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As <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword> rises in the national capital, experts have advocated the use of <keyword id="23378997" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="activated-charcoal" source="keywords">activated charcoal</keyword> as a <keyword id="20677308" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="natural-remedy" source="keywords">natural remedy</keyword> for preventing clogging of skin pores and keep out toxins. The experts said activated charcoal masks are effective in reducing sebum (oily substance) from the face skin, thus helping treat acne as they have good absorbing properties. Dr R P Parasher, the national president of the Integrated Medical Association (Ayush), said that activated charcoal, dubbed as '<keyword id="23640477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-diamond" source="keywords">Black Diamond</keyword>', has good sebum absorbing properties. As pollution levels escalate, it causes concern for the skin as particulate matter ranging from PM2.5 to PM10 may lead to the blockage of the skin pores and lead to breakouts, Dr Parasher said. Further, chemicals like lead and nitrogen which increase in the atmosphere during the pollution surge, may damage the skin and may even enter the blood stream through the skin pores which may further damage organs in the body in the long term, he said. "Activated charcoal is not absorbed in the skin but absorbs the toxic elements as well as microbes present in the acne and in this way it saves the skin from getting damaged," he said. Activated charcoal can help balance and control <keyword id="22273531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sebum-production" source="keywords">sebum production</keyword> which can otherwise lead to breakout and acne. A study "Review of Green Synthesis: Activated Charcoal to Reduce Sebum Levels in Oily Facial Skin" by researchers from Indonesia stated that the porous texture of activated charcoal positively captures and attracts negatively charged molecules. Since activated charcoal is not absorbed by the body, it carries its surface-bound toxins out of the body. Director of Ayouthveda, a skincare brand, Dr Sanchit Sharma, said that the process of creating activated charcoal involves carbonising harvested bamboo at very high temperatures, enhancing its surface area to weight ratio of about 1200:1. This method not only maximises its effectiveness in absorbing toxins but also makes it a powerful ally in the fight against acne, he said. As awareness grows, several varieties of charcoal products are gaining popularity in Asian and European markets, promising a natural solution to many skin issues exacerbated by pollution, Sharma said. Talking about his facewash product, he said, "Ayouthveda <keyword id="23640475" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="charcoal-face-wash" source="keywords">charcoal face wash</keyword> prepared from activated bamboo charcoal effectively cleanses the skin by removing dirt and impurities. "It protects the skin from pollution and absorbs excess oil, making it easy to remove makeup. It also eliminates sweat and toxins accumulated, for instance, during workouts or after a long day." Though charcoal face wash are generally safe, overuse can cause some skin dryness, Dr Parasher pointed out.

Experts advocate using activated charcoal for skin benefits amid rising pollution in Delhi!

Emissions from residential cooking and heating, power generation, and industries together contribute up to 60 per cent of India's PM2.5 pollution, with about 80 per cent of this coming from <keyword id="23824528" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fossil-fuel-combustion" source="keywords">fossil fuel combustion</keyword>, a new study has found. The peer-reviewed study, published in MDPI's "Air" journal, suggests dividing India into 15 airsheds based on regional climate and pollution sources. An airshed is a geographic area where <keyword id="53848" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-quality" source="Orion">air quality</keyword> is influenced by common factors such as wind patterns and pollution sources. Since pollution can spread across regions, the <keyword id="22077484" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airshed-approach" source="keywords">airshed approach</keyword> promotes coordinated action among states. "Residential cooking and heating, power generation, and all other industries together are responsible for 40-60 per cent of the PM2.5 pollution in all the airsheds, and approximately 80 per cent of the pollution comes from fossil fuel burning sources," said Sarath Guttikunda, lead author of the study and founder of UrbanEmissions.info. The study said biomass burning, including post-harvest crop residue burning, contributed less than 3 per cent to annual PM2.5 levels while transport accounted for 5-10 per cent in all airsheds. PM2.5 are fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, about the width of a human hair. These are so small that these can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, posing significant health risks. An analysis of PM2.5 trends from 1998 to 2020, along with state-level data on fuel consumption, energy demand and emissions, revealed that 11 of the 15 airsheds were critical for India's air quality management and required coordinated interventions. The Indo-Gangetic Plains remain the most polluted region, with significant emissions from residential cooking and heating (especially in winter), power plants, brick kilns (driven by construction demand), waste burning, dust and vehicular movement for passengers and freight. The plateau region between the Eastern and Western Ghats, India's second most populated area, has seen the highest rise in annual PM2.5 pollution during this period, the study said. "This is an indication of the growing urbanisation and demand for transport, industrial, and commercial amenities," it said. Coastal areas, vital to India's industrial economy, have also experienced rising pollution despite the moderating effects of land-sea breezes. This increase is attributed to growing shipping emissions and overall industrial growth in cities such as Mundra, Surat, Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Haldia.

