Staff Reporter

Statement on new rules to reduce harborcraft pollution

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Statement of Coalition for Clean Air Policy Director Bill Magavern on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approving rules to reduce pollution from harborcraft:

“Today the California Air Resources Board adopted new standards for reducing emissions from harbor boats like tugboats and ferries. Coalition for Clean Air thanks the Board and staff, as well as our advocate allies, for this public health protection, which is estimated to save over 500 lives. Commercial harbor craft are small in number but significant in their damaging impact on community health. Their toxic diesel emissions cause cancer and increase lung-searing smog, with the impacts especially pronounced on low-income communities of color near ports. Today’s measure is one in a series that CARB is planning to reduce toxic diesel exhaust, California’s single worst source of air pollution. We look forward to working with CARB later this year on measures to cut diesel emissions from trucks and locomotives.”

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We Could Prevent Future Pandemics By Switching On A New Type Of Light

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

A couple of years ago, close to the beginning of the pandemic, a certain President of a certain country announced something that left the world baffled.

“Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous – whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light,” he suggested to the team of physicians tasked with combatting the spread of COVID-19. “I think you said that hasn’t been checked but you’re going to test it.”

Well, forget everything he said after that point, but on this at least it turns out Trump was … almost kind of right? A new paper, published this week in the journal Scientific Reports, has found that filling a room with a special type of ultraviolet light can reduce the presence of microbes in the air by up to 98 percent – effectively making the indoors as safe as outdoors in terms of person-to-person virus transmission.

“Our trials produced spectacular results, far exceeding what is possible with ventilation alone,” Dr Kenneth Wood, senior author of the study, said in a statement. “In terms of preventing airborne disease transmission, far-UVC lights could make indoor places as safe as being outside on the golf course on a breezy day at St. Andrews.”

But what exactly is this “far-UVC” light? Perhaps surprisingly, it’s a technology with more than a century of history behind it: UVC light, which has shorter wavelengths and higher photonic energy than both its UVA and UVB brethren, was first used for sterilization purposes back in 1878. In 1903, using UVC light to treat disease won Niels Ryberg Finsen a Nobel Prize, and it has been used to disinfect water supplies around the world since 1910.

So why haven’t we been using this miracle light all along? Well, here’s the thing: you know how UVA and UVB light – also known as “the stuff that gets beamed down to us from the sun” – can literally give you second degree burns if you stay out in it for too long? Well, UVC light is even worse.

“UVC radiation can cause severe burns of the skin and eye injuries (photokeratitis),” warns the FDA.

“Avoid direct skin exposure to UVC radiation and never look directly into a UVC light source, even briefly … [eye injury] can occur after a very short exposure (seconds to minutes) to UVC radiation.”

In other words, lighting a room with UVC light would probably result in everybody inside getting horribly burned and going temporarily blind. Which, nasty though COVID is, is probably not ideal.

That’s where far-UVC light comes in. About a decade ago, scientists at Columbia University proposed that UVC light could be heavily filtered so that only the lowest wavelengths were beamed out. They hoped that this filtered UVC, or “far-UVC,” would be able to hit the sweet spot of powerful enough to kill bacteria, but not so powerful that it gives people burns or cancer.

Amazingly, it worked – but until very recently, the new study explains, only in lab conditions. The team wanted to see whether far-UVC light would be a viable solution in the real world – could its disinfectant properties take on a busy room with people coming and going, for example, or was it only suitable for sterilizing petri dishes?

So they set up an experiment: they sprayed aerosolized Staphylococcus aureus into a room-sized chamber and switched on the far-UVC lamps. The chamber had a ventilation rate similar to a typical office or home, but the germs continued to be sprayed throughout the experiment.

The results were amazing: not only did the far-UVC light neutralize nearly all of the virus particles in the chamber, but it took just five minutes to do so. Compared to other ways of disinfecting indoor spaces, the researchers pointed out, this puts far-UVC light at more than nine times as effective at clearing virus particles from the air.

“Far-UVC rapidly reduces the amount of active microbes in the indoor air to almost zero, making indoor air essentially as safe as outdoor air,” said study co-author David Brenner. “Using this technology in locations where people gather together indoors could prevent the next potential pandemic.”

