RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS FOUND IN COAL ASH

A new Duke University-led study has revealed the presence of radioactive contaminants in coal ash from all three major U.S. coal-producing basins.

The study found that levels of radioactivity in the ash were up to five times higher than in normal soil, and up to 10 times higher than in the parent coal itself because of the way combustion concentrates radioactivity.

The finding raises concerns about the environmental and human health risks posed by coal ash, which is currently unregulated and is stored in coal-fired power plants’ holding ponds and landfills nationwide.

“Until now, metals and contaminants such as selenium and arsenic have been the major known contaminants of concern in coal ash,” said Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry and water quality at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. “This study raises the possibility we should also be looking for radioactive elements, such as radium isotopes and lead-210, and including them in our monitoring efforts.”

Radium isotopes and lead-210 occur naturally in coal as chemical by-products of its uranium and thorium content. Vengosh’s research team revealed that when the coal is burned, the radium isotopes become concentrated in the coal ash residues, and the lead-210 becomes chemically volatile and reattaches itself to tiny particles of fly ash. This causes additional enrichment of radioactivity in the fly ash.

“Radioactive radium and lead-210 ends up concentrated in these tiny particles of fly ash, which though individually small, collectively comprise the largest volume of coal ash waste going into holding ponds and landfills,” said Nancy Lauer, a Ph.D. student in Vengosh’s lab who was lead author of the study.

Vengosh, Lauer and their colleagues published their peer-reviewed paper Sept. 2 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

The study comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever regulations on coal ash disposal are set to go into effect in October.

Currently, coal ash disposal sites are not monitored for radioactivity, Vengosh noted, “so we don’t know how much of these contaminants are released to the environment, and how they might affect human health in areas where coal ash ponds and landfills are leaking. Our study opens the door for future evaluation of this potential risk.”

Smokestack scrubbers installed at U.S. power plants keep these contaminants from escaping into the air when the coal is burned, he stressed. But if the contaminated coal ash is spilled, or if effluents leak from ponds or landfills, it may pose a hazard.

“Because of the tiny size of the fly ash particles, they are much more likely to be suspended in air if they are disposed in a dry form. People breathing this air may face increased risks, particularly since tiny particles tend to be more enriched in radioactivity,” Lauer said.

Vengosh said this study is the first systematic study to compare radioactivity in coal and coal ash from the Illinois, Appalachian and Powder River basins. The researchers collected multiple samples of coal and coal ash from all three coal-producing basins and then measured the radioactive elements in each sample.

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Their tests showed that coal and coal ash from different basins exhibited different levels of radioactivity — the Illinois basin had the most, followed by the Appalachian and then the Powder River, which is in Wyoming and Montana. The tests also showed that the ratio of radium to uranium in the parent coal was consistent with the ratio found in its residual coal ash.

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PAINKILLERS ARE DRUGS, NOT SWEETS!

Painkillers

The way some people pop painkillers seem to suggest that the drugs are candies with another name! It is such that many people don’t even consider the fact that they need to see a doctor or, at least, a pharmacist, to complain about whatever pain they may be feeling.

Consequently, by the time many people finally think of seeking medical help, they are almost ready for the morgue.

Perhaps after sleeping pills, the next commonest drug of abuse is pain relief medication. People take pain medications for the relief of pain in various parts of the body and also for various health challenges. Many people are even unaware that certain pain medications are better suited for certain ailments and are therefore better prescribed by a competent professional, who will also monitor the effects, especially when such drugs are to be used for extended period, as in the treatment of chronic pain conditions like arthritis, cancer, etc.

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It has been revealed that chronic pain relief drugs — also called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — can wreak havoc on the body, sometimes with debilitating effects. Scientists argue that, just like other drugs, chronic pain medications are not to be trifled with, even when they appear harmless and ‘gentle’ to the stomach.

Risk of erectile dysfunction 

According to a new study published in the journal Spine, men who are taking prescription pain pills in high doses and over long periods of time are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction — characterised by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance.

That was the bombshell delivered by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Oregon, USA. The lead researcher, Dr. Richard Deyo, notes that opioids — medications that relieve pain – are known to cause changes in testosterone levels, leading to erectile dysfunction. The researchers had examined 11,000 men who were taking prescription opioids for chronic back pain.

They conclude that men who took high-doses of certain prescription painkillers for longer than four months were 50 per cent more likely to require medication to treat erectile dysfunction than men who were not taking painkillers.

