Effects of UV Radiation on Humans

Effects of UV Radiation on Humans

Jeff Walters, February 27th 2017

Ultraviolet radiation are waves that are shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. UV radiation primarily come from the sun where it makes up less than 1% (the other 99% is visible light). UV radiation is responsible for the production of Vitamin D which also helps produce testosterone which helps produce muscle mass and lower body fat. Sunlight energies the molecules surrounding your skin which go to the kidney and pick up oxygen and hydrogen to become vitamin D. Vitamin D is responsible for metabolism as it makes it much easier for the body to absorb calcium and other minerals and works as a negative feedback loop so it does not become toxic. However, UV radiation is responsible for sunburns, tanning, premature aging, suppression of the immune system, eye damage and skin cancer.

Sun burns are the increase of dilation of red blood cells due to UV radiation. These burns result in peeling, itchiness and more. Some people may tan where the enzymes in the body change to produce melanin changing the pigment of the skin. Why darker skin people do not have more melanin they do have larger melanin because they are natural for habitats with more UV radiation. UV radiation changes the structure of the epidermis degenerating the skin. This results in sunspots, wrinkles and damaged skin. UV radiation is responsible for suppressing the immune system because it hinders the normal surveillance system of antigens slowing down metabolic pathways. The eyes absorb 99% of the UV radiation making them more susceptible to blindness, cataracts and macular degeneration. FInally skin cancer is caused by UV radiation because UV radiation damages the cell’s telomeres DNA which causes uncontrolled growth resulting in tumours and death.

References

http://enhs.umn.edu/current/5103/uv/harmful.html

Nuclear Physics

Nuclear Radiation

Jeff Walters, October 23rd 2016, Physics 11U Unit D

Nuclear radiation has a stigma to cause birth defects, fish growing legs and the Simpsons evil Mr. Burns owns a nuclear power plant. While it nuclear radiation is so prominent in culture from superheroes to Godzilla, it is most often misunderstood. This paper will cover basic topics of nuclear physics, effects of radiation regarding human and environmental health, nuclear power and its importance in the 21st century.

Nuclear Physics

The nucleus of the atom holds onto protons and neutrons which are held together by strong force. When the nucleus of one atoms hits another nucleus hard enough under extremely high temperatures then energy in the form of light heat is released.This can be seen in the stars which undergo fusion reactions; the combination of two or more atoms nucleuses as opposed to fission the breaking apart of an atom’s nucleus. This is called stellar nucleosynthesis.

Isotopes are atoms that have a different amount of neutrons than they normally would (hence the name of the baseball team in the Simpsons is the Springfield Isotopes). This can be very useful for such as cobalt-60 which was developed by Canadian Harold Johns for diagnostic purposes. The reason why it is so useful is because it emits radioactive radiation which kills cancer cells.However ionization radiation can be very dangerous because of its high energy in the form of particles or waves ionizes cells which damages their DNA.

Radiation is the transfer of energy through waves or fast moving particles, a principle of quantum mechanics. The unstable nuclei decay and releases alpha, beta particles or gamma rays or other forms of radiation. This is also useful when examining old bones to determine the age. This method is called carbon dating. Nuclei decay is a bit tricky. The half life is determined by looking at a collection of carbon-14 atoms and how long will it take for half of these atoms to decay to nitrogen 14 through beta decay.

Some forms of radiation include alpha decay which is the emission of helium nucleuses which can be stopped by a piece of paper, beta decay which a neutron changes into a proton, an electron and a antineutrino which can be stopped by a piece of wood and finally a gamma ray which emits photons of light when an electrons moves from a higher state to a lower state.

Effects of Radiation

Not all effects of radiation are useful like the ones mentioned above. Some like lead-210 and polonium-210 accumulate in the lungs of smokers and are believed to cause cancer. This is why when you go to the dentist they give you a lead suit to wear when taking pictures of your bones to prevent the radiation from destroying your DNA. Strontium-90 from nuclear bombs causes sterility, thyroid cancer, cataracts, birth defects, leukemia and inflammation and burning of the skin. However some like Tritium which is chemically identical to water and cannot be filtered out has no observable effects on the body as we know so far.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is where the fission reactions of typically uranium-238 produce usable energy to power machines. Fusion would be much more useful but the temperatures to do so are so highly that it is almost impossible to recreate with our current technology (there was once a report on Cold Fusion where it could occur at room temperature, but it has been debunked many times). Fission though  is used in over 50 countries and is considered more green than fossil fuels because it does not emit pollutants if it is stored properly, which does not always happen. Spontaneous fission maybe the result of an atom’s nucleus breaking apart or induced fission which when a neutron creeps through the electron cloud into the nucleus of another atom where it makes the atom unstable and then breaks apart.

The Fukushima nuclear plant which leaked in 2011 was the worst nuclear meltdown in history polluting the whole Pacific ocean, yet it is covered very little. 500 tons of nuclear radiation pours into the Pacific ocean everyday destroying species and habitats all over the world.  This is partly because in Canada under Stephen Harper, scientists were not allowed to discuss the effects of radiation poisoning because it would scare the public but what you don’t know, like carbon monoxide, most definitely can kill you. This has depleted and contaminated our stocks of salmon in British Columbia, a distance of 7500km.This is putting more people’s lives at risk of death and adverse effects and not just on coastal regions as we know it spreads through soil, water, air etc. This however is not blaming Stephen Harper for the accident, but him not asserting the dangers of faulty nuclear power plants and its effects on humans and the environment. For example, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un likens to stroke himself by testing nuclear bombs in the Mantapsan mountains which have resulted in numerous birth defects and an unusually high mortality rate. This is because nuclear radiation irradiated the underground water table where people get their drinking water. Canada, Japan and North Korea are not alone in not addressing the problems that environmental damage has. Chernobyl has become such a significant event it appears it so many medias (Goon 2012 who’s most quotable line as determined by Google refers to the eastern European brothers as “Chernobyl motheruckers”). This is mostly because Chernobyl happened in Europe so people actually care as compared to Asia or North America where society as whole does not deem valuable because of the lack of castles. The other half of the problem is the largely uneducated population of all countries not understanding basic principles of physics or science for that matter. If you dump 500 tons of nuclear waste into the pacific everyday, it is not going to stay in one place. This is the same for climate change. The world as a whole is warming because of the many human activities which cause pollution but there will be no change in Canada until people stop bullshitting themselves that the tar sands does not only affect northern Alberta. So unless there is another major disaster in Europe resulting in the loss many lives, there will be no change in environmental policy regarding nuclear meltdowns.

References

Nelson Physics 11

Centre for Research on Globalisation

Daily Mail

Organic Chemistry Journal

Organic Chemistry Journal

Jeff Walters, April 12th 2016

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY CIRCUITS ARE FLEXIBLE AND WORK WE, Hackaday,  Al Williams, March 21st 2016

Old standard circuitry is not able to keep up with the more modern technology. This constant innovation led us from the first computer to the latest smartphone. An international team of researchers is developing chemical-based circuitry that uses gold nanoparticles and electrically charged organic molecules to build circuit elements that act like semiconductor diode junctions. These systems are able to operate without getting wet. Other circuit elements similar to transistors and light sensors should be possible even though these circuits are not perfect either. The switching speed needs improvement as well as these chemical circuits have difficulties if things get dry. There is still room for improvement. This technology needs a good bit of engineering refinement before it is practical.

I wonder how this new technology is going to affect electricians and technicians alike and will new requirements for jobs be changed. Also are these new conductors more environmentally safe or hazardous and do they use more less energy than conventional ones.

Chemists develop carbon-carbon bond formation without toxic by-products, Science Daily, Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), April 7th 2016

Chemists have found a way to avoid producing a large amount of toxic waste at carbon-carbon bond formation. Ordinary water and nature solvents is suggested to be used. New methods are the result of a long-term palladium catalyzed reaction research, a study for which the 2010 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded

If they are using ordinary water, will it out soon run out causing a whole strain of new problems? Unless they plan on doing this through evaporation and precipitation this seems like a it could not last for too long but I assume they already have thought of this if they wish to apply it practically.

Enhanced ethylene separation and plasticization resistance in polymer membranes incorporating metal–organic framework nanocrystals, Nature Materials, April 11th 2016

The start of membrane-based separations in the petrochemical industry has the ability to reduce energy consumption significantly relative to conventional separation processes. To do this requires the development of new membrane materials with greater selectivity, permeability and stability than what is currently being used. This article reports composite materials made of nanocrystals of metal–organic frameworks covered within a high-performance polyimide, which can exhibit enhanced selectivity for ethylene over ethane, greater ethylene permeability and improved membrane stability. These results suggest that framework–polymer interactions reduce chain mobility of the polymer while at the same time boosting membrane separation performance. The increased stability, or plasticization resistance, is expected to improve membrane utility under real process conditions for petrochemical separations and natural gas purification. This approach can be broadly applied to numerous polymers that encounter aggressive environments, potentially making gas separations possible that were previously inaccessible to membranes.

