The river turned orange and was weirdly sour. What happened to Alaska?

Hello everyone, this is the 11th issue of the Environmental Trumpet column. In this column, you can see different topics such as climate, pollution, energy, agriculture, etc., and learn about the recent changes in our environment and what good and bad news there are.

In this issue, we have collected the following environmental research and news worth reading:

As temperatures soar, nearly 100 monkeys fall from trees and die in Mexico

Alaska's rivers are being polluted by toxic metals as permafrost melts

Microplastic particles detected in human testicles

Mercury pollution lingers

China is one of the countries with the highest intake of microplastics by residents

Recycling construction waste into cement

As temperatures soar, nearly 100 monkeys die in Mexico

Death from falling from a tree

The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and we humans can still rely on air conditioning to survive, but other animals are not so lucky.

As temperatures soared, many mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) living in Mexico suffered from heat stroke and dehydration , and some even fell to death from trees 20 meters high . When some monkeys were taken to veterinary hospitals by local residents, their body temperatures had reached 43 degrees Celsius .

From May 16 to 28, in just over ten days, 157 howler monkeys were found dead in Tabasco, Mexico.

Mantled howler monkeys are a common type of monkey in Central America｜AFP / Ezequiel Becerra

Although the mantled howler monkey has a strong ability to adapt, the survival pressure it faces is increasing.

Tabasco is one of the most deforested states in Mexico, with forests shrinking as farmland expands in the region. With recent record-breaking heat, fires and deforestation , the survival of howler monkeys is under serious threat.

In fact, this is not the first time that howler monkeys have died in large numbers due to high temperatures. In 2016, hot weather in Nicaragua also caused a similar tragedy for local howler monkeys. At that time, scientists estimated that at least 280 animals died due to high temperatures. Unfortunately, only a few animals received timely treatment and recovery.

Alaska's rivers are being polluted by toxic metals as permafrost melts

A recent article published in Communications: Earth and Environment found that climate warming is causing the thawing of polar permafrost, which is causing large amounts of toxic metals to enter rivers . Currently, dozens of rivers in Alaska have turned orange due to pollution.

The river in Gates of the Arctic National Park is already heavily contaminated by toxic metals. | Ken Hill/National Park Service

Satellite images show that the rivers have been polluted since 2008, but have only been widely observed in recent years. Chemical analysis of the polluted rivers found that the water is extremely acidic . The water contains high levels of zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium and iron, with iron being the main cause of the orange color of the rivers .

There are no metal-rich sources such as mines near these rivers, so these metals are likely to have been sealed in the permafrost in the past and released into the outside environment due to global warming. Scientists say that river pollution will cause serious harm to the food web in the water and pollute human food sources; toxic metals may also flow into human drinking water sources, causing disasters for human water use.

Polluted river turns orange | Ken Hill/National Park Service

Microplastic particles detected in human testicles

Microplastics have been detected in everything from soil to oceans, from animals to humans. A recent study published in Toxicological Sciences showed that microplastics were also found in the testicles of humans and dogs , and these particles may have potential effects on reproductive health.

Microplastics are now rampant around the world｜phtorxp/pixabay

The researchers examined the testicular tissue of 23 humans and 47 dogs and found that the dogs contained an average of 122.63 micrograms of microplastics per gram of testicular tissue, while the humans contained an average of 329.44 micrograms of microplastics per gram of testicular tissue . In order to further analyze the composition of microplastics in the testicles, the researchers dissolved the biological tissue used and separated the solids. The results showed that most of the plastics were polyethylene (PE) , in addition to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are common in daily life.

Combined with past experimental data, the researchers also found that the content of microplastics in the testicles is even higher than that in the placenta, second only to the content detected in the brain. These microplastics may hinder sperm production and disrupt the physiological activities of the testicles . At the same time, microplastics are also carriers of some toxic substances, posing a threat to human health.

Mercury pollution lingers

In the mid-20th century, Japan suffered from the world-famous Minamata disease, which caused people to have slurred speech and confusion, and many people lost weight and gradually shrank in height after falling ill. This was caused by chronic mercury poisoning.

Although the emission of mercury pollutants has been strictly controlled and people are no longer troubled by mercury poisoning, this does not mean that mercury pollution has completely disappeared from our lives. A recent study published in Ecotoxicology pointed out that mercury pollution is still quietly spreading around the world and has been found in fish and many animals around the world .

Aquatic life is one of the hardest hit areas of mercury pollution | ArtisticOperations/pixabay

After summarizing published articles and data, the researchers analyzed the status of mercury pollution in more than 100 countries. The results showed that mercury pollution is common in the world's oceans and freshwater. The content of mercury in different species varies, and the methylmercury content in some fish and marine mammals is extremely high , exceeding the safety level for humans. In addition, the mercury content in fish such as tuna, swordfish and some groupers is also high, which may cause health hazards to the kidneys and brain after consumption.

China is one of the countries with the highest intake of microplastics by residents

When you get up in the morning, open the window and welcome the fresh air, in fact, every breath you take may inhale a lot of microplastics into your body. Recently, researchers from Cornell University used existing data models to conduct a statistical analysis of the per capita microplastic intake in 109 countries in the world, and for the first time drew a map of the current status of microplastic intake in these countries . This will allow people to understand the situation of microplastic pollution in different regions and take more targeted measures to reduce microplastic pollution.

The latest study found that all kinds of food contain microplastics | Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00010

Eating and breathing are the main ways to ingest microplastics. In different regions, the main ways people ingest microplastics also vary.

Residents in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, ingest the most microplastics through their meals . On average, people consume about 15 grams of microplastics per month, which is closely related to the local people's dietary structure. The diet in Southeast Asia is mostly seafood, and there is a large amount of plastic waste in the ocean. Many microplastics enter the food chain and eventually accumulate in the human body.

Residents of countries such as China, the United Kingdom, and Mongolia inhale the most microplastics . Statistics show that Chinese residents inhale more than 2.8 million microplastic particles every month. Due to rapid urban development, road traffic is busier, and car tire wear and tear are more frequent, resulting in a large number of microplastic particles being emitted into the atmosphere. In addition, the study also found that since the diets of East Asian countries such as China and Japan are mostly refined grains, the grain crushing and packaging processes will also produce a large amount of microplastics, which eventually enter the human body through diet.

Recycling construction waste into cement

Cement production is a major source of global carbon emissions, accounting for 7.5% of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions . Among them, the clinker manufacturing process - heating the mixture of raw materials such as limestone and clay to 1450℃ and then cooling it to obtain semi-finished cement products - emits about 90% of the carbon dioxide in cement production. In the context of global carbon reduction, the improvement of clinker manufacturing technology has become an important part of achieving green and environmental protection in cement production.

Scientists use electric arc furnace to produce cement for the first time | Materials Processing Institute

To this end, a research team from the University of Cambridge has pioneered a new method for producing cement: recycling construction waste to produce cement . Construction waste is mixed with molten steel and heated together in an electric arc furnace, and after cooling, recycled raw materials for cement production can be obtained.

In the past, scientists have been working to find cement substitutes to reduce cement's carbon emissions. Now, the new idea proposed by the research team has not only successfully achieved low-carbon emissions in cement production, but also reduced the generation of waste in the construction industry. Not only that, if renewable energy is used to power the electric arc furnace, this production method will enable cement production to truly achieve net zero emissions. The experiment also found that the performance of the recycled cement is not much different from that of traditionally produced cement, making it possible for the new process to be widely used in reality.

Author: Xiao Xiaoze

Edited by: Yellowtail Pollock