Hormone imbalance and baldness

Another study published in the Pain Physician Journal and led by Professor/Academic Director of Pain Management, Albany Medical College, Department of Anesthesiology, Albany, New York City, Dr. Howard Smith, enthuses that in the past few decades, the use of opioids as a long-term treatment for chronic pain has increased dramatically. However, he says, this comes at a price, especially for men, in terms of hormone imbalance, with symptoms like reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, hot flashes, and depression.

The scientists also note that the symptoms may include reduced facial and body hair, anaemia, decreased muscle mass, weight gain, infertility, osteopenia (unusually low bone mineral density) or osteoporosis (weak bones).

Another study by Finnish scientists who examined more than 1,100 men between 50 and 70 years of age found that erectile dysfunction was much higher among painkiller users than among non-users. The study is published in the May issue of the Journal of Urology.

Deyo and his team say their findings add to a wealth of evidence indicating that long-term opioid treatment for chronic pain should be avoided when possible. “Patients who take opioids for extended periods often develop a tolerance to the medicine and can even experience greater sensitivity to pain over time,” Deyo says.

Ageing and pain

Yet, humans may not be in charge of their pain, it turns out, as researchers at Harvard Medical School say as we age, pain and pain control become an important issue, because many of the conditions that cause pain disproportionately affect people starting at about age 65.

They note that several of the conditions that can prolong or amplify pain, such as insomnia, become more common with age. “As age makes our mental and physical health more tenuous, our ability to weather the slings and arrows of pain diminishes too.

“All of this puts a premium on effective pain treatment in older people. But there’s a catch, because the most effective painkillers available have side effects that occur more often and more severely in older people.”

General practitioner, Dr. Tomi Abegunde, says in addition to these revelations, the categories of people that may be affected are those taking pain relief drugs for long-term chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, cancers, arthritis, etc.

Others are those who take drugs that aid the production of urine, anti-allergies, muscle relaxants, drugs that suppress abnormal rhythms of the heart, drugs used to treat duodenal ulcers and prevent their return, etc.

Abegunde notes that the pain relief drugs usually prescribed for these conditions not only affect and oftentimes suppress the central nervous system, they can also cause serious damage to the blood vessels, resulting in permanent erectile dysfunction.

However, he warns that if you notice this symptom, don’t just discontinue the drug; see your doctor immediately.

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WHEN YOU’RE ILL, EAT WELL FOR SPEEDY RECOVERY

 

No one prays to fall ill, but we do take ill, nevertheless. And it happens that when we are ill and the physician prescribes drugs, it is almost always that we must eat first before we take most drugs.

Family doctor, Femi Awoniyi, says more than ever, when we’re ill, the body needs more calories in order to function optimally. This is because the body must now work harder than normal when you are sick to enable it to fight infection, especially when you come down with fever, which is usually attended by higher body temperatures.

“All these put pressure on the body’s defence mechanism,” Awoniyi explains.

Indeed, experts warn that if your diet is lousy, you’ll get sick more often than someone who eats a healthier diet. They say viruses and bacterial infections will hit you harder and keep you out for longer.

Worse still, they say, eating poorly while you are sick will only make you sicker. “Only good nutrition allows our bodies to respond to bacterial invasion quickly and efficiently. And in order to function well, the cells of our immune system need plenty of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids,” experts say.

“So, for the body to fight infections effectively, it needs to maintain higher energy levels, hence the need to fuel it with good nutrition right from the outset,” Awoniyi adds.

In essence, food plays a big role in our healing process whenever we are ill. But then, experts say while you need to eat immune-boosting foods at all times and especially when you’re ill, certain foods are no-go areas if your recovery must be fast and total. What are these foods?

What to eat, what to avoid

Depending on what ails you, if you’ve come down with stomach upset, Awoniyi counsels against eating spicy foods such as hot peppers or extremely hot and spicy foods, because they can be rough on the stomach and cause more pain and discomfort. In fact, spicy foods when you are sick can send you to the bathroom more frequently, thus weakening you the more physically.

If you come down with mouth sores, dry mouth, or if you have trouble swallowing, then you should avoid foods that require a lot of chewing. This is because in general, sickness virtually takes away your appetite; and when you have to eat food that requires extensive chewing before you can swallow, then you may be too tired to do it. That’s why many people avoid foods such as eba, fufu, pounded yam, amala, etc., when they are ill.