I think this is a interesting article because instead of stopping or slowing down petrol, it aims to just lower the energy required to run it. If it reaches such a point maybe they can become stabilized electrically which would at least be a step in the right direction. Petrol still has a huge impact on the environment and produces tons of toxins but at least the damaged can be minimized.

 Sprimo cleans the air you breathe — and tells you what’s polluting it, VB, Dean Takahashi, April 12th 2016

The sprimo is a new kind of air purifier that is improved from the past ones. This one though is personalised and tells you exactly what is polluting the air around you. There is a rating from 1 to 100 and if the lights blue you are fine, yellow not so much and red, you are in trouble. This what makes it so much more efficient but it comes with a current cost of $400. It also important to note that this filter is silent and it's parts are recyclable.

I thought this was a neat idea and is something that directly and immediately benefits the buyer as well as the surrounding environment. It is expensive so more than like only richer people will be buying them. I was concerned with the idea of having to produce more plastic to make them but their filters are recyclable. I was thinking to the rating system would be scary to plug in and you have a really low score, what has one been breathing this whole time.

Safer, cheaper, 'greener,' more efficient system for the synthesis of organic compounds, University of Texas at Arlington, March 28, 2016

Chemists at The University of Texas at Arlington have devised a safer, more environmentally friendly, less expensive and more efficient water-based system for the synthesis of organic compounds typically used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, cosmetics, plastics, textiles and household chemicals.

I prior to finding this article was reading another on cosmetics that was describing this new finding and how it can be applied to cosmetics. I am still concerned from the first article because of how important water is to our immediate survival I think more things can be given up to prevent us from using freshwater simply as a means of looking alright.

Acidification of Lakes

Acidification of Lakes

Jeff Walters, March 23rd 2016, BIO4U, Unit F

Research Question #1

Topic #2 How does the acidification of lakes from industrial processes affect fish populations?

Acidification can be seen in our oceans, rain and lakes and has been traced back to the 1970’s and started even earlier when industry were dumping tons of chemicals into the river and streams. This has lead to an increase in the acidity of our drinking water and the destruction of natural habitats. Believe it or not, most of these processes are reversible and can be remediated well. It comes down to the individual and the community to take action. The best way to get people involved is to properly educate them on the topic so let’s see what the effects of acidification in lakes looks like.

To begin most atmospheric rain is slightly acidic at about 5.6pH. Most rain falling in the USA, Canada and Europe is about 4.2pH. This was first noticed in Scandinavia in the 1970’s. Remember that one full number change in the pH is equal to ten times the acidity so a pH of 4 is 10 times as acidic as a pH of 5. This causes erosion, degradation of buildings and allows aluminum to seep into our water supply. The water is acidic because CO2 will naturally condenses in the rain creating a weak carbonic acid. What we are seeing now is sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) or their derivatives sulfates and nitrates are being added to the mixture in high amounts because of the runoff of industrial processes. Others causes for increase in acidity is: livestock introduction into the catchment, use of nitrogen fertiliser, increased efficiency of drainage, dry deposition of air pollutants and wet deposition of sulphuric and nitric acids. The main cause of all this being the atmospheric pollution that entering the lakes and oceans but what effect does that have on the organisms and their habitats especially fish populations?

Like what we learned in the biology textbook, most marine life has adapted to their surroundings. The most interesting of these is osmosis. Most creatures survive by keeping the insides of their body equal in the ions and chemicals as their environment. For example this is why fresh or saltwater organisms can not live in the other’s environment because of the salt disposition. Now if you add tons of unnaturally occurring chemicals that are harmful to creatures they will die and not reproduce. All organisms have a narrow range in which they operate in and even more so fish. They only lay their eggs in optimal pH ranges and depend on their immediate environment for water which can easily be polluted by toxins without any defense. It would be interesting to see if later populations of fish learn to adapt but that is unlikely because evolution takes many generations and this is becoming exponentially worse. Another problem is loss of marine habitat like the coral reefs in Australia. One of the largest biodiversity hubs has been destroyed almost completely due to acidification of the oceans. Because of this many fish and sea creatures lost their homes and food resulting in a collapse in the food chain. It is actually depressing to see the reefs looked before and after humans tampered with nature so rudely.

I find it ironic how we destroy the habitat that we need to live in order to improve our lives somehow. Many conservative minded people argue that it's “the” “economy” but what is a surprise to most of them is there is no one economy and that they are all changeable, unlike our need for clean water and habitat. I would like to see a much more drastic and quicker approach because although it may be remediable, the longer we wait the harder it will be.   

