Assessment of risks related to agricultural use of sewage sludge, pig and cattle slurry

In April 2017, the Organic Business Development Team released a report with 25 recommendations for the Minister of Environment and Food (Det økologiske erhvervsteam 2017). Among these was a recommendation that organic farmers should have opportunities for utilizing nutrients from treated domestic wastewater for nutrient recycling. A prerequisite for future use of nutrients from treated wastewater is, that quality requirements are met and that application can be explained to (and accepted by) consumers. In partial fulfilment of this, the business team identified a need for a scientific overview of the risks of using nutrients from treated municipal wastewater in relation to other authorized fertilizer sources – e.g. conventional animal manures. Thus, it was assumed that a comparative approach to assess potential risk of using sewage sludge and conventional manures, could usefully inform decision makers in the future regulation of organic farming systems. Dependent on the result of the scientific investigation, the Organic Business Development Team foresaw that Denmark could chose to work to expand Annex 1 of the EU Ecology Regulation, to allow the organic farmers to use nutrients from municipal wastewater or other acceptable derived sludge products. Mobilization of support for this should be done by the Ministry of Environment and Food in collaboration with the Organic Farming Industry. Thus, based on available literature, this report aims at creating an overview of the environmental and human risks associated with application of pig and cattle slurry as well as sewage sludge to agricultural soils. The risk evaluation was performed for the following compound groups: Metals, Chlorophenyls, Dioxins, Furans, Halogenated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons (HAH), Linear alkylbenzenesulfonates (LAS), Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), Poly- and perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS), Phenols, Phosphate-triesters VII, Phthalates, Polychlorinated naphtalenes (PCN), Polychlorinated alkanes (PCA), Triclosan, Triclocarban, Medicines, Estrogens, Antibiotic resistance genes. Additionally the fertilizer potential of the two nutrient sources was characterized and compared

Combined speed endurance and endurance exercise amplify the exercise-induced PGC-1α and PDK4 mRNA response in trained human muscle

The aim of this study was to investigate the mRNA response related to mitochondrial biogenesis, metabolism, angiogenesis, and myogenesis in trained human skeletal muscle to speed endurance exercise (S), endurance exercise (E), and speed endurance followed by endurance exercise (S + E). Seventeen trained male subjects (maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2)‐max): 57.2 ± 3.7 (mean ± SD) mL·min(−1)·kg(−1)) performed S (6 × 30 sec all‐out), E (60 min ~60% VO(2)‐max), and S + E on a cycle ergometer on separate occasions. Muscle biopsies were obtained at rest and 1, 2, and 3 h after the speed endurance exercise (S and S + E) and at rest, 0, 1, and 2 h after exercise in E. In S and S + E, muscle peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ coactivator‐1 (PGC‐1α) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase‐4 (PDK4) mRNA were higher (P < 0.05) 2 and 3 h after speed endurance exercise than at rest. Muscle PGC‐1α and PDK4 mRNA levels were higher (P < 0.05) after exercise in S + E than in S and E, and higher (P < 0.05) in S than in E after exercise. In S and S + E, muscle vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA was higher (P < 0.05) 1 (S only), 2 and 3 h after speed endurance exercise than at rest. In S + E, muscle regulatory factor‐4 and muscle heme oxygenase‐1 mRNA were higher (P < 0.05) 1, 2, and 3 h after speed endurance exercise than at rest. In S, muscle hexokinase II mRNA was higher (P < 0.05) 2 and 3 h after speed endurance exercise than at rest and higher (P < 0.05) than in E after exercise. These findings suggest that in trained subjects, speed endurance exercise provides a stimulus for muscle mitochondrial biogenesis, substrate regulation, and angiogenesis that is not evident with endurance exercise. These responses are reinforced when speed endurance exercise is followed by endurance exercise

Effects of IL-6 on pyruvate dehydrogenase regulation in mouse skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle regulates substrate choice according to demand and availability and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is central in this regulation. Circulating interleukin (IL)-6 increases during exercise and IL-6 has been suggested to increase whole body fat oxidation. Furthermore, IL-6 has been reported to increase AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and AMPK suggested to regulate PDHa activity. Together, this suggests that IL-6 may be involved in regulating PDH. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a single injection of IL-6 on PDH regulation in skeletal muscle in fed and fasted mice. Fed and 16–18 h fasted mice were injected with either 3 ng · g(−1) recombinant mouse IL-6 or PBS as control. Fasting markedly reduced plasma glucose, muscle glycogen, muscle PDHa activity, as well as increased PDK4 mRNA and protein content in skeletal muscle. IL-6 injection did not affect plasma glucose or muscle glycogen, but increased AMPK and ACC phosphorylation and tended to decrease p38 protein content in skeletal muscle in fasted mice. In addition IL-6 injection reduced PDHa activity in fed mice and increased PDHa activity in fasted mice without significant changes in PDH-E1α phosphorylation or PDP1 and PDK4 mRNA and protein content. The present findings suggest that IL-6 contributes to regulating the PDHa activity and hence carbohydrate oxidation, but the metabolic state of the muscle seems to determine the outcome of this regulation. In addition, AMPK and p38 may contribute to the IL-6-mediated PDH regulation in the fasted state