Study traces 60% PM2.5 pollution in India to residential cooking, power generation, industries

Incidence of stroke and related deaths are rising substantially around the world, with <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword>, <keyword id="21334318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="high-temperatures" source="keywords">high temperatures</keyword> and metabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure and physical inactivity, driving these increases, according to estimates published in The Lancet Neurology journal. Researchers found that the contribution of high temperatures to poor health and early death due to stroke has increased 72% since 1990 and is likely to continue increasing in the future, thereby highlighting how environmental factors can impact growing stroke burden. Further, for the first time, particulate matter or PM air pollution was found to have the same contribution as smoking towards causing a fatal form of brain bleed, according to the researchers forming the <keyword id="20691740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Burden-of-Disease" source="keywords">Global Burden of Disease</keyword>, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) group. The GBD study, the "largest and most comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across places and over time", is coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US. Globally, the number of people experiencing a stroke for the first time rose to 119 lakh in 2021 -- up by 70% since 1990 -- while deaths related to stroke rose to 73 lakh, which was up by 44% since 1990, making the neurological condition the third leading cause of death after ischaemic heart disease (short supply of blood to heart) and COVID-19. They added that over three-fourth of those affected by strokes live in low- and middle-income countries. According to lead author Valery L. Feigin from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, the rapid growth in the number of people affected by stroke strongly suggested that <keyword id="23228151" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stroke-prevention" source="keywords">stroke prevention</keyword> strategies currently used are not sufficiently effective. "New, proven effective population-wide and motivational individual prevention strategies that could be applied to all people at risk of having a stroke, regardless of the level of risk, as recommended in the recent Lancet Neurology Commission on Stroke should be implemented across the globe urgently," said Feigin. The researchers also estimated that stroke-related liabilities attributable to 23 modifiable risk factors, including air pollution, excess body weight, high blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity, increased from 100 million years of healthy life lost in 1990 to 135 million in 2021. These risk factors are present in huge numbers in Eastern Europe, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, they said. The authors also acknowledged substantial progress made in reducing the global stroke burden from risk factors linked to poor diet, air pollution and smoking. Poor health resulting from diets high in processed meat and low in vegetables declined by 40 % and 30%, respectively, while that due to PM air pollution and smoking fell by 20 % and 13%, respectively, they found. The results suggested that strategies for reducing exposure to these risk factors over the past three decades such as clean air zones and public smoking bans have been successful, the authors said. They called for implementing and monitoring the evidence-based recommendations set out in the 2023 World Stroke Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission on stroke for drastically reducing the global burden of stroke in the years to come and improving brain health and overall well-being of millions of people around the world. The recommendations include stroke surveillance programmes that monitor indicators of stroke such as incidence, recurrence, death rates and risk factors in a country, and care and rehabilitation services for people affected by stroke.

