A groundbreaking study from the SPRINT project, funded by the European Union&#39;s Horizon program, has unveiled a concerning reality: pesticide residues are pervasive in both agricultural environments and residential settings, raising concerns for environmental and human health. These findings, which have significant implications for European Union decision-makers, emphasise the urgent need for comprehensive regulatory measures to address the potentially far-reaching impacts of the co-occurrence of pesticides.
For decades, pesticides have been employed globally to bolster agricultural productivity, yet the cumulative effects of their residues have been largely overlooked. The scientific community are increasingly unveiling an alarming trend: pesticide residues, often assessed for risk on a substance-by-substance basis, are in fact extensively mingling in ecosystems. This issue is not confined to agricultural fields and waterbodies but also in the very homes of farmworkers and of their neighbours.
The SPRINT project undertook a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259748">field sampling campaign</a> in 10 European countries that identified pesticide residues at all study sites . The first <a href="(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023005536?via%3Dihub)">peer-reviewed paper</a> presenting the sampling results has recently been published. This unique dataset has raised concerns about the consequences of such a wide distribution of pesticide residues.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Recetox_SPRINT_Rezidua_15ce9451b5/Recetox-SPRINT-Rezidua.jpg" alt="Recetox: New Research Reveals Pesticide Mixtures Widespread in Environment, Urging Enhanced Regulatory Measures."/>
The SPRINT team analysed 200+ pesticide residues in over 600 environmental samples from both organic and conventional farms. The sampled matrices included soil, water, sediments, crops, outdoor air, and indoor dust. Remarkably, the study reveals that 86% of the tested samples contained pesticide residues and 76% mixtures of pesticides. The total number of different pesticides detected in the different matrices ranged from 76 in outdoor air, 78 in crops, 99 in sediments, 100 in soil to 197 in indoor dust. Most of these pesticides are on the approved EU list, but recently and long banned residues represent a significant part of the pesticide mixtures. Glyphosate residues are the most frequently detected with high concentrations over all environmental samples studied.
The indoor dust findings are particularly striking, as this might have possible implications on the health of individuals living in farmhouses and rural areas. Dust in one house contained residues from 121 different pesticides. Although the study did not assess the specific level of exposure experienced by the inhabitants, it is concerning that over two-thirds of the residues identified in the dust are classified according to the Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB)*, as being “highly hazardous” to mammals and are linked to adverse human health effects. Based on the results, the study proposed a new prioritization hazard-based indicator of pesticides for ecosystem and human health assessments that may be applied in the achievement of the pesticide reduction goal of the Farm to Fork Strategy.
Professor Violette Geissen from Wageningen University &amp; Research, SPRINT project coordinator, underscoring the far-reaching significance of these findings, said &quot;Our research highlights that the issue of pesticide mixtures transcends the agricultural field areas; it reaches the very households of those working on farms and their neighbouring communities. The results show that not only are mixtures of pesticide residues rather common in both agricultural and residential settings, but also that they can be highly complex, and variable in these settings. We need a more nuanced understanding of the impact of chemical mixtures in the field and related exposure-response data to better understand the ecosystem and human health risks. We urgently require integrated risk assessments that mirror the real-world complexity of these widespread pesticide mixtures.&quot;
The SPRINT project&#39;s next phase will delve into assessing ecosystem and human health risks posed by the identified pesticide mixtures. Equipped with the comprehensive data, the project aims to develop a novel indicator tailored for regulatory purposes, thus providing EU decision-makers with information to support tools to tackle the mounting challenges posed by pesticide mixtures.
About the SPRINT Project: The SPRINT project, funded by the European Union&#39;s Horizon program, stands at the forefront of scientific inquiry into the impacts of pesticide mixtures on agriculture and human health. With a multidisciplinary approach and unprecedented data collection efforts, the project aims to develop a Global Health Risk Assessment Toolbox to assess the impacts of pesticides on environmental and human health and to propose several transition pathways to reduce the use and risk of pesticides.
*The Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB) is a comprehensive relational database of over 1800 pesticides and their metabolites. It has principally been developed to support risk assessments. Data held includes registration information, physical chemical properties, toxicological endpoints, human health data and commercial information.