Works Cited

Air Quality, UK

Effects of Acid Rain, EPA

Microbes & Enzymes in Bioremediation

Microbes and Enzymes in Bioremediation

Jeff Walters, Unit C Research Question, March 1st 2016

For my Grade 11 chemistry summative I was asked to pick a topic regarding an issue that pertains to chemistry and present. While others chose topics from the given list of ideas I knew immediately that I wanted to cover the Sydney Tar Ponds, where tons and tons of toxins were dispensed over decades causing much damage to both the workers and the environment, and as well as for some historical aspects I decided to choose the ponds. A brief synopsis of the the Sydney Tar Ponds would include that in the late 1800’s coal mining and steel production companies on Cape Breton had built and industry that created the worst toxicological disaster in Canadian history. The workers were treated as slaves and had children who were born with horrifying defects. Fortunately production was halted and the government  decided to clean up the tar ponds. It has taken over 30 years but they have almost reached their goal of purifying or at least doing the best they can to remediate Sydney. uring my assignment I discovered many natural remedies for remediating the tar ponds.  

Bioremediation with microbes and enzymes is a cost effective and natural way of remediating damage that the Earth already has instilled in its nature. Beginning with the detoxification of toxic organic compounds by multiple cultures of  bacteria and fungi as well as higher plants through an  oxidative coupling process which is mediated with oxidoreductases. Microbes extract energy through an energy-yielding biochemical reaction controlled by these enzymes to split chemical bonds and to help the transfer of electrons from a reduced organic substrate into another chemical compound. During such oxidation-reduction reactions, the contaminants are finally oxidized to a harmless compound. For example in an excerpt from Hindawi Enzyme Research, “chlorinated phenolic compounds are abundant recalcitrant wastes found in the effluents generated by the paper and pulp industry. These compounds are produced upon the partial degradation of lignin during pulp bleaching process. Many fungal species are considered to be suitable for the removal of chlorinated phenolic compounds from the contaminated environments. The activity of fungi is mainly due to the action of extracellular oxidoreductase enzymes, like laccase, manganese peroxidase, and lignin peroxidase, which are released from fungal mycelium into their nearby environment. Being filamentous, fungi can reach the soil pollutants more effectively than bacteria.” The pulp and paper industry is an industry with disastrous effects all over the world and in Canada including northern Ontario and Quebec in particular but can hopefully be fixed using some of these methods. Another one includes water that is polluted with phenolic compounds can be de-contaminated by plants with the help of enzymes exuded by their roots. The plant families of Fabaceae, Gramineae, and Solanaceae release oxidoreductases which assist in oxidative degradation of some soil constituents. Phytoremediation of organic contaminants has been generally focused on three classes of compounds: chlorinated solvents, explosives, and petroleum hydrocarbons. This is also applicable as well to oil spills and leakage which surface on the ocean. These are just some of the ways bioremediation is being used to solve multiple environmental dilemmas.   

I hope that we can incorporate these scientifically proven methods in more remediation projects and dedicate more time and money into rehabilitating the environment as well as adjusting our slothful and destructive ways to become more in-tune with nature and each other.

Earth & Space Science Summative

Jeffrey Walters, May 14th 2017

1. Tomatosphere

Every year, students across Canada and in the USA from kindergarten to grade 12 participate in the Tomatosphere. Banting has been participating in the Tomatosphere for a few years now, around late April to May, and every year we plant two different types of seeds, ones germinated in space and the other germinated on Earth. The information collected will be used by the Canadian Space Agency to plan for a trial mission to Mars. Everyday, Banting students record the height for each of the seeds planted, about 24 each. Last year results show that while the seeds germinated in space grew quicker, they were not as resilient as the ones germinated on Earth. Life in space has been portrayed in many recent movies such as the Martian, Interstellar and Gravity. Sparking interest in space exploration, however, the colonisation of Mars, such as in the Martian would be impossible. This is because everything that is utilised comes from the Earth such as food and ore. Mars’ atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide, poisonous to humans but necessary for plant growth. There is no fresh water or even water in liquid form on Mars. Mars is extremely cold and night and hot during the day with a range of over 200 degrees Celsius. This results in extremely high winds much faster than hurricanes on our own planet. Mars is home to many gigantic volcanoes, much larger than are ones on Earth. Mars lacks much carbon within its crust being mostly iron, magnesium, aluminum and calcium so growing plants and stock there would be too inconvenient and expensive. The Tomatosphere is an interesting and fun activity for students to see how difficult for life to originate and be sustained, and raise curiosity about life beyond our planet.