Stroke cases increasing globally, air pollution, high temperatures driving numbers, notes Lancet Study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biotech company Neoplants just released the first houseplant grown to reduce indoor air pollution.</li><li>This plant, called Neo Px, gets its pollution-eating superpower from genetically engineered bacteria.</li></ul>Looking at Neo Px, you'd never know that it was anything but a typical houseplant. But on a microscopic level, this plant is supercharged with billions of pollution-eating bacteria.This week, the France-based biotech company Neoplants released the first houseplant bioengineered to remove harmful chemicals from indoor air. It targets <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicone-hair-products-may-release-harmful-emissions-new-study-2023-12">volatile organic compounds (VOCs)</a>, which are emitted by the everyday stuff in our homes: gas stoves, paints, even furniture.<div type="image" title="A marbled pothos house plant potted in a special pot designed by Neoplants sits on a small table with more plants against a window in the background." height="4000" width="6000" msid="109738533" hostid="261"></div>Indoor air can be two to five times (and in extreme cases, up to 100 times) more polluted than outdoor air, according to the American Lung Association. This is, in part, driven by higher levels of VOCs indoors. Long-term exposure to these compounds can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches and dizziness, even liver damage and cancer.The best ways to remove VOCs from your home are opening the windows and getting rid of their sources, Glenn Morrison, a University of North Carolina environmental science and engineering professor who studies indoor air pollution, told BI. Some types of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/best-air-purifier">mechanical air purifiers</a> can remove them too, but many of them can produce other harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide, ozone, and formaldehyde.But Neoplants co-founders Patrick Torbey and Lionel Mora weren't satisfied with these options. They argue that opening windows only temporarily reduces indoor pollution to outside levels, and not everyone can easily get rid of VOC sources in their homes. What's more, they believe existing VOC-removing technologies aren't worth their drawbacks.So, they turned to biology to invent their own solution. The result, Neo Px, is 30 times more effective at removing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/how-to-improve-indoor-air-quality">indoor air pollution</a> than the average houseplant, Torbey and Mora told Business Insider."What we care about is putting nature at the center of innovation again," Torbey said.<h2>Harnessing the power of bacteria</h2><div type="image" title="A petri dish that's half purple and uncolonized on the left side, and pink and colonized by rows of small spots of bacteria on the right side, against a black background." height="5768" width="8652" msid="109738536" hostid="261"></div>Non-engineered houseplants are equipped with some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-houseplants-are-completely-idiot-proof-and-can-live-for-weeks-without-water-2017-10">natural air-purifying power</a>, and some types are more effective than others. But research has shown that it would take hundreds of regular houseplants to purify the air inside a 1,500 square-foot home.Torbey and Mora wanted to achieve air purification with a single houseplant. To do that, they hacked into the plant's microbiome.They targeted a strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas putida, which have a particular appetite for three common VOCs: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cancer-risk-benzene-pollution-houston-channelview-jacintoport-2023-12">benzene</a>, toluene, and xylene. There are tens of thousands of types of VOCs that can be present in homes, Morrison points out. But Neoplants chose to target these three because they are especially harmful and prevalent in indoor spaces, Mora said.This species of bacteria can live off VOCs as their sole carbon source, metabolizing them into harmless sugars and amino acids, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0760/8752/5696/files/NEOPX-WHITEPAPER.pdf?v=1711714362">Neoplants white paper</a>.What's more, these bacteria naturally occur in the soil around plant roots and form a mutually beneficial relationship with their host plants. If Torbey and Mora could figure out how to supercharge these VOC-eating bacteria, they'd create a natural air-purifying system.Through <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-carbon-bacteria-evolution-chemistry-2016-12">directed evolution</a> — the process of reproducing organisms in a lab to enhance a selected trait over time — they created a new version of Pseudomonas putida that is extremely effective at metabolizing VOCs."These are like tiny, tiny air purifying machines that build more air purifying machines the more pollution there is," Torbey said.But keeping these bacteria abundant presented a challenge. Plant microbiomes are difficult to maintain, and their viability declines as soon as you ship that plant to someone, Jennifer Brophy, assistant professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/26/1071407/plants-air-cleaning-neoplants-genetically-modified-air-quality">told MIT Tech Review</a>.To solve that problem, Neo Px comes with "power drops," a solution of their engineered bacteria that can be used to replenish the plant's microbiome once a month and ensure that it's working at its maximum air-purifying capacity, similar to regularly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/honewell-hpa3300bv1-powerplus-true-hepa-air-purifier-reveiw">replacing an air purifier's filter</a>.<h2>Limitations</h2>UNC's Morrison thinks that there are other limitations to consider before purchasing Neo Px. "It doesn't really matter how much they modify the plant or modify the bacteria in the soil if they can't get the air into and through it," he said.Neo Px is potted in a biodegradable shell that's designed with vents to maximize airflow between the soil and the room, but Morrison argues that the airflow would still be too minimal to make a significant difference in air quality for the average home. "It might actually remove some VOCs, it just doesn't remove very much," he said.But Torbey and Mora are confident in their product. "We know that phytoremediation (plants-based solution) is not an approach that most in the indoor air quality community believe in," Torbey told BI in a later email in response to Morrison's skepticism. He and his colleagues have built two VOC measurement rooms at their headquarters in Paris, which they will use to study the phytoremediation potential of their system."We will be publishing this data as soon as possible to help the world better understand the power of phytoremediation," he added.<h2>Unpacking the Neo Px system</h2><div type="image" title="A potted plant sits next to one large box, one smaller box, a small packet, and a beaker with a pipette against a white background." height="3692" width="4271" msid="109738539" hostid="261"></div>The Neo Px air purifying system comes with a marble queen pothos plant, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poisonous-houseplants-noah-whiteman-most-delicious-poison-book-2023-12">popular species of houseplant </a>which serves as the perfect host for their VOC-eating bacteria, Mora said.Eventually, Mora and Torbey hope to expand Neoplants to include different types of plants, but for now, pothos is the only species available for purchase.The Neo Px package includes the biodegradable, vented shell, which also has a built-in self-watering system. "Even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houseplant-industry-americans-billions-die-2022-3">people who don't have a green thumb at all</a> can very easily take care of this plant," Mora said.This $119 package comes with a six-month supply of power drops. When they run out, customers can sign up to auto-replenish them for $39 every three months.<h2>Striving for sustainability</h2><div type="image" title="NeoP1 photographed from below, showing the vents in the shell with pothos leaves peaking out of the top." height="3339" width="4037" msid="109738542" hostid="261"></div>For Mora and Torbey, the most exciting aspect of this new product is that it's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-manufacturing-jobs-trade-china-biden-immigration-labor-america-businesses-2024-1">made entirely in the US</a>. Even the recycled plastic and agricultural waste used to make their self-watering shell comes from the US.Achieving this proved challenging, Mora said, but he and Torbey wanted to manufacture their product as close to their main customer base as possible. To them, it didn't make sense to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/y-combinator-backed-startup-seabound-carbon-capture-wave-shipping-2023-8">ship a product</a> designed to clean the air across the world. And manufacturing Neo Px in the US helped ensure their product was made responsibly."What we tried to do is build a product that is as sustainable as possible. So, you don't need to use any electricity, you don't need to replace filters that have a lot of pollution in them and throw them away," Mora said.This sustainable model is part of Neoplants overarching goal: to drive progress towards solutions to even bigger environmental issues."If we project ourselves in five years from now, not only will we have this product family for indoor spaces that people can put in their homes, but we'll also start hitting some of the first fundamental technical milestones for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afp-resurrection-plants-offer-hope-as-climate-turns-hostile-2015-11">climate change applications</a>," Mora said.