The best part? Far-UVC light isn’t just a cheap and easy way of killing coronavirus: it’s a cheap and easy way of killing a whole host of viruses and bacteria – including ones we haven’t even heard of yet.

“Previous studies have shown that far-UVC light can kill the COVID virus, other human coronaviruses, influenza, and drug-resistant bacteria,” explained Brenner. “What’s particularly attractive about far-UVC technology … is that it will be equally good at inactivating all future COVID variants, as well as new infectious viruses that have yet to emerge, while retaining efficacy against ‘old fashioned’ viruses like influenza and measles.”

And because of the way far-UVC light kills the microbes, it’s impossible for them to gain resistance to them – so there’s no risk of us bringing about any new superbugs like we did with antibiotics. It is essentially, the researchers explain, completely future-proof.

“Far-UVC light is simple to install, it’s inexpensive, it doesn’t need people to change their behavior,” said Brenner. “[A]bove all it’s a safe way to prevent the transmission of any virus, including the COVID virus and its variants, as well as influenza and also any potential future pandemic viruses.”

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Pa mai: We must take better care of our water

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

“The Mana of the river and Mana Whenua suffer due to a legacy of poor management, mainly over-abstraction of groundwater and illegal diversion of the river”.

On Thursday morning we woke up to the news that Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa and Ngati Porou was flooded and roads blocked including Napier to Wairoa roads, isolating Gisborne and Wairoa.

This brought in the focus about the issues of the Three Waters reform – Three Waters that this Government is pursuing and my role in being on the national working group.

In our history and tradition, we ask three important questions when we meet for the first time or when we introduce anything new into our communities or into our whānau.

Those questions are Ko wai? nō wai? and mō wai?. The most visible portrayal of these three questions is when opening a new whare, but it’s also intrinsic in our greeting of each other.

Ko wai? Means who are you? What is your whakapapa? What are the wai or the waters that birthed you? What is your matriarchal lineage? Whose womb did you emerge from? What is your whakapapa on your mother’s side and your father’s side? Who are your grandparents? And what is your name?.

Suddenly we start to lock a person into a tapestry of whānau, especially back to parents and grandparents and tipuna. From this question, we start making connections.

No wai? Means where are you from? Which waters sustained your whānau, your hapū, your iwi and your waka? What was the spring, the lake, the river or the seas that sustained your community?. From there we start connecting the personal whakapapa to a place and a time that we can all connect back to.

The third question is mō wai? Based on your watery origins, the question asks what you stand for and asks how you will protect these waters that you move through your life and asks how you will pass on your legacy to the next generation through the womb of the mother to the womb of the land Papatuanuku, to the wombs of the future.

Ko wai? nō wai? mō wai?

My participation in the Three Waters national group has been to ask these questions of ourselves as a country as these are the initial three waters that we as Māori subscribe to and we are kaitiaki of.

As we track our way through the Pacific and into Asia we find there’s a resonance throughout these Islands and throughout these continents. Hawaiki for example has the word ‘awa’/river in it.

Savaii in Samoa has ‘ava’ and ‘vai’ which is water. Hawaii also has awa and in Indonesia they have Java which has their version of water ‘ava’. In Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo they have ‘awa’.

So we see that we can run but we can’t hide from our whakapapa and our duty to protect through kaitiakitanga, the waters of yesterday, the waters of our nannies, the waters of our hapū and generations yet to come.

We also need to protect our rivers, our underground water sources, our springs and our marine environments. We must protect our waters for the wellbeing of all humanity. That’s our job as Ngāti Kahungunu. It’s reflected in hapū whakapapa and hapū origins.

For example, Mangaroa, Korongata, Matariki, all have their origins in the stars, the Milky Way which we also refer to as Te Awa o Te Atua which is the name of the land bocks through Bridge Pa and Paki Paki.

Our duty to protect not just three waters but all the waters is indelible in our whakapapa as in Kahungunu. We must ensure the right of all people to have pure drinking water without chemicals or pollutants.

We must ensure the mauri of rivers is maintained to a healthy standard for fish and plant life as well as health and recreation and also to ensure there’s enough quantity for economic purposes.

We must ensure that wastewater and stormwater are treated before they’re discharged into our marine environments.