New Research Reveals Pesticide Mixtures Widespread in Environment, Urging Enhanced Regulatory Measures

Colorectal cancer rates in adults under age 50 have been increasing in the U.S. and globally. The risk of developing such cancers has been rising with each generation since the 1950s, but scientists have not been able to explain why. Understanding the underlying causes will help design prevention strategies for future generations.
<a href="https://surgery.wustl.edu/people/yin-cao/">Yin Cao, ScD</a>, an associate professor of surgery and of medicine in the <a href="https://publichealthsciences.wustl.edu/">Public Health Sciences Division</a> at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is leading an international team seeking to understand what is driving the increase in early-onset colorectal cancers globally. Her team will do so with an award of up to $25 million over five years from <a href="https://cancergrandchallenges.org/">Cancer Grand Challenges</a>, a global research funding initiative co-founded by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the organization, the mission of Cancer Grand Challenges is to unite the world’s brightest minds against cancer’s toughest challenges.
The team is funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Cancer Institute, the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, and Institut National Du Cancer in France, through Cancer Grand Challenges.
“The alarming rise of colorectal cancer in young people around the world demands immediate action,” said Cao, also a research member of <a href="https://siteman.wustl.edu/">Siteman Cancer Center</a>, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. “We used to think colorectal cancer was a disease of the older population, but in the past two decades, the median age of diagnosis for this cancer in the U.S. dropped from 72 to 66 years. Our team aims to unravel and ultimately reverse the intricate network of causal factors throughout the life course that contribute to early-onset colorectal cancer.”
The award will provide funding for Cao’s research team — named Pathways, Risk Factors and Molecules to Prevent Early-onset Colorectal Tumors (PROSPECT) — to develop disruptive and transdisciplinary approaches to address this challenge. Among 176 international teams that applied, Cao’s team is one of five to receive funding this year through Cancer Grand Challenges. The other funded teams are focused on cancer inequities, solid tumors in children, and T cell receptors.
Cao co-leads the team with Andrew Chan, MD, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The research team also involves nine interdisciplinary co-investigators across the globe, including <a href="https://chemistry.wustl.edu/people/gary-patti">Gary Patti, PhD</a>, the Michael and Tana Powell Professor of Chemistry at Washington University. Patti, a pioneer of mass spectrometry-based technologies, will lead state-of-the-art molecular and metabolic analyses to identify possible new risk factors.
Cao’s lab has led the field of early-onset colorectal cancer research by uncovering risk factors throughout the life course that may contribute to the cancer’s rising incidence, such as obesity; diabetes; metabolic comorbid conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol; prolonged sitting; poor diet; sugar-sweetened beverages; alcohol drinking patterns; and birth via cesarean delivery. Cao’s team also leads work in early detection and understanding molecular pathways of this cancer.
Building upon this past research, Cao will lead the first consortium dedicated to early-onset colorectal cancer risk factor discovery. The PROSPECT Global Consortium will have support from more than 15 international cohorts and electronic health record-based biobanks from high-, middle- and low-income countries. Her team will examine known risk factors and seek to find new ones. The query will encompass environmental exposures throughout the life course, including lifestyle, genetic, environmental and social factors. The team then will characterize possible causal factors and the cumulative impact of exposures over the life course on colorectal cancer initiation and progression, using animal models.
Cao also will also collaborate with clinicians at Siteman Cancer Center’s <a href="https://siteman.wustl.edu/treatment/cancer-types/colorectal/young-onset-colorectal-cancer-program/">Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Program</a> to collect biospecimens along the continuum of early-onset colorectal cancer development. The researchers will analyze these specimens to characterize the cumulative effects of risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer on the biochemical and molecular states of tissues.
“An understanding of what causes early-onset cancers is important for the development of interventions based on an individual’s risk so that we can prevent disease and death,” Cao said. “Our goal is to maximally integrate human and mechanistic evidence to develop precision prevention strategies.”
In addition to identifying risk factors and evaluating causal factors, the team also will translate these findings to develop and test prevention strategies, including precision prevention trials and community risk-assessment trials.
“By pushing the boundaries of our individual fields, we hope to move quickly to identify opportunities for preventive interventions that can benefit younger populations,” Cao said. “It’s a joint adventure shared by scientists, providers, patients and the public under a unified goal: shaping a hopeful and healthier future for our younger generations.”