2. Copper One

The nickel and copper rich Val D’Or in Quebec is home to the River Dore Project is home to some controversy. The Copper One company, owned by the Copper Range Company, an American mining company.  There is a 60,000-hectare property covers the base of the 80 kilometre-long Bouchette anorthosite complex 140km southeast of Val D’Or. Copper One wants to expand to the Lac Barriere area which is home to the Algonquin tribe. The Quebec government or the MFFP is trying to stop Copper One from mining there. However, hope is naive for the Algonquin tribe and concerned citizens as the MFFP is trying to sell that land at a tax free low price to logging companies. There have been countless protests especially  in South America , where companies mine copper and local watersheds are poisoned, stock dies and the population becomes mutated and plagued. There have been few government, corporate or even civilian effort to alleviate these problems. One method, tried successfully in Cape Breton, was plant remediation where pants such as tobacco were planted because they suck up most chemicals from the ground and break them down to less harmful properties. While the whole process of mining and logging is in of itself very harmful, the lack of regulation on cleanup and waste disposal is most dangerous to life. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium mercury and lead are known to lead to nerve damage, babies being born deformed, pigment changes in skin, increased risk of cancer, developmental delay of the mind. Little effort has been taken to solve the problem in both Quebec and South America and the problem will only grow worse in time.

References

Tomatosphere.org

copperone.com

Banting Green Special Edition March 2017

Climate Change and its Effect on Winter Sports

SBI4U Summative By Jared Schmidt

Introduction

Over the past 50 years throughout most of Canada in B.C. and Alberta, the average nightly low temperature in the middle of winter has increased at least 2 C near the coast and up to 5 C in parts of the Rockies. This has a tremendous effect on most, if not all of Canada’s ski resorts. Throughout my journey as a competitive alpine ski racer, I have been able to witness first hand the effect that the warmer climate is having on our winters.

Pictured above is the Hintertux Glacier located in the Tirol region of Austria. This is a popular destination for skiers of many levels. As an athlete, I have traveled to Hintertux twice over the span of 3 years  for training camps. My coach has been traveling to this same glacier for around 40 years. He has described to  me how much this glacier has melted and where they used to be able to ski and are no longer able due to the lack of ice and snow. I rode the chair with one the employees from the Hintertux Glacier and he was explaining to me about what they are doing in  attempts to preserve the glacier and slow its rapidly melting surface. They have been “tarping” certain parts of the Glacier to preserve snowpack in the summer which means earlier skiing in the fall.

Winter has become increasingly unpredictable in recent decades due to climate change, scientists and ski industry experts say. December-February temperatures in the U.S. and Canada have increased an average of 0.55 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1970, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Warmer oceans are fueling stronger winter storms—as evidenced by Boston's record 9 feet of snow last year—but warmer air temperatures also mean that snow doesn't stick around as long. Seasons are demonstrably shorter. Droughts are more severe and last longer. This kind of weather whiplash is expected  to worsen in coming decades.

Snowmaking can help some mountains overcome the inconsistency of winter, but it comes at a steep cost—an average $500,000 annually. Many mom-and-pop resorts, especially those at lower latitudes or elevations, with tight budgets are the first to disappear.

The number of ski areas in the U.S. has dropped almost 20 percent in the last two decades, from 546 in 1992 to 470 today, according to the National Ski Areas Association. Locally owned businesses, like hotels, restaurants and ski shops, are feeling the pinch as much as the resorts themselves.

The snowsports industry—which supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributes $12.2 billion to the U.S. economy every year—is already hurting.

"This is an industry that is literally seeing climate change first hand," said Chris Steinkamp, the executive director of the environmental advocacy group Protect Our Winters. "People are realizing this is something that needs to be addressed, that climate change is not this theory anymore."

Conclusion

How much do you enjoy putting your ski boots on and heading outside on a beautiful sunny winter day? That feeling of the cold air hitting your face as you make turns through the freshly groomed run. To me, there is nothing quite like it. If we do not start doing something about climate change, we won’t be able to enjoy these fun winter activities that we as Canadians are lucky enough to be blessed with. Let’s keep our winters.

As for me, I and currently planning on moving out west to Calgary to pursue my passion for skiing and the environment at The University of Mount Royal. I will be taking part time courses in Ecotourism and Outdoor Adventure towards a bachelor in Physical Education.  I will be competing at the national and  international level for Canada racing Ski-Cross on the North American circuit and hopefully will be attending the  FIS Junior World Championships again next year. With the main goal being the 2222 Olympics in 4 years. Wherever I am around the world skiing, I will continue to observe the effects that climate change is having on our beautiful winters.  

Let it snow!

Jared Schmidt

References

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/alpine-ski-resorts-could-lose-up-to-70-of-snow-cover-by-2100-experts

http://www.powder.com/stories/news/campaign-donations-link-ski-industry-leaders-climate-change-deniers/

https://cwsaa.org/policy/climate-change/