This $119 houseplant is bioengineered to remove harmful air pollution in your home.

Research Institute (<keyword id="20370739" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cmfri" source="keywords">CMFRI</keyword>) have successfully deciphered the genome of the <keyword id="23138296" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="asian-green-mussel" source="Orion">Asian green mussel</keyword> (Perna viridis), a discovery poised to revolutionise the understanding of this vital <keyword id="662896" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marine-species" source="Orion">marine species</keyword>. This is the first-ever <keyword id="184804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chromosome" source="Orion">chromosome</keyword> level genome sequencing of a marine invertebrate species from India. Earlier, CMFRI had come out with a similar genome finding for Indian oil sardine. The Asian green mussel, Kallummakkaya in local parlance, is an important aquaculture species in the family Mytilidae contributing substantially to molluscan aquaculture. CMFRI's research found that the mussel's genome contains 723.49 Mb in size and is anchored into 15 chromosomes, according to a CMFRI release here on Thursday. The research was published in the journal Scientific Data by Nature Group. "The development will be a game-changer in boosting sustainable mussel aquaculture in the country, as this research will help gain insights into its growth, reproduction and disease resistance", said Dr Grinson George, Director of CMFRI. The findings will benefit the aquaculture sector by improving genomic selection and breeding practices, leading to enhanced productivity and resilience in fisheries, he added. A team of researchers from CMFRI led by Principal Scientist Dr Sandhya Sukumaran carried out this study with funding support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi. The team includes Dr A Gopalakrishnan, V G Vysakh, Dr Wilson Sebastian, Dr Lalitha Hari Dharani, Dr Akhilesh Pandey, Dr Abishek Kumar and Dr J K Jena. According to scientists, this will help develop new strategies to combat diseases in the mussel. "Genomic investigations on this species are vital to understand genes, gene combinations and signaling pathways leading to the parasitic diseases, which constitute a major threat to Asian green mussel aquaculture in India causing substantial mortalities in farms," said Dr Sandhya Sukumaran. According to the scientists, the genome assembly of green mussels will emerge as a valuable tool for exploring <keyword id="6355291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer" source="Orion">cancer</keyword> mechanisms and developing new therapeutic strategies. "A total of 49654 protein-coding genes were identified, including 634 genes associated with the cancer pathway and 408 genes associated with viral carcinogenesis. This indicates that this species is a novel model organism for cancer research," Sukumaran said. This advancement promises to significantly enhance our understanding of cancer pathways and facilitate the discovery of novel treatments, she added. Apart from its aquaculture prospects, Asian green mussels play a vital role as a bio-monitor as it is capable of accumulating heavy metals and other environmental pollutants in large quantities. Understanding the genome assembly will provide valuable information about the genomic pathways involved in response to pollutants. "The genetic markers to be developed from this research could be used to monitor pollutants in aquatic bodies, a significant milestone in safeguarding the aquatic environment," Sandhya said. Scientists believe that the genome decoding of this species would enhance knowledge regarding the effect of environmental pollutants on biological systems, as this bivalve is adaptable to local environmental stressors like variations in pH, temperature, salinity and air exposure.

You Searched For "effects of air pollution" and got 5 results

Experts advocate using activated charcoal for skin benefits amid rising pollution in Delhi!

PTI

Study traces 60% PM2.5 pollution in India to residential cooking, power generation, industries

PTI

Stroke cases increasing globally, air pollution, high temperatures driving numbers, notes Lancet Study

PTI

This $119 houseplant is bioengineered to remove harmful air pollution in your home.

Ellyn Lapointe

CMFRI scientists crack genetic code of Asian green mussel

PTI

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