5 ms·

I guess fine Particulate Matter (PM) is the lead of the 21st century. Hopefully findings like these (and those linking it to cardiovascular issues) will prompt

I guess fine Particulate Matter (PM) is the lead of the 21st century. Hopefully findings like these (and those linking it to cardiovascular issues) will prompt legislators to action.

curun1r 9y ago
Or, in the case of the US, it will cause politicians to neuter the EPA and do everything possible to avoid studying problems like this. It's only a problem if we know about it, right?
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  Happens all around the world, unfortunately. Where I live, a small city was called out in a radio show for having the worst air quality in the region. The mayor of that city decided to fix the problem quickly and efficiently - by shutting down the air monitoring station.
hammock 9y ago
Fine particulate matter was the lede of last century too. Asbestos (mesothelioma), talcum powder (ovarian cancer), titanium dioxide (it's in everything), plastic microbeads (voluntarily discontinued), 9/11 cleanup crew issues, Doritos flavor dust (I saw an article on this somewhere...) How do we solve particulate getting in your brain though? Nanorobots for removal?
- stefantalpalaru 9y ago
  > Nanorobots for removal? Don't hold your breath. What we're getting instead is even more fine particulate matter from nanomaterials.
- extra88 9y ago
  I think Tharkun mean "lead" as in leaded gasoline and lead paint.
  - hammock 9y ago
    Good one, thanks. In that case I would expand lead to be heavy metals generally (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic etc)
    - Tharkun 9y ago
      Ah yes, sorry about the confusion. I was indeed talking about lead (Pb), or rather tetramethyllead as it was added to gasoline as an anti-knocking agent last century. It's something that was suspected to be bad early on, but the scale of it wasn't realized until much later. Of course, political nonsense and corruption came into play as well. Just like now.
- hammock 9y ago
  Edit: probably doesn't count as fine particulate matter, but I would also consider fluorocarbons (PFCs etc) as a contender. They are in everything from clothing to carpet to food packaging and are emerging as a pretty bad thing for humans and the environment.
burntrelish1273 9y ago
On leaded gasoline (TEL), there were strongly-correlations between state-by-state lock-step reduction in crime and reduced lead pollution, ie, introduction of catalytic converters and outlawing TEL for most uses. [0] There might be a need to equip vehicle exhaust systems with nanoparticle traps to prevent pollution in the first place, if the risk to public health QALY is demonstrably significant. Also, it underscores the need to move to a mostly EV society. 0: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gasoline-crime-increase-children-health/ http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure...

I guess fine Particulate Matter (PM) is the lead of the 21st century. Hopefully findings like these (and those linking it to cardiovascular issues) will prompt legislators to action.

curun1r 9y ago

Or, in the case of the US, it will cause politicians to neuter the EPA and do everything possible to avoid studying problems like this. It's only a problem if we know about it, right?

TeMPOraL 9y ago
Happens all around the world, unfortunately. Where I live, a small city was called out in a radio show for having the worst air quality in the region. The mayor of that city decided to fix the problem quickly and efficiently - by shutting down the air monitoring station.

hammock 9y ago

Fine particulate matter was the lede of last century too. Asbestos (mesothelioma), talcum powder (ovarian cancer), titanium dioxide (it's in everything), plastic microbeads (voluntarily discontinued), 9/11 cleanup crew issues, Doritos flavor dust (I saw an article on this somewhere...) How do we solve particulate getting in your brain though? Nanorobots for removal?

stefantalpalaru 9y ago
> Nanorobots for removal? Don't hold your breath. What we're getting instead is even more fine particulate matter from nanomaterials.
extra88 9y ago
I think Tharkun mean "lead" as in leaded gasoline and lead paint.
- hammock 9y ago
  Good one, thanks. In that case I would expand lead to be heavy metals generally (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic etc)
  - Tharkun 9y ago
    Ah yes, sorry about the confusion. I was indeed talking about lead (Pb), or rather tetramethyllead as it was added to gasoline as an anti-knocking agent last century. It's something that was suspected to be bad early on, but the scale of it wasn't realized until much later. Of course, political nonsense and corruption came into play as well. Just like now.
hammock 9y ago
Edit: probably doesn't count as fine particulate matter, but I would also consider fluorocarbons (PFCs etc) as a contender. They are in everything from clothing to carpet to food packaging and are emerging as a pretty bad thing for humans and the environment.

burntrelish1273 9y ago

On leaded gasoline (TEL), there were strongly-correlations between state-by-state lock-step reduction in crime and reduced lead pollution, ie, introduction of catalytic converters and outlawing TEL for most uses. [0] There might be a need to equip vehicle exhaust systems with nanoparticle traps to prevent pollution in the first place, if the risk to public health QALY is demonstrably significant. Also, it underscores the need to move to a mostly EV society. 0: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gasoline-crime-increase-children-health/ http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure...