why isn't our agricultural industry doing the same?