Awoniyi says diminished appetite has negative effects on recovery when you are ill. That’s why your illness may take longer to heal because your body’s defense mechanism is now using its meagre reservoir to counter the illness. So, eat soft foods, especially fruit and vegetables, fish, rice and soup, etc.

Carbohydrate-rich foods such as beans, oats, wheat, potatoes, and yams; in addition to fruit such as apples, bananas, berries, orange, etc.; are also encouraged.

Awoniyi warns that if you have cold and you desire to take fruit juice, you should ask someone to make the juice for you at home if you’re too weak to do it yourself.

“Drinking the factory-made fruit juice that we have all over the place won’t cut it. This is because average juices are loaded with extra sugar and the sugar can reduce the ability of white blood cells to fight illness. As such, any benefits you might get from the vitamin C are nullified by the sugar that is present in these factory-made juices,” Awoniyi warns.

Again, the physician says when you are sick, one of the worst things you can feed on are the fast foods. He says, “Fast foods and most processed foods are void of nutritional value and they don’t boost the immune system or amplify your health.

“And because they are mostly made from genetically modified foods, they contain immune-suppressing ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, MSG, artificial colours, and much more, hence the need to avoid them.”

In the league of fast foods are fried foods. Awoniyi urges you to stay away from fried foods when you are sick. This is because fried foods have excess fats, and foods high in fat produce inflammation; while inflammation weakens the immune system.

Therefore, when you are ill, eat home-cooked foods that are wholesome, the ingredients of which you can control.

If you’re afflicted with diarrhoea, experts at online portal, webmd.com, counsels intake of soft, bland foods and avoiding greasy foods. They also advise that you drink plenty water or other fluids, since diarrhoea can quickly dehydrate anyone.

If you are constipated, you may need to avoid hard stuff such as eba, fufu, pounded yam, yam, etc. Rather, nutritionists say, eat foods that are high in fibre, especially fruit and vegetable.

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FOODS THAT CAUSE EXCESSIVE MUCOUS

Mucous is necessary in small amounts for helping trap dirt and germs, which are then moved to the back of your throat and swallowed. Sometimes, such as when you have a cold or infection, you may have more mucous than normal or thicker mucous than normal, which makes it more noticeable. Too much mucous can cause health problems from stuffy noses, runny noses to difficulty with breathing. Typically, foods contribute to mucous mainly if they cause an allergic reaction, increase histamine production or increase acid reflux symptoms. Certain beverages and foods can cause excessive mucous in certain people because they have an allergic reaction to the particular food and can also worsen certain medical conditions like asthma, colds, the flu, emphysema, COPD and cystic fibrosis. These foods include:

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Dairy products: They can cause excessive mucous, causing the mucous to be thicker than normal. Dairy foods include milk, yoghurt, cheese and the foods that have these dairy products in themHigh-fat red meat/processed meats: These can also cause excessive mucous to become a problem. This can happen with anyone, but is more of a problem with those who have COPD.

Wheat products, rye and barley: Gluten found in these products can cause excessive mucous. This is especially true for those who have an allergy or intolerance to gluten or if you have cystic fibrosis.

Alcohol: Each person is different, but too much alcohol can sometimes cause excessive mucous and the associated sinus problems.

Sugar: Caffeine and especially soda pop that contains both sugar and caffeine.

Certain fruits/vegetables: Such as bananas, cabbage and potatoes possibly cause excessive mucous, especially bananas.

Others: Caffeine, sugar, salt, non- herbal teas, (especially black tea), all create excess mucous. Soy is one of the most mucous-making plant foods there is. Those who give up meats and dairy and switch to soy products have a greater risk of creating an unhealthy mucous build-up in the body.

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FEMALE UNILAG STUDENT ELECTROCUTED AT CAMPUS HOSTEL

A female University of Lagos student was electrocuted yesterday Sept. 8th after a high tension cable fell on her in front of the Sodeinde hall of residence in the campus. According to reports, the young lady was immediately rushed to the Lagos state Teaching Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Sad! May her soul rest in peace, Amen.

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MAN GETS STABBED BY FATHER-IN-LAW

A man in Oakland County was stabbed after he discovered his wife in bed with her own father. The 25-year-old victim came home to find his wife and his father-in-law lying naked in bed together.

He woke his father-in-law up, and the two got into an argument that continued outside. The older man, Henry Allen Michael of Detroit, then allegedly stabbed his son-in-law in the back with a knife and drove away in the victim’s vehicle.

