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The sector is urging the government to expand their Medicare reforms to include children's specialist care.
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SBS Australia
34 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Sugar alternatives are on the rise. They might not be so sweet for the environment
Artificial sweeteners are popular in Australia, with more than one tonne of them consumed daily across the country and food manufacturers increasingly pivoting to sugar-free soft drinks and confectionery. But a new study suggests that the environment might be paying the price for the rise of popular sugar substitutes, with the alternatives building up in waterways around the world. The research, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, was led by University of Technology Sydney's Dr Xuan Li. Researchers examined the type and prevalence of artificial sweeteners in wastewater treatment plants across 24 countries, as well as changes in concentration and how effectively they were removed. It found widely used sugar substitutes are not decomposing, and are turning into 'forever chemicals' that are comparable to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their potential harm to animals and the environment. LISTEN TO SBS News 14/07/2025 04:29 English PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals commonly used in water-resistant and non-stick items. They have been identified in a growing body of research as a toxin and carcinogen with proven negative impacts on the environment and human health. Why do sweeteners cause a problem? Unlike natural sugars, artificial sweeteners are designed to resist digestion and not be fully absorbed by the human body. For the same reason, they don't break down as easily in waterways or on the land, and can enter wastewater systems that aren't equipped to deal with them through standard treatment processes. "Whatever we are eating will eventually discharge into wastewater and become concentrated in wastewater treatment plants," Li said. "Our treatment plants are not easily able to degrade them as well. So they will be directly discharged into the environment. And this will gradually lead to the accumulation in the environment and eventually effect all the water creatures." Artificial sweeteners are not fully absorbed by the human body. Source: Getty / Juanmonino/iStockphoto Li said that some fish may die early as a result, and that represented a potentially big problem in the ecosystem. "The bottom line is anything changing the fish will eventually impact the upper food chain and impact other creatures. We have found algae can be impacted, and they all of a sudden bloom, and all of a sudden die, because of the build-up of artificial sweeteners." Were all sweeteners equally harmful? No. One product scored worst when it came to its ability to decompose (or lack thereof) — sucralose, which is marketed as Splenda in supermarkets around the world. Acesulfame, also known as Ace K, was also harder to remove and was released into the wider environment. Two other sweeteners, saccharin and cyclamate, were comparatively easy to remove from water, the study found. These four substitutes were found to be the most prevalent artificial sweeteners. Other artificial sweeteners found in wastewater included neotame, stevia and neo hesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC). What could the potential impact be? Li says its impossible to know how long it will take for the build-up of these microtoxins to have a detrimental impact on humans — and to know how severe that impact could be. She said that while there has been much focus on PFAS in recent years, artificial sweeteners have a similar "accumulation pathway" in our environment and in drinking water, affecting organisms. Li said more research needs to happen to determine the impact of sweeteners on our planet, ecosystem and personal health. The study calls for ongoing monitoring, tighter regulations and improved treatment technologies to reduce the potential environmental risks artificial sweeteners pose. In the meantime, Li said we each have a choice. "As consumers ourselves, we can think twice when we are trying to purchase a product," Li said. "I know artificial sweeteners can sound very tempting if you're trying to control your blood sugar level, your body weight. But the question is, do we really understand them well enough? If not, maybe the conventional sugary stuff will be a better solution."
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Thousands from LGBTQI+ and sex worker communities can now donate plasma
Thousands of members of the LGBTQI+ and sex worker communities can now donate plasma in Australia without having to wait three months from the last time they had sex. On Monday, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most wait time restrictions for gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers and those on the common HIV prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This change means an estimated 625,000 additional Australians are now eligible to donate plasma. Often referred to as the "liquid gold" part of blood, plasma is used to treat more than 50 medical conditions. During the HIV crisis in the 1980s, Australia introduced an indefinite ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood and plasma in order to prevent transmission through blood transfusion. Skye McGregor from the Kirby Institute said this was in part due to the lengthy time it took to confirm if HIV was present in test results. "To have no deferral now around sexual activity through the plasma pathway is really significant," Dr McGregor said. Other factors such as a 33 per cent drop in HIV diagnoses since 2014, and increased sensitivity of HIV tests — which can detect an infection within a week — have also contributed to the lifting of restrictions. "Whilst these changes were necessary in the past to ensure that blood safety, we also know that they did contribute to stigma within particularly the gay and bisexual community," Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said. From July 14, people in these previously restricted groups can donate plasma immediately, regardless of sexual activity. The only exception is for those who've recently had sex with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus. "It's a beautiful moment," Joshua Smith said, who donated for the first time on Monday. "Blood and plasma donations was one of the last things it felt like gay and bisexual people and trans communities were excluded from. Fellow donor Kane Wheatley added: "It's one of those things that you spend your whole life thinking this is just not going to get across the line, and when it does it feels really nice to be able to be here to support it, normalise it for people as well." Lifeblood estimates an additional 625,000 Australians may now be eligible to donate plasma. It is hoping for 24,000 new donors and 95,000 additional donations a year. The next step is for gay, bisexual and other members of the LGBTQI+ community to be able to donate what's known as "whole blood", not just plasma. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recently approved a gender-neutral risk assessment for blood and platelet donations, which is the first step in the process. This means everyone — regardless of gender or sexual orientation — will be asked if they have had sex (excluding oral sex) with a new or more than one partner in the past six months. If they answer yes, they will be asked whether this included having anal sex in the past three months. Anyone who answers yes will be deferred from donating blood for six months, but will be able to donate plasma. This means gay and bisexual men in long-term, monogamous relationships will be able to donate whole blood without abstaining from sex. This change will be implemented sometime next year, Adjunct Professor Cornelissen said. Let Us Give, a campaign to ensure equality when it comes to blood donation, welcomed the change to giving plasma but said the whole blood rules remain "discriminatory" as they stand currently. Spokesperson Rodney Croome said policy should centre on "the safety of a donor's sexual activity rather than the gender of their sexual partner". He said an approach change like this would "open up a new source of safe blood for those in need and remove discrimination from Australia's blood collection system". Those who have recently had sex with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus will still be unable to donate blood or plasma. There are also restrictions that prevent people taking some medications, those who have medical conditions such as MS or cancer, people who are pregnant or less than nine months postpartum, and those who have recently undergone surgery from making donations. The rule preventing people who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 from donating in Australia was lifted in July 2022.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
First physical evidence of blast wave injury found in an Australian soldier's brain
The brain of a deceased Australian veteran has been examined by Australian scientists who found evidence of an unusual pattern of brain scarring seen in people repeatedly exposed to blast waves. Warning: This story contains details of a suicide and may disturb some readers. Around 450 serving soldiers and veterans have pledged their brains to the Australian Veterans Brain Bank following their deaths, hoping within them there will be microscopic evidence explaining the invisible damage caused by years of service. Six donor brains have been received, with four now analysed. Blast overpressure occurs when a weapon is fired and the explosion creates an invisible high pressure shock wave which travels through the body — including the brain, damaging the delicate brain tissue. Repeated exposure can cause symptoms like memory loss, aggression, depression and suicidality but the damage often can't be seen on scans in living patients. It's only after death when the brain is dissected that the unique pattern of scarring known as Interface Astroglial Scarring (or IAS) can be seen. The first Australian donor with that distinct pattern of brain scarring was a veteran with repeated exposure to blasts "over a long period of time", said Australian Veterans Brain Brain Bank director Michael Buckland. The brain scarring aligns with findings seen overseas. "There is a disturbing association with problems with mental health and [symptoms mirroring] Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with this brain pathology," Dr Buckland said. "Everyone I've spoken to in the neuropathology community understands that there is brain injury associated with blasts that needs to be actioned." The Australian finding is significant according to former Australian Army Special Forces officer and veterans' advocate Paul Scanlan, who has been campaigning to expose the impact of repeated low-level blasts on Australian soldiers for years. "I hope this helps it be recognised as an injury caused by service, opens up research and funding, and draws more attention to the plight of veterans here." Scientists at the US Department of Defense Brain Bank first discovered the unique pattern of star-shaped scarring between the white and grey matter in the brain known as IAS in 2016. Last year through interviews with dozens of military personnel, veterans and their families, New York Times reporter David Philipps pieced together what the US military had not: A group of elite Navy SEALs who died by suicide all had evidence of blast wave damage within their brains. "Many of the SEALs who died knew that something was going wrong in their head before they died." One of those that died went to great lengths to ensure the message got through. He wrote a suicide note describing his symptoms before killing himself in such a way as to preserve his brain, so it could be then analysed at a state-of-the-art Defense Department laboratory in Maryland. "He set out a stack of books that he had read on concussion and other types of brain injuries and he hoped that would be his legacy," Mr Philipps said. The determination to get their brains to the lab in the hours after their deaths was driven by the widows of the SEALs who suspected something was wrong with their husband's brains, Mr Philipps says. "They were talking to each other. They had learned about this research and this brain lab that had just been set up, and they had really taken it upon themselves to make sure these brains got there — and also make sure that other widows knew about this — often in the hours after their husband's death," Mr Philipps said. Despite all nine brains being analysed in a Defense Department lab, the information never made it back to the SEAL leadership, he said. "There should have been a red flashing light saying 'warning, warning, everyone we've looked at has a brain injury'. "But that just wasn't happening." Dr Buckland from the Australian Veterans Brain Bank has travelled to the US to present his findings and meet scientists from the brain bank there. "At this stage it is a numbers game. The more brains we're able to examine, the more clinical and medical histories we're able to analyse, the faster we're going to get answers," Dr Buckland said. "There is now, at least within the NATO community, consensus that this is an issue and something needs to be done sooner rather than later. "The first thing is trying to stop the injuries occurring in the first place — so regulating exposure, being able to accurately measure exposure — to try and minimise the risk." Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart told 7.30 he had been briefed on the AVBB's findings. "We're also working with the US who have over, I think it's about 450 brains in their brain bank. So in terms of being able to draw conclusions from a larger data set, we're very interested in that as well," General Stuart said. The Australian Army has been repeatedly criticised for failing to act swiftly on trials dating back over a decade that have repeatedly found Australian soldiers are at risk of brain injury from blast overpressure during training and combat. General Stuart says he wants to see baseline cognitive testing of soldiers at enlistment and deployment — as well as monitoring and recording their exposure to blasts during training. Both measures which are not yet happening across the ADF. "I'm really keen to make sure that we're doing everything we possibly can to prevent illness or injury wherever we can," Lieutenant General Stuart said. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