The floods are reminders to us from the gods of yesterday that we haven’t been good stewards of our waters and we have to lift our game.

Ko wai, nō wai, mō wai, these are the questions.

Tihei Kahungunu, Mauri Ora Takitimu.

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Tips You Need When Cooking With An Electric Stove

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

One of the main differences between electric and gas stoves is how quickly they change temperature. With a gas stove, if you notice something is about to boil over or burn and you turn the stove down accordingly, the change happens quite fast. The flame instantly goes down, and since there’s some airspace between the bottom of your pot and the heat source, extra residual heat leaks away swiftly (via Cook’s Illustrated).

On an electric stove, if you turn the heat down, nothing happens at first. The coils (or glass surface, depending on what kind of stove you’re using) stay hot for a while even after you turn the burner down. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that the extra heat has nowhere to go but into your pan, as your pan is actually touching the burner.

To avoid scorched eggs or a stovetop covered in over-boiled rice water, use the two-burner method. Either keep a second burner preheated to a lower temperature, or just move your pan to a burner that’s turned off while you wait for the hot burner to cool down. This way, you can replicate the near-instant heat loss a gas stove provides.

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Poultry farmers encouraged to protect their flock from HPAI – Jamestown Sun

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a disease that is carried by wild birds and affects domestic poultry. With more than 19 million birds in flight and spring migration currently underway, now is the time for poultry farmers to ramp up biosecurity efforts.

“A total of eight positive cases have been confirmed in South Dakota since March 6,” says Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. “The risk for more infected birds will increase as migratory birds start returning to the area.”

“HPAI does not pose a risk to the public, and there is no food safety concern for consumers,” says Meehan. “Poultry testing positive for HPAI are prohibited by law from entering the marketplace.”

One of the first clinical signs is sudden, unexplained death. Most HPAI cases are reporting a decline in water consumption up to 72 hours prior to the unexplained death. Decreased egg production and depression in layers may be another sign that birds are not feeling well. Purple or dry combs, being quieter than normal, frequent laying down and swelling around eyes are other symptoms birds may experience. Chickens and turkeys are most susceptible to HPAI while waterfowl such as geese and ducks carry the virus and spread it to other birds.

“The best defense against HPAI is having a biosecurity plan in place,” says Mary Keena, NDSU Extension livestock environmental management specialist. “It is your job as a flock owner to create a line of separation between your clean flock and the potential unclean issues that wildlife or visitors may bring.”

The biosecurity practices to consider implementing if you have domesticated birds are:

Reduce the attractiveness for wild birds to stop at your place by cleaning up litter and spilled feed around poultry housing areas.
If you have free range guinea fowl and waterfowl, consider bringing them into coops or flight pens under nets to prevent interaction of domesticated poultry with wild birds and their droppings.
Non-lethal methods to deter wild bird are available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Damage webpage:
https://bit.ly/35bZkmU

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Small songbirds are low risk for spreading the disease.
Do not walk through or drive trucks, tractors or equipment through areas where waterfowl or other wildlife feces may be. If you cannot avoid this, clean your shoes, vehicles and equipment thoroughly to prevent transferring disease to your flock.
If visitors will be interacting with your birds, make sure you know where they have been, require them to wash their hands and ensure their clothes and footwear are clean and disinfected.
Think carefully before visiting swaps, fairs and exhibitions where birds are co-mingled, shown or sold. If you go, take extra precautions before returning home to your flock. Shower, change clothes, and clean and disinfect footwear before returning to your poultry housing areas.

If you would like to receive updates on the status of HPAI in your area, complete the voluntary North Dakota Poultry Survey at

https://bit.ly/3IvXLhj

More information about biosecurity can be found on the USDA Defend the Flock Resource Center webpage:

https://bit.ly/3NmdtiE

Report sick birds to your local veterinarian. If you do not have a local veterinarian for your flock, contact the North Dakota State Veterinarian’s office at 701-328-2655.

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Does Air Pollution Cause Lung Cancer?

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Lung cancer can happen to anyone, but the vast majority (about 90 percent) of lung cancer cases are due to smoking. Exposure to radon, a naturally existing radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Less commonly, lung cancer can also be a result of air pollution — the addition of harmful substances into the air. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared that outdoor air pollution is a Group 1 carcinogen.