Preventing early-onset colorectal cancers aim of $25 million award

A research team from CEITEC BUT led by Markéta Kaiser participated in an international study to investigate the effect of protein intake on the fetus during pregnancy. The study was conducted on mice, or mouse embryos to be more precise. Thanks to the imaging possibilities offered by computed tomography in our CT Lab CEITEC, it was possible to create illustrative 3D models of cartilaginous tissue that clearly showed the differences between mouse embryos with different protein intakes.
At CT Lab CEITEC, researchers led by Prof. Jozef Kaiser focus on basic and applied research in collaboration with industry. The industrial partners are critical in applied research. Computed tomography is a non-invasive, non-destructive method that allows the detection of cracks or other defects on a wide variety of components so that if a company discovers that there is a problem somewhere, the CT Lab staff can detect and describe the problem without the company having to cut up or otherwise dismember the expensive product or component. The knowledge gained in this way in turn advances the researchers’ understanding of the phenomenon.
When it comes to basic research, the researchers are involved in so-called reverse engineering, where professional data display and analysis programs, which are primarily designed for mechanical engineering, are used in biology. Using advanced methods, they are able to image not only bones but also soft tissues such as cartilage or muscles.
This is also the subject of the recently published study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46030-3">“The level of protein in the maternal murine diet modulates the facial appearance of the offspring via mTORC1 signaling”</a>, which appeared in prestigious Nature Communications.
Scientists from the Laboratory of X-ray Computational Micro and Nanotomography at CEITEC, led by Markéta Kaiser, have been collaborating on this study since 2018. The multidisciplinary international team was coordinated by prof. Andrei Chagin from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. “Since then, dozens of samples have been analysed in our laboratory. Our task was not only to create 3D models of cartilage tissue, but also to analyze these 3D models. Here, we have the advantage of being a technical university and working closely with industry in the lab, and so we are using just industrial tools in biological research in a somewhat unconventional way, which is not quite so common and can bring interesting insights into these interdisciplinary studies,” says Markéta Kaiser.
We now know that facial shape and features in mammals are influenced not only by genetics but also by the mother’s lifestyle during pregnancy. It is known that, for example, the consumption of alcohol or other addictive substances can lead to facial abnormalities or developmental disorders. The present study reveals a possible new link between the offspring’s face and pregnancy lifestyle, specifically protein intake during pregnancy.
The study was conducted on mice or mouse embryos. “Specifically, the researchers focused on the mTORC1 signaling pathway, and whether protein content in pregnancy diet affects mTORC1 and plays a role in facial bone structure. Pregnant mice were fed a low- and high-protein diets, then the effect on the aforementioned signalling pathway was investigated and facial development in mouse embryos was compared,“ Markéta Kaiser explains the methodology.
It was at this point that X-ray computed tomography analysis played a key role. Scientists from CEITEC BUT created 3D models of the cartilaginous tissue that is the basis for the subsequent development of the face. The differences between embryos from mice having different protein diets were noticeable, albeit very subtle. For example, an enlarged nasal cavity or an elongated jaw were observed. Therefore, the study shows that the amount of protein in the diet can affect mTORC1 and thus the subsequent musculoskeletal development of the individual.
This collaboration certainly does not end with the published article. The researchers already have more projects planned that could help unravel other processes related to more than just facial development.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/CEITEC_Prijem_bilkovin_matky_behem_tehotenstvi_muze_ovlivnit_vyvoj_obliceje_novorozence_e682d5cd06.jpg" alt="CEITEC BUT: 3D cartilage tissue models of mouse embryos created using X-ray computed microtomography. The different colours of the models represent different protein diets."/>