The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for a non-life threatening stab wound that may have perforated his right lung. As for the victim’s wife, she said that she did not know anything had happened until her husband woke her up. She and her father had been out drinking, and she said that she passed out when they returned home.

When she was questioned, she said that she had reason to believe she was sexually assaulted and was examined by hospital staff. At the time of the stabbing, Michael was staying at the victim’s house after having been released from prison. He has since been arrested and is being held at the Oakland County Jail.

The investigation into this incident is still ongoing.  

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REDUCING RISK OF STROKE AND HEART ATTACK

Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death, while stroke isn’t far behind. Protect your heart and brain with these steps:

• Don’t smoke: One of the best ways to protect yourself against a stroke or heart attack is by not smoking. The benefits of quitting show up after only a few months.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight increases your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and diabetes – risk factors for a stroke and heart attack.
• Limit fats and cholesterol: Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats. Instead of butter, margarine and shortening, use monounsaturated oils (olive, canola and peanut) and polyunsaturated oils (corn, safflower, sesame, sunflower and soy).
• Eat fish that have omega-3s: Eat fish that have omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and trout.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables: Produce contains nutrients such as potassium, folate and antioxidants that may protect against stroke and heart attack. Eat them daily.
• Limit alcohol use: Small amounts of alcohol may have cardiovascular benefits, but too much alcohol can raise blood pressure. Moderate drinking means no more than one drink a day for women and anyone 65 or older and no more than two drinks a day for men younger than 6

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOGHURT (PART 2)

Myth 5: Even people who are lactose-intolerant or allergic to dairy products can eat yoghurt: Because the cultures turn the milk sugar lactose into lactic acid, some people who are lactose intolerant can eat yoghurt without digestive distress. Depending on the amount of lactose present in the end product (which is usually a product of the fermentation time and the activity of the particular cultures used), a person with lactose-intolerance may not be able to eat dairy-based yoghurt. Additionally, anyone with a full-blown allergy to dairy products will still have an immune response to dairy yoghurt and needs to avoid it altogether. Having said that, there are many excellent non-dairy alternatives that still confer the health benefits of eating yoghurt.

Myth 6: The “I-eat-yoghurt-so-I-get-all-the-probiotics-I-need” myth: I regularly hear this myth from people who consider themselves knowledgeable about health and wellness. They (incorrectly) believe that yoghurt is a cure-all for what ails them and can correct any imbalances in their intestines. Because most yoghurt only contains two or three strains of probiotics (out of the 1,000 or so currently known probiotics possible in our food), you’re only going to reap the health benefits of taking these strains. However, there are many benefits from the few different strains found in yoghurt, including easing traveler’s diarrhoea, boosting nutrient absorption, and treating H. pylori infections or food poisoning. H. pylori infections have been linked to ulcers, gastritis, and other health conditions.

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Myth 7: Dairy-based Yoghurts are nutritionally superior to non-dairy-based yoghurts: While the amount of research assessing non-dairy yoghurts is still relatively small in comparison to dairy-yoghurt, there are some good studies showing the health benefits of the dairy-free versions. Non-dairy yoghurt has been linked to reducing cholesterol levels and heart-disease markers, and even demonstrated anti-cancer activity.

Even when yoghurt is portrayed in an accurate way, without embellishment of its healing properties, this delicious food still warrants superfood status.

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOGHURT (PART 1)

Myths about yoghurt and probiotics abound. To help dispel the misinformation and myths, here are the seven most common myths about yoghurt you need to know. It’s not our intention to bash yoghurt, only to present it in an accurate light.

Myth 1. All yoghurts are healthy: Not all yoghurts are healthy. Some are downright disgusting and contains more sugar than doughnuts. Some yoghurts are full of additives, colours and gums to thicken them and are best avoided altogether.

Myth 2. All yoghurts contain beneficial probiotics: Many yoghurts are heated during the manufacturing or shipping process and no longer contain the “live cultures” they claim to on the label. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to find out whether the yoghurt you buy contains live cultures other than to take a heaping tablespoon of it, add it to warm milk or milk substitute, and leave it to rest for six to eight hours. If you have a new batch of yoghurt from your experiment, then you know the original yoghurt you purchased contains live cultures. Otherwise, it probably doesn’t.

Myth 3. Yoghurt is the best source of probiotics: Not even close. Unsweetened yoghurt with live cultures is healthy and a great addition to any diet, but it isn’t the best source of probiotics by a long shot. There’s sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented pickles, curtido, kefir and miso to name a few — all of which tend to be higher in probiotics and contain many more strains of the good microbes than yoghurt.