Particulate matter, also known as particle pollution, was most closely associated with increased cancer risk. Particle pollution refers to a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air we breathe.

In the United States, about 1 to 2 percent of lung cancer cases result from air pollution. Read on to learn about particle pollution and how it can increase your risk of developing lung cancer.

Over time, breathing in small particles released into the air can lead to cancer. Small particles can get trapped in the lungs. A buildup of these particles can cause damage to the cells of the lungs, leading to inflammation.

Inflammation over long periods of time can cause changes in how these cells replicate.

Research is ongoing, but a 2014 study suggests that long-term exposure to air pollution can cause damage to DNA, mutations, and altered gene expression. These changes may cause the cells of the lungs to grow uncontrollably.

Research has also shown air pollution to contribute to other health conditions, such as:

Air pollution is a complex mixture of particulate matter and gases produced by industrial and commercial activities, and different types of transportation like buses, trains, airplanes, and cars.

Many different types of air pollutants are linked to cancer. But according to the WHO, particulate matter is most closely associated with cancer. Particulate matter refers to a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles that are suspended in the air.

Particulate matter could be present in both indoor and outdoor air. These particles are typically very small, so you can’t see the individual particles. You can only see the haze that forms when millions of particles distort the sunlight.

Outdoor air pollutants

Examples of outdoor air pollutants include:

particles from wildfires
black carbon emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuels
nitrate particles from motor vehicle exhaust
sulfur dioxide emitted by large, coal-fired power plants
ozone (also called smog)
carbon monoxide from burning fuels

Indoor air pollutants

Indoor pollutants could arise from using open fires or traditional stoves for cooking, heating, lighting in the household, and other sources.

In developing countries, women and children in particular experience the highest exposure to air pollutants in their own homes, according to the WHO. This is because they spend the most time near the home’s cooking area.

Examples of indoor air pollutants include:

solid fuels, such as wood and charcoal, coal, or kerosene, for cooking
asbestos
radon
lead
carbon monoxide
tobacco smoke

Anyone who lives where particle pollution levels are high is at risk.

People living in low- and middle-income countries, as defined by the WHO, disproportionately shoulder the burden of outdoor air pollution, especially people living in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions. Many of these sources of air pollution are beyond the control of individuals.

The following factors increase your likelihood of developing lung cancer from air pollution:

living in a city, especially near heavily trafficked roads
frequent exposure to dust and fumes at work
exposure to asbestos at work
smoking
breathing in second-hand smoke
a family history of lung cancer
a personal history of lung cancer
previous radiation therapy to the chest

In addition, a new report from the American Lung Association found that People of Color were 61 percent more likely to live in a U.S. county with unhealthy air than white people.

Keep in mind that lung cancer cases may be attributed to more than one risk factor at the same time.

Research suggests that exposure to air pollution can increase lung cancer mortality for people who already have lung cancer.

For example, one large population-based study of over 350,000 people who received a diagnosis of lung cancer found lower survival rates linked with higher average exposure to air pollution.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself from indoor air pollution:

Reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarettes. Smokers should go outside to smoke, well away from windows.
Avoid burning wood and coal to heat your home and cook.
Test your home for radon levels. If radon levels are high, contact a licensed professional to install a radon reduction system.

It’s not always possible to protect yourself from outdoor air pollution, but here are a few things you can try:

Avoid or limit your time outdoors on days when air quality is poor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses an air quality index (AQI) to determine when air quality in a particular area is considered unhealthy or hazardous. Air quality forecasts and real-time air quality data can be found on the EPA’s AirNow Website.
Plan your walk, run, or bike ride for times when traffic is less busy and use routes that avoid busier roads.
When driving on busy roads, keep the car’s ventilation setting to “recirculate.”
Avoid burning wood or trash in your yard.
Avoid idling vehicles, especially with diesel engines.
Live in areas with low levels of air pollution. Of course, this isn’t always realistic.

Clean air is a human right.

To reduce outdoor air pollution, industries will need to invest in clean technologies to reduce smokestack emissions and improve waste management. Cities will need to invest in rapid urban transit, and walking and cycling networks that help reduce the number of cars on the road, among other measures.

