Latest news with #DesMoinesUniversity
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Experts pinpoint shocking cancer trigger in TAP WATER as map shows worst-affected areas of the US
A silent killer is lurking in tens of millions of faucets nationwide, with families in agricultural areas of the country at greatest risk. A mixture of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and livestock manure are leaching into the groundwater, creating nitrates - compounds naturally found in the environment that can be harmful in large amounts - which can cause methemoglobinemia, a potentially fatal condition in infants commonly known as blue-baby syndrome. Long-term exposure to this chemical in water — even below the EPA's maximum safety limit of 10 mg/L — is linked to thyroid, kidney, ovarian, bladder, and colon cancers, DNA damage, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and rising colon cancer rates in young people. New research from the Des Moines University College of Health Sciences zeroed in on the effects that a pregnant woman's exposure to the chemical has on her unborn baby. Nitrate levels as low as just one percent of the EPA's safety limit increased the risks of preterm birth and low birth weight, conditions that have been linked to a higher risk of chronic disease, learning disabilities, and mental health struggles in the baby's future. Dr Jason Semprini, the study's author, said that exposure to nitrate in pregnancy causes about 15 percent as much harm as smoking during pregnancy. 'I do not want to diminish the importance of efforts to prevent smoking during pregnancy,' he said. 'But, I must ask, do we give nitrates 15 percent of the attention we give to smoking?' An estimated 60 million Americans rely on tap water that is, unbeknownst to them, laced with nitrates. They tend to live in states and rural areas where agriculture is central to the economy, such as Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, central California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Dr Semprini added: 'Our work adds to the evidence base that the current regulatory threshold (more than 10mg/L) may be insufficient for protecting the in utero transmission of water-based nitrate during the first trimester of pregnancy.' His research was published in the journal PLOS Water. Nitrate pollution affects larger cities, as well. An analysis by the Environmental Working Group highlighted the problem in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Miami, and the suburbs of New York City. Drinking water in 43 states had nitrate levels of 3 mg/L or higher in major water systems, while 39 states had at least one large system with levels at or above 5 mg/L, according to the group's latest report. While still below the EPA's maximum safety limit, public health experts argue the standards should be stricter. When the safety limit was first established in the 1950s, scientists discovered that levels as low as 11 mg/L could cause blue baby syndrome. Blue Baby Syndrome, clinically known as methemoglobinemia, is a rare but serious condition where an infant's blood cannot carry enough oxygen, leading to a bluish skin discoloration, particularly around the lips, fingers, and toes. The most well-known cause is nitrate contamination in drinking water, which is sometimes mixed with formula. It's very rare, with fewer than 100 cases reported in the US, but it is more common in parts of the world where well water is not tested. According to former Wisconsin state toxicologist Dave Belluck, the standard was set at 10, right up to the edge of safety. 'It's akin to a cliff,' he said. 'When you're standing on the edge of the cliff, you're safe. You take one step, and it's just like the Road Runner.' But Belluck dove deeper into the research that informed safety designation, finding that some infants in the study became sick at nitrate levels nearly 30 times lower, just 0.4 mg/L. He now believes the EPA's standards should be stricter, arguing that the science clearly shows nitrates are more harmful than previously thought. Other studies on the subject have come to similar conclusions. Researchers from Nova Scotia, Canada, tracked major birth defects recorded in the area between 1998 and 2006 and found they were twice as likely in areas where drinking water nitrate levels were between 1 and 5.56 mg/L. Exposure over time to nitrates could also increase a person's risk of a variety of cancers and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified the compounds as 'probably carcinogenic to humans'. A 2008 study of women in rural Wisconsin found that women drinking water containing 10 mg/l or more were nearly three times as likely to get a deadly cancer that affects the first part of the colon. Even nitrate levels between one and 5.9 mg/l increased the risk of cancer by 1.4 times. Meanwhile, in Spain and Italy, scientists identified a connection between nitrates in drinking water and colorectal cancer. Analyzing nearly 5,400 participants, the study revealed that people who consumed more than 10 mg of nitrate per day from water – roughly equivalent to drinking two liters of water containing 5 mg/L of nitrate – had a 49 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who drank half that amount. In Iowa, researchers uncovered links between nitrate exposure and thyroid cancer in older women. Tracking nearly 22,000 women for decades, researchers found that those who drank water with nitrate levels above 5 mg/L for at least five years faced a 2.6 times higher risk of thyroid cancer. And a long-term study of over 28,000 postmenopausal women in 2015 found that those with the highest nitrate levels in their public water supply (2.98 mg/L or above) had twice the risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to those with the lowest levels. Private well users also saw a moderately elevated risk – 1.5 times – due to agricultural runoff contaminating groundwater. In total, researchers found 315 cases of ovarian cancer over 24 years of follow-up. Nitrate is highly soluble in water, making it difficult and expensive to eliminate. Individual homes or municipal water supply systems could be fitted with reverse osmosis and ion exchange filters to remove toxins from their drinking water. Still, those are expensive and out of reach for many. In addition to stemming from agricultural run-off, leaky septic systems can release untreated wastewater containing nitrates. Landfills, factories, and food processing plants can also leach nitrates over time.