What Goes Around Comes Around

What Goes Around Comes Around Climate change is a prevalent issue affecting every individual globally. There are many factors that increase of greenhouse gases, including textile waste. Textiles can have an extended lifetime, but are often discarded once unwanted or outgrown. One solution to mitigate the negative global impacts of textiles is to apply the circular economy and reuse clothing. Our project not only focuses on defining the circular economy and its implementation, but also highlights waste management, campus sustainability, and education awareness. This project aims to discover how the University of Montana can implement the circular economy in its student communities to raise awareness and reduce students’ environmental impact through waste. To answer these questions, our group is initiating an accessible thrift-closet on campus. We will conduct a Google Survey among students to gauge interest and need for items in their campus life. Additionally, we will interview professionals to gain understanding of successful implementation for the project. The results from this research will help better meet student needs around textile waste and be a voice towards the broader impact of the circular economy. The closet will include areas for item exchange, as well as an information board educating individuals on the circular economy and the scope of the project. We hope to support and improve students’ sustainability on campus by creating an accessible thrift-closet to practice the circular economy through the reuse of textiles, which will reduce textile waste on a local level and globally reduce greenhouse gas emissions

What Goes Around Comes Around Final Submission

What Goes Around Comes Around Climate change is a prevalent issue affecting every individual globally. There are many factors that increase of greenhouse gases, including textile waste. Textiles can have an extended lifetime, but are often discarded once unwanted or outgrown. One solution to mitigate the negative global impacts of textiles is to apply the circular economy and reuse clothing. Our project not only focuses on defining the circular economy and its implementation, but also highlights waste management, campus sustainability, and education awareness. This project aims to discover how the University of Montana can implement the circular economy in its student communities to raise awareness and reduce students’ environmental impact through waste. To answer these questions, our group is initiating an accessible thrift-closet on campus. We will conduct a Google Survey among students to gauge interest and need for items in their campus life. Additionally, we will interview professionals to gain understanding of successful implementation for the project. The results from this research will help better meet student needs around textile waste and be a voice towards the broader impact of the circular economy. The closet will include areas for item exchange, as well as an information board educating individuals on the circular economy and the scope of the project. We hope to support and improve students’ sustainability on campus by creating an accessible thrift-closet to practice the circular economy through the reuse of textiles, which will reduce textile waste on a local level and globally reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Impact of adrenaline and metabolic stress on exercise-induced intracellular signaling and PGC-1α mRNA response in human skeletal muscle

This study tested the hypothesis that elevated plasma adrenaline or metabolic stress enhances exercise‐induced PGC‐1α mRNA and intracellular signaling in human muscle. Trained (VO (2)‐max: 53.8 ± 1.8 mL min(−1) kg(−1)) male subjects completed four different exercise protocols (work load of the legs was matched): C – cycling at 171 ± 6 W for 60 min (control); A – cycling at 171 ± 6 W for 60 min, with addition of intermittent arm exercise (98 ± 4 W). DS – cycling at 171 ± 6 W interspersed by 30 sec sprints (513 ± 19 W) every 10 min (distributed sprints); and CS – cycling at 171 ± 6 W for 40 min followed by 20 min of six 30 sec sprints (clustered sprints). Sprints were followed by 3:24 min:sec at 111 ± 4 W. A biopsy was obtained from m. vastus lateralis at rest and immediately, and 2 and 5 h after exercise. Muscle PGC‐1α mRNA content was elevated (P < 0.05) three‐ to sixfold 2 h after exercise relative to rest in C, A, and DS, with no differences between protocols. AMPK and p38 phosphorylation was higher (P < 0.05) immediately after exercise than at rest in all protocols, and 1.3‐ to 2‐fold higher (P < 0.05) in CS than in the other protocols. CREB phosphorylation was higher (P < 0.05) 2 and 5 h after exercise than at rest in all protocols, and higher (P < 0.05) in DS than CS 2 h after exercise. This suggests that neither plasma adrenaline nor muscle metabolic stress determines the magnitude of PGC‐1α mRNA response in human muscle. Furthermore, higher exercise‐induced changes in AMPK, p38, and CREB phosphorylation are not associated with differences in the PGC‐1α mRNA response