Investments in renewable power sources like solar, wind, or hydropower can also help lower air pollution. You can do your part by calling members of Congress or your local government to protect our health from air pollution.

Lung cancer is the top cause of cancer death in the United States. While there’s an established and concerning link between air pollution and lung cancer, active smoking is still responsible for most lung cancer cases.

Exposure to particulate matter accounts for just a small percentage of lung cancer cases. Some people are at a higher risk, especially people who live in areas with higher levels of air pollution.

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EPA WIFIA Annual Report Celebrates over $5 Billion in Water Infrastructure Loans

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

New interactive tool details investments made in communities across the country.

March 24, 2022

WASHINGTON (March 24, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the 2021 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Annual Report. The report highlights the program’s 2021 investments in water infrastructure to protect public health and the environment, create good-paying jobs, and save communities money over alternative financing options.

“The WIFIA program has been an incredible success, providing more than $5 billion in water infrastructure funding in 2021 to save communities $1.5 billion while creating nearly 40,000 jobs,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The WIFIA program, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the agency’s other water infrastructure funding programs are building a better America by securing clean and safe water for all.”

In 2021, the WIFIA program closed 31 loans totaling over $5 billion to support nearly $12 billion in water infrastructure projects. At the same time, borrowers saved $1.5 billion and created nearly 40,000 jobs. The WIFIA program continues to broaden its reach by increasing the number of loans to borrowers with lower-rated credit, small communities, and underserved communities. Looking forward, the program has nearly 90 projects requesting over $14 billion in funding.

Additionally, to provide real time information about the WIFIA program, EPA is launching the WIFIA Fund Facts dashboard. This interactive web-based tool includes graphics and facts about closed and pending loans. Users can filter the data to get information by loan size, project type, geographic location, and loan status.

For more information about the WIFIA program, visit: WIFIA.

To access the WIFIA Fund Facts dashboard, visit: WIFIA Fund Facts Dashboard.

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. Since inception, EPA has closed 72 WIFIA loans that are investing approximately $13.3 billion in communities across the country to protect public health and the environment while creating over 81,000 jobs.

The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.

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5 Ways to Improve Water Quality in Schools

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Water quality is a key component to a healthy school. Here are 5 ways to improve water quality and provide better access for students and staff.

Northampton, MA –News Direct– Delos

Delos: Boy with water bottle.

By REGINA VAICEKONYTE

Ensuring students, teachers and staff have access to good quality water, especially clean drinking water, is a crucial component of a healthy school. This article explores why water quality and access is important, and identifies three key issues many schools around the nation currently face. We also provide five measures schools can take to address these issues.

Water Is an Essential Building Block of Life

Access to water that is free of inorganic, organic, and biological contaminants is essential for maintaining optimal health. Humans are mostly made of water – in fact, water comprises over 50% of an adult’s body weight. However, water is vulnerable to pollution that can harm our health as well as the environment. These contaminants, especially in high doses, can be toxic and impair health and overall quality of life.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) allows the EPA to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against water contamination. However, the EPA estimates that approximately 98,000 public schools (grades K-12) and 500,000 child care facilities are not regulated under the SDWA. Testing drinking water quality is a voluntary decision, and many unregulated schools and child care facilities may not be testing it.

Sources of Water Contamination

Even today, with our advanced treatment technologies, it is still challenging to ensure that everyone has access to water that is free of contaminants. For one thing, conventional water treatment systems do not always remove contaminants effectively. Furthermore, in addition to pollution from industry and agriculture, the treatment and distribution systems meant to keep drinking water safe can also be potential sources of contamination, as pollutants can be introduced through these water distribution infrastructures. Finally, because scientific knowledge concerning new water contaminants and safe exposure levels is always evolving, it is challenging for regulations to keep pace.

Story continues

Americans Face Ongoing Water Challenges

Despite the fact that water quality in the U.S. is quite good compared to many other countries, there are still many risks for contamination. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. drinking water infrastructure a “D” grade in 2017, citing its aging and deteriorating infrastructure, and the EPA estimates that over $743 billion are needed for nationwide water infrastructure improvements. In fact, each year since 1982, up to 28% of Americans have been affected by water that is in violation of SDWA health-based water quality standards set by the EPA.