The Hill
25-06-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Agricultural contaminants in drinking water linked to higher preterm birth rates: Study
Exposure to a common agricultural contaminant in drinking water, even in small doses, may be linked to increased risks of preterm birth, a new study has found. The pollutant, called nitrate, is also associated with low birth weight in infants whose mothers consumed affected water during pregnancy, according to the study, published on Wednesday in PLOS Water. While nitrate is a naturally occurring compound that is necessary to plants and animals for survival, its widespread use in inorganic fertilizers has increased the compound's presence in the environment. When excess nitrate is consumed by humans, usually via drinking water contaminated by agricultural runoff, the chemical can interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen, the study explained. 'There is no safe level of prenatal nitrate exposure,' author Jason Semprini, an assistant professor in public health economics at Des Moines University, said in a statement. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a maximum threshold for the compound's presence in drinking water in 1992, there has been no official recognition of adverse birth outcomes as an associated outcome. As such, Semprini set out to evaluate possible risks — evaluating 357,741 birth records from Iowa from 1970 to 1988. Linking each birth to county-level nitrate measurements taken within 30 days of conception, he observed that concentrations rose about 8 percent per year. After controlling for seasonal variables and other factors, Semprini found that early prenatal exposure above 0.1 milligrams per liter — just 1 percent of the current EPA limit — was linked to a rise in preterm birth incidence. Meanwhile, early prenatal exposure to nitrate at levels greater than 5 milligrams per liter — half of the EPA limit — was associated with an increased likelihood of low birthweight, according to the study. The research identified no additional risk on birth outcomes at elevated nitrate levels: those greater than the federal regulatory bar. Although Semprini acknowledged that the scope of the study was limited, due to its focus on one state, he said that more recent data from other states and sources could help bolster the strength of the connection. Going forward, he expressed hopes that the research could help inform the reevaluation of current federal standards, which remain unchanged since 1992 — despite a surge in nitrate levels in groundwater nationwide. The current threshold, Semprini continued, could be 'insufficient for protecting the in-utero transmission of water-based nitrate during the first trimester of pregnancy.' While cities nationwide have implemented pilot programs to reduce nitrate contamination in water, such solutions can be expensive and would benefit from 'rigorous cost-benefit analyses' that offer quantifiable support for these initiatives, according to the study. Estimating that the impact from prenatal exposure to nitrate is equivalent to about 15 percent of the harm caused by cigarettes, he pointed out that these pollutants do not receive 15 percent of the attention granted to smoking. 'Ignoring the potential harm from lower levels of prenatal nitrate exposure, the current regulatory standards are not adequately protecting America's mothers or children,' Semprini added.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Des Moines University forms faculty development academy with alumni gift
Des Moines University is creating a faculty development academy with the donation from a DMU graduate and his wife. Shown here, Des Moines University students celebrated Match Day on March 21, 2025, when they learned where they'll serve medical residencies. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences is utilizing donor dollars to expand the knowledge and skills of faculty with a new development initiative. The private medical university announced Wednesday the launch of the Dr. Robert and Brenda Good Faculty Development Academy, a campus-wide initiative to 'advance excellence in teaching, educational research and leadership among its faculty members,' according to a news release. 'This is a bold, forward-looking initiative designed to support faculty throughout their professional growth,' said DMU Assistant Vice President for Academic Innovation and Enhancement Nehad El-Sawi in the release. 'From peer-led consultations to faculty workshops on cutting-edge topics like artificial intelligence and enhanced preceptor development, the academy fosters a collaborative ecosystem for academic excellence.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX According to the release, the initiative will focus on six areas relating to faculty training and development, including improving onboarding, offering continuous professional development, encouraging educational research, furthering collaboration across campus and bettering teaching skills. El-Sawi said in the release this initiative will help the college invest in the future of health care by investing in its own faculty. A gift from 1977 DMU graduate Robert Good and his wife, Brenda, is funding the program, the release stated. DMU Director of Marketing and Communications Denise Lamphier said in an email the university is not providing the gift amount at the request of the donors. The Goods said in the release DMU needs to give the students who will eventually be caring for Iowans and others the best start they can, and a way to do that is to ensure faculty have the best training and skills to pass onto their classes. 'Their generosity will ripple through future generations and help prepare the health care heroes our world so urgently needs, including rural physicians, groundbreaking researchers and compassionate therapists,' said DMU President Angela Walker Franklin in the release. 'This is more than a gift. It's a promise of hope and innovation. The entire DMU community is grateful to the Goods for believing in our mission and investing in its future.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Axios
10-04-2025
- Science
- Axios
How a Des Moines professor helped de-extinct the dire wolf
