PFAS leave fingerprints in your blood – researchers are figuring out how forever chemicals transform in your body to read these clues

the gist

PFAS, known as forever chemicals, are so persistent that they show up in human blood, breast milk and even penguins. They are used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, cosmetics and firefighting foam because their carbon-fluorine bonds resist breaking down. Once inside the body, some PFAS build up far more than others, so the chemical mix in blood differs from the mix someone was exposed to. PFOS in blood can reach 50 to 100 times the level in drinking water, because the body absorbs it faster than it excretes it. Many different PFAS also transform in the body into a few highly persistent compounds, such as PFOS, which makes the original source hard to trace.

how it works

Fluorinated carbon chains are extremely stable, so the molecules resist breakdown. PFAS that bind to proteins and fats accumulate in the body, while others are excreted. Metabolism can change many PFAS into a shared end product that retains the fluorinated backbone.

so what

Scientists need to know these transformations to link exposure to its source, for example to firefighters who suspect their foams caused cancer. Without that link, regulations and personal choices are harder to base on evidence.

the bigger pattern

Persistent pollutants such as PCBs and DDT also accumulated in the bodies of animals and people over decades, and tracing their sources took many years of research.

Illustrative photo · Yanishevsky, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: The Conversation ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