Common Water Quality and Access Issues in Schools

Lack of Access to Clean Drinking Water

Access to clean drinking water is crucial in helping students increase their water consumption and maintain hydration throughout the day. While important in maintaining good physical health, adequate hydration may also improve cognitive function in students. One study found that being dehydrated by just 2% (classified as mild to moderate dehydration) can impair performance in tasks that require attention, psychomotor, and immediate memory skills. Another study, conducted among students, aged 9-11 in South Italy, Sardina, found that 84% of students were in a state of mild dehydration at the beginning of the school day. As levels of dehydration increased, students’ short-term memory also decreased.

While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program to make free drinking water available to students during meal service, many schools still lack readily available, clean drinking water. Studies show that accessibility issues can arise due to an inadequate number or poor placement of drinking fountains, broken or poorly maintained water fountains, and poor water quality.

A 2016 study conducted in 59 middle schools and high schools in Massachusetts found that less than half of the schools met the federal Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act requirement for free water access during lunch. Slightly more than half (59%) met the Massachusetts state plumbing code, which specifies the minimum number of water sources per a given number of students. While schools, on average, provided at least 1 water source per 75 students, within each school almost a third of these water sources were broken or appeared unclean.

Lead

Water pipes are often made from lead, which can leach into water if the pipes are corroded. Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels compared to adults. Low levels of lead exposure have been linked to behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, and anemia among children; in rare cases, exposure can also cause seizures, coma, and even death.

Based on available data from 12 states, a report conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California found that 12% (57,152) of all water samples tested had lead concentrations at or above the states’ action level, and 44% (4,777) of schools tested had one or more water samples at or above the states’ action level.

Bacterial Contaminants

Regular water use helps prevent water stagnation by bringing in new water, along with disinfectant substances. However, many school buildings are experiencing prolonged periods of low-to-no water use due to various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns. Furthermore, most schools do not check or flush their water pipes regularly, which helps remove stagnant water from the interior pipes. Stagnant water can increase the risk for growth and spread of harmful bacteria, which may make the water supply unsafe to drink or use.

In August 2020, five schools in Ohio and four schools in Pennsylvania detected Legionella in their water supply. Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires disease — a type of severe pneumonia — if small water droplets containing the bacteria become aerosolized and are inhaled.

5 Ways to Improve Water Quality and Access in Schools

1. Regular Water Quality Testing

Conducting regular water quality testing is essential to ensuring students’ access to safe drinking water. Twenty-four U.S. states and the District of Columbia had lead testing programs for school drinking water as of 2018.

2. Regular Maintenance

Ensure that drinking water access points (such as water fountains) are well maintained and cleaned regularly. This helps to reduce possible bacterial contamination and also makes drinking water stations more appealing to students.

3. Filtration

Filtration is one of the most effective treatment methods for mitigating water quality concerns. Different types of filters are designed for different types of contaminants. For example, activated carbon filters target chemicals, while kinetic degradation fluxion (KDF) filters help reduce dissolved metals. In addition, water filters differ in terms of their placement and can be installed either at point-of-entry (POE; meant to treat all the water that comes into the building) or point-of-use (POU; meant to treat water that comes out from a specific location). Water filters should be selected based on the specific water quality concerns in a given school.

4. Water Softening

“Hard water,” or water that contains excessive minerals such as calcium, can sometimes taste “off”. This can discourage children from drinking enough water. Water softeners that filter out these minerals can help improve the taste and appearance of water.

5. Improving Access

It is important to ensure that clean, free drinking water is readily available to students throughout the school. Every school has unique water accessibility needs, so administrators must assess the state, district, and school water policies related to water access in addition to their current school water environment. Schools can help improve water access by installing more water fountains, water coolers, water bottle refilling stations, and other clean drinking water sources. Students tend to drink more water when cups are provided, so schools may consider promoting refillable water bottles and offering cups for students who do not have refillable water bottles.

Delos Water Filtration Solutions

Protecting students, teachers and staff from water contaminants and ensuring that they are adequately hydrated throughout the day must be a key consideration for school administrators as they work to create a healthier school environment. Many schools have focused primarily on indoor air quality and sanitation measures, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however school administrators must not overlook the importance of water quality and access. Contact us to see how our water quality solutions can work for your school(s).