A professor of anatomy at Des Moines University contributed research to revive the extinct dire wolf — or something similar to a dire wolf, given that she is among scientists who question the animal's classification. Why it matters: Julie Meachen's work uncovering ancient animal DNA may help save endangered species or even de-extinct others. Driving the news: Texas company Colossal Biosciences announced this week that it had successfully edited genes of gray wolves with key features of dire wolves and implanted embryos in surrogate dog mothers. Three healthy animals with dire wolf characteristics — long, thick white fur and bodies as much as 25% bigger than gray wolves — were born in October and are being kept at an undisclosed U.S. location. Catch up quick: Meachen is the lead investigator of a team of scientists exploring Natural Trap Cave in Wyoming, where Ice Age animal remains are being studied. She was among a team of scientists who authored a 2021 paper about the retrieval of DNA from fossils of dire wolves, which went extinct about 13,000 years ago. Zoom in: Meachen was not involved in creating the wolf pups but provided DNA samples collected from animal remains in Idaho and Ohio to help fine-tune the de-extinction project. The dire wolf project would have been possible without her input but would not have been as accurate, she tells Axios. The intrigue: Meachen says she doesn't believe the pups unveiled this week are dire wolves but, instead, are genetically modified gray wolves. "They are basically transgenic gray wolves with dire wolf DNA inside them," she said. Yes, but: She said the technology is exciting and is already being used to boost genetic diversity in endangered species. "Even though the scientist in me is skeptical about creating extinct animals, the kid in me wants to see what they look like," Meachen said. What's next: Meachen will lead another project at Natural Trap Cave this summer. Colossal is working on a project that could de-extinct the woolly mammoth.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
State Senate panels pass bills to explore changes at Iowa medical schools
Des Moines University students celebrated Match Day on March 21, 2025, when they learned where they'll serve medical residencies. Des Moines University would, along with the University of Iowa, explore three-year degree programs under proposed legislation. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Two Iowa Senate subcommittees have moved ahead House-sent bills aimed at making changes to Iowa's medical schools to increase opportunities for Iowa students and accelerate their learning. House File 386, which received signatures from subcommittee members Wednesday morning, would direct the University of Iowa and Des Moines University to conduct a study into potentially shrinking the timeline of some four-year programs to three years. Keith Saunders, chief government relations officer for the Iowa Board of Regents, said during the meeting the board is generally supportive of the bill but called the term 'three year medical school' a 'misnomer,' as other shortened medical programs have done so through accelerated degrees. Generally accelerated medical degree programs have worked in the area of family medicine, Saunders said, which is where the UI would focus its research. 'We're happy to do the study, happy to provide a feasibility study,' Saunders said. 'And again, we're committed to doing everything possible to get as many health care workers into the workforce as possible.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Des Moines University is registered as monitoring the bill, lobbyist Threase Harms said, but the university has requested it be removed from the legislation. As an institution with no undergraduate programs or residencies, Harms said it would be very difficult to accelerate the university's programming, especially with the knowledge that DMU did try to implement three-year programs in the 1980s without success. 'DMU is graduating the most family practice medicine doctors in the country,' Harms said. 'We pride ourselves on that, and we have them all throughout the state of Iowa, but we just feel like the three-year escalation doesn't fit with our current structure, and it doesn't ensure that those doctors are prepared to go out and deliver those services.' Each of the subcommittee members said they would move the bill forward with plans to introduce an amendment. Sen. Mike Zimmer, D-DeWitt, said he was in favor of removing DMU after hearing Harms' remarks, but Sen. Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, said he wasn't sure if taking the university out was the best idea and it is important to think about potential cost-saving measures of shorter degree programs. Sen. David Rowley, R-Spirit Lake, said he wants to encourage collaboration while working on the bill. 'We've got to be curious and have curiosity to find out how we could do this better, and I think that takes collaboration, working together with all of us in this room, to find some options or some opportunities out there,' Rowley said. House File 516, which passed a Senate subcommittee Tuesday, would have the Iowa Board of Regents implement a policy requiring the UI doctor of medicine program and college of dentistry enroll cohorts made up of at least 80% resident students or students who attended an Iowa college or university prior to applying. Saunders said the programs currently have between 70% and 75% resident students enrolled, and the board is supportive of initiatives that will keep more health care professionals in the state. Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, said during discussion she has concerns about the bill potentially pushing away students who want to study, and stay, in Iowa. 'I'm willing to sign off on it, but just because somebody didn't grow up here or go to college here doesn't mean they don't have a lot to offer to Iowa,' Trone Garriott said. Klimesh said he understands where Trone Garriott was coming from in her remarks, but he looks at the legislation as a way to ensure UI medical programs have the best state retention possible. However, he said he plans to introduce an amendment to the bill that would add additional criteria for qualifying students, like those who maybe didn't grow up in the state but know what rural Iowa is like based on their own upbringing in a neighboring state. 'To be perfectly honest, when I've asked folks what the definition of Iowan is, I get air quotes around it sometimes, so I'm not even sure what that is,' Klimesh said. 'Maybe defining what an Iowan is and adding additional frameworks might be beneficial.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