Myth 4. Yogurt contains a vast array of probiotic strains: Yoghurt usually contains two or three different strains of probiotics, which depend on the cultures used to inoculate the particular yoghurt you’re buying. Yoghurt usually contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and, occasionally, Streptococcus salivarius or Bifidobacteria. Don’t worry: there’s no connection between S. salivarius and the Strep bacteria that makes you sick.

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GETTING YOUR VITAMINS

In recent years there has been increasing evidence that multivitamins and single or combination vitamin-mineral supplements may not provide the health benefit consumers expect. In some cases, the opposite or no beneficial effects have been reported. If you eat a balanced diet, taking a multivitamin may mean you’ll exceed what your body needs or can use. Talk to your doctor or dietitian to weigh the possible benefits and risks of a vitamin supplements.

Get enough calcium: Women age 51 and older and men 71 and older need 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day. For men ages 51 to 70, the recommendation is 1,000mg daily.

Get enough vitamin D: This helps the body absorb calcium and is essential to maintain proper bone strength. Because many older adults don’t get regular exposure to sunlight and have trouble absorbing vitamin D, taking a supplement with 600 international units , or 800 IU if you’re older than 70, may help improve bone health.

Look for vitamin B-12 (cobalamin): Adequate levels of this vitamin may reduce your risk of anemia, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Older adults often don’t absorb this vitamin well. A supplement with 2 micro grams may help. You also may need supplemental vitamin B-12 if you take a proton pump inhibitor, your stomach doesn’t have enough acid, you’ve had gastric bypass surgery or you’re a strict vegetarian.

• Check the iron content: Adult men and women who are beyond menopause generally don’t need iron supplements. Because of the risk of iron overload, don’t take a multivitamin with iron unless your doctor recommends it.

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WE’LL NEVER HANG BUHARI’S PORTRAIT IN OUR OFFICES –PDP

The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party has refused to hang the official portrait of President Muhammadu Buhari at the party’s national secretariat.

Over 100 days after the President assumed office, the PDP has yet to hang his portrait at any of the offices in its Wadata House national secretariat, located at Zone 5, Abuja. The party has also said it would never put Buhari’s portraits on its walls though it has removed that of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who ruled on the platform of the PDP.

“We will never hang his portrait in this office, because President Buhari is not known to our party. He is not a leader of our party and therefore we will never put his portrait here. We are a political party, very partisan and therefore, we are not going to hide that,” National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday.

Jonathan was also the presidential candidate of the former ruling party during the last general election but he was defeated by Buhari, who was the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress.

The defeat was the first to be suffered by the PDP since the return of democracy in 1999.

Before now, the party has always been hanging the portraits of all the Presidents at the party’s reception area as well as the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee halls within the secretariat.

Metuh said the APC also did not hang the portrait of Jonthan in its offices before the former President was defeated in the March 28 election.

“Can you find out if the APC had the portrait of former President Jonathan in their office before he was defeated? That is just it,” he told our correspondent. When asked whether the party was taking its own pound of flesh, Metuh said no but that since Buhari “is not a member of our party, we won’t put his portrait here.”

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, expressed shock at Metuh’s comment.

“This is ridiculous and we have no comment. Let Nigerians judge the PDP on this matter,” Mohammed said.

He said the PDP spokesman had a shallow understanding of the concept of opposition politics.

Meanwhile, work has stopped at the new secretariat of the PDP, located in the Central Business District, Abuja. Investigations by our correspondent indicated that contractors handling the project were only doing skeletal jobs at the site. When our correspondent visited the site on Tuesday, there was no visible job being done at the site.

It was gathered that the cost of the project was put at N11.5bn when it was awarded some years ago. At completion, the building is expected to have 12 floors, with two other floors serving as the car park.

The party had claimed that the project was being financed from levies and contributions from members. When a fund-raising dinner was organized a few years ago, the party was able to realize about N5bn, and the project, which started more than four years ago, was to be delivered in 126 weeks.

The former National Chairman of the party, under whose leadership the project commenced, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, had then said that the complex, when completed, would strengthen the capacity of the PDP to discharge its role effectively in Africa.

The party had claimed on January 5, 2015 that it was going to spend part of the N21.8bn it realized from the party’s fund-raising on the party’s secretariat.

A former Minister for Information and the Chairman of the party’s Fund-raising Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, had said the money donated to the PDP was not meant for the campaign of the defeated Jonathan alone.

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