For more information on indoor environmental factors that affect student health, well-being and performance, and steps that schools can take to address these factors, make sure to check out our white paper, Healthy Learning Environments.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Delos on 3blmedia.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/delos-5-ways-to-improve-water-quality-in-schools-868686510

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Alaska air pollution holds clues for other Arctic climates

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — In the pristine expanse of Alaska’s interior lies a dirty secret: some of the most polluted winter air in the United States can be found in and around Fairbanks.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough, which includes Alaska’s second largest city, routinely exceeds limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for particle pollution that can be inhaled and cause myriad health problems.

Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution, how the contaminants interact in the city’s cold and dark climate and to come up with a list of best practices for people living across the circumpolar north.

What they find could help city planners make better decisions on where to place power plants or smelters in northern climates and guide lawmakers on how to regulate chemicals in fuel oil or other sources to reduce the harm.

The task becomes even more important as climate change is driving people away from places that are getting hotter toward northern areas, even though climate change is warming the Arctic twice as fast as the rest of the planet. In Fairbanks, the average winter temperature rose 2.7 degrees F (1.5 degrees C) since 1992, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

1of7This Feb. 16, 2022, photo shows a plume of smoke being emitted into the air from a power plant in Fairbanks, Alaska, which has some of the worst polluted winter air in the United States. Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the continental U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution.Mark Thiessen/AP

2of7This Feb. 21, 2022, photo provided by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute shows Swiss team members working with a tethered balloon and payload used to measure different characteristics of aerosols and trace gases in the atmosphere over Fairbanks, Alaska. Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the continental U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution. (Daniel Walker/University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute via AP)Daniel Walker/AP

3of7This Feb. 17, 2022, photo shows a plume of smoke being emitted into the air from a power plant in Fairbanks, Alaska, which has some of the worst polluted winter air in the United States. Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the continental U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution, how they interact in the city’s cold and dark climate and to come up with a list of best practices for others across the circumpolar north struggling to get a breath of fresh air.Mark Thiessen/AP

4of7This Feb. 17, 2022, photo shows Roman Pohorsky, a doctorate student at the EPFL, a science and technology institution in Switzerland, working with lab equipment in Fairbanks, Alaska. Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the continental U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution, how they interact in the city’s cold and dark climate and to come up with a list of best practices for others across the circumpolar north struggling to get a breath of fresh air.Mark Thiessen/AP

5of7This Feb. 16, 2022, photo shows Sarah Johnson, a graduate student and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, with an instrument measures trace gases or pollutants at different heights in the atmosphere in Fairbanks, Alaska. Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the continental U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution, how they interact in the city’s cold and dark climate and to come up with a list of best practices for others across the circumpolar north struggling to get a breath of fresh air.Mark Thiessen/AP

6of7This Feb. 16, 2022, photo shows Ellis Robinson, a a post-doctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, with an air intake instrument that helps measure air pollution at a home in Fairbanks, Alaska. Over seven weeks this winter, nearly 50 scientists from the continental U.S. and Europe descended on Fairbanks to study the sources of air pollution, how they interact in the city’s cold and dark climate and to come up with a list of best practices for others across the circumpolar north struggling to get a breath of fresh air.Mark Thiessen/AP

7of7Owen Hanley, a retired doctor, poses for a photo Feb. 17, 2022, in Fairbanks, Alaska, where scientists studied air pollution over seven weeks this winter. Hanley said the air pollution problem in Fairbanks doesn’t just affect lungs, it’s much worse than people think and delays in fixing it is going to cause harms that can’t be undone.Mark Thiessen/AP

Like Salt Lake City and other cities surrounded by mountains, Fairbanks suffers from winter inversions, layers of warmer air that trap cold, dirty air and keep it from dissipating. Even though wind is blowing aloft, the cold air prevents the wind from getting down to ground level.

“Just like an open top freezer in an old grocery store, that cold air just pools into the bottom of that freezer and air can just go right over the top,” said Bill Simpson, an atmospheric chemistry professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

“It’s calm down here, and the pollution that’s emitted down here stays down here, unfortunately,” added Simpson, the project leader.

The problem isn’t unique to cold climates in the United States. The study is of interest to researchers in northern European cities because of the similar problems with inversions.

In Fairbanks, a major source of pollution comes from wood-burning stoves, which are common in this area where wood is plentiful and cheap, temperatures routinely reach minus 40 degrees F (minus 40 C) or colder and heating fuel is expensive. Other sources are vehicle exhaust systems, power plant emissions and heating oil.

Owen Hanley practiced pulmonary medicine in Fairbanks for about 35 years. The retired doctor says the air pollution problem in Fairbanks can permanently harm respiratory function and cause many other problems.

The mixture of pollutants from smoldering wood fires, cars, coal and other sources releases additional chemicals that can be more harmful than cigarette smoke.

“We know with air pollution, there’s more dementia in adults, there’s more kidney failure and young pregnant women have more miscarriages and preterm births, and little kids don’t get full lung development,” said Hanley.

Power plants in Fairbanks emit plumes of smoke into the air, and researchers in the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis project are trying to understand whether these remain up high, at the level of smokestacks, or drift down to ground level, where people live.

Seven French teams made detailed measurements of the air in downtown Fairbanks in efforts to better understand how small particles and droplets are formed. Meanwhile, a Swiss team used a tethered balloon, equipped with specialized instruments, to measure characteristics of aerosols and different trace gases at 1,200 feet (365 meters) above the ground. Another instrument allowed them to measure vertical profiles of the atmosphere.

“We are trying to understand what is happening higher up” because ground level data can be different, said Roman Pohorsky, a doctoral student at the EPFL, a science and technology institution in Switzerland.

Another experiment led by Sarah Johnson, a graduate student and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, used a special device to measure trace gases or pollutants at different heights in the atmosphere. The instrument, called a Long Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometer, collects information by beaming light from a parking garage to reflectors set at different heights in Fairbanks, and then studying the information that comes back.

“What we’re really looking for is information about where the pollution is accumulating as well as where it’s going,” she said, adding that she hopes the research can benefit other areas with similar weather and dirty air.

Another goal of the research came from members of the Fairbanks community: People wanted to know what the air is like inside their homes.

Researchers took over a house in Fairbanks, setting up shop in the garage with tubes running from both inside the house and outside to study the air.

Ellis Robinson, a post-doctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, noted that most public health information about the dangers of air pollution comes from studying outdoor air.

“But we really need to be studying indoor air, just as much if not more,” said Robinson.

Sulfur can be a major pollutant for people who use heating oil in their houses or live near coal-fired power plants.

Scientists are working to better understand how the sulfur that’s emitted, mostly as a gas, sulfur dioxide, turns into particles in colder and darker locations.

While the research is not a formal regulatory project, Simpson, the project leader, said the team would be willing to share the results with the EPA, the agency charged with determining Clean Air Act violations.

The Fairbanks area has been out of compliance with air quality standards since 2009. The EPA is reviewing the state of Alaska’s latest plan to bring the borough into compliance.

The researchers are expected to deliver the findings back to the university by late summer. The results will be shared with the Alaska Department of Environment Conservation, Fairbanks’ air quality division and with residents, who will have the chance to weigh in on possible solutions.

“We can compare and contrast those situations and try and build a set of kind of best practices for understanding how pollution works in cold and dark places,” Simpson said.

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12,000 workers for daily disinfecting of Grand Mosque

March 24, 2022 by Staff Reporter

The holy site is sterilised 10 times per day, it added.

The sterilisation process at the mosque, Islam’s holiest site, includes 1,100 sterilisers, 20 disinfecting spray devices and 130,000 litres of water for daily washing of its utilities.

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called for sighting the crescent of Ramadan on Thursday to determine the start of the lunar month during which Muslims observe daily dawn-to-dusk fasting. According to astronomical calculations, Ramadan is due to begin on April 2 this year.

Saudi Arabia this month lifted most COVID-19 restrictions amid a marked drop in infections in the country.

This included scrapping physical distancing among worshippers at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque. Still, worshippers are required to wear face masks.

Saudi authorities also cancelled mandatory PCR tests as well as institutional and home quarantine for arrivals in the kingdom.

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