Mother’s protein intake during pregnancy can affect newborn’s facial development

The international conference on environment and health in Central Europe, organized on the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the Visegrad Four (V4), took place on Monday, 11 March 2024, at the library of the Masaryk University campus in Brno, Czech Republic. Organised jointly by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the RECETOX Centre of Masaryk University, the conference brought scientists and experts from nine Central European countries (extended V4+ format) to Brno, together with representatives of the best European research institutes dedicated to research on environmental exposures and public health, as well as high level representatives of the World Health Organisation and director of the European Environment Agency.
More than 100 participants agreed that to protect people&#39;s health in the Central European region from the negative consequences of chemical exposures, we need to strengthen cooperation between the environment and health sectors, share available data and use it in decision-making processes. However, it must also be acknowledged that there is a lack of data in this region, which has many historical and cultural specificities, and the problems of Central Europe are not visible at the European level.
It is therefore necessary to strengthen cooperation among Central European countries and to formulate common regional priorities and strategies. Further, It is possible to use ongoing projects and partnerships to promote these priorities at European level, but also to seek financial resources at national and international level. The countries agreed on the need for long-term investment in research infrastructures for long-term environmental and population studies, laboratory capacities and database systems.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Lukas_Ryznar_Konference_V4_o_zivotnim_prostredi_a_zdravi_ve_stredni_Evrope_1_2a1a05d189.jpg" alt="RECETOX/Lukáš Rýznar: Conference on Environment and Health in Central Europe."/>
The need to restore trust in science, which is declining with the development of new communication channels and social networks, was also strongly voiced. There is a need to educate youth and children and to make them literate in environmental and lifestyle issues and their impact on human health and the functioning of society, but especially in critical thinking and the ability to sort information.
In order to do this, new multidisciplinary educational modules need to be developed not only for children but also for teachers in primary and secondary schools. However, there are also gaps in university education, because in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, there is virtually no training of experts in epidemiology and environmental health, areas that are essential for the development of a comprehensive concept of public health, but also for the development of precision medicine.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Lukas_Ryznar_Konference_V4_o_zivotnim_prostredi_a_zdravi_ve_stredni_Evrope_2_a91c7f00b9.jpg" alt="RECETOX/Lukáš Rýznar: Conference on Environment and Health in Central Europe."/>
In order to develop a personalised approach to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic conditions, a better understanding of the relationships between genetic predispositions, environmental and social stressors and individual behaviour is needed. Collaborative efforts are also needed in the region to develop this education. There is an opportunity to jointly develop not only bachelor&#39;s or master&#39;s degree programmes, but also training modules for use in the lifelong learning of professionals in public health, occupational medicine and clinical medicine.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Lukas_Ryznar_Konference_V4_o_zivotnim_prostredi_a_zdravi_ve_stredni_Evrope_3_efc95ab291.jpg" alt="RECETOX/Lukáš Rýznar: Conference on Environment and Health in Central Europe."/>
Much attention was paid to participatory programmes and public involvement in research activities that can be used not only to obtain data on population health and behaviour, but also to educate children and adults. The use of new smart technologies, such as personal sensors and samplers, is useful for this purpose.
The Czech Republic, for example has one of the oldest biomonitoring programmes in Europe operated by the National Institute of Public Health in Prague, and in Brno itself, whose Living Laboratory has been running not only the CELSPAC population studies for many years, but also participatory programmes for school children and adults, were cited as examples of good practice at these meetings.
The RECETOX Centre at Masaryk University, which has been coordinating for several years the building of the EIRENE global infrastructure for research on the effects of environmental exposures on human health, has also contributed to this.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Lukas_Ryznar_Konference_V4_o_zivotnim_prostredi_a_zdravi_ve_stredni_Evrope_5_74d85940a8.jpg" alt="RECETOX/Lukáš Rýznar: Conference on Environment and Health in Central Europe."/>
The conclusions of the conference were presented yesterday at a follow-up meeting of Central European Environment Ministers, where the priorities of the individual countries were further discussed. One of the topics discussed at both conferences was the possibility of promoting a European research mission on the healthy physical and mental development of children and young people in the face of complex environmental, socio-economic and political crises.
This conference represents an important step towards strengthening international cooperation and dialogue between different sectors to ensure a safe and healthy environment for the citizens of Central Europe.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Lukas_Ryznar_Konference_V4_o_zivotnim_prostredi_a_zdravi_ve_stredni_Evrope_6_08f3581092.jpg" alt="RECETOX/Lukáš Rýznar: Conference on Environment and Health in Central Europe."/>

V4+ Conference on Environment and Health in Central Europe

Researchers from <a href="https://zoll.group.uochb.cz/en">Sebastian Zoll’s group</a> at <a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/companies/62">IOCB Prague</a> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37988-7">determined</a> the first cryo-EM structures of a surface receptor of the human-infective parasite Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in complex with human complement factor C3 in different conformations. This provides the structural basis to understand how the parasite escapes the immune response at an early stage of infection.
While most pathogens have found ways to avoid the deleterious effects of the immune system by escaping neutralizing antibodies and other effector proteins inside cells or less accessible tissues, African trypanosomes are hiding in plain sight and proliferate within the human blood stream. The parasites are exposed to the full pressure of both branches of the immune system and must employ a plethora of countermeasures to avoid clearance from the cardio-vascular system.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/UOCHB_Hagen_Suelzen_Cryo_EM_structures_show_how_Trypanosomes_escape_the_human_innate_immune_response_2_3c995c0aef.jpg" alt="ÚOCHB/Hagen Sülzen: Cryo-EM structures show how Trypanosomes escape the human innate immune response."/>
The mechanisms of this ‘molecular warfare’ have been identified and, particularly with regard to the adaptive immune response, described in detail. However, our understanding of innate immune defence mechanisms had remained incomplete until now.
Under the leadership of Sebastian Zoll, a team of researchers, with Hagen Sülzen as the first author of the study, and including Petr Pompach and Martin Zoltner from BIOCEV, employed an integrative structural biology approach and demonstrated that the interaction between ISG65 and C3, the central hub of the human complement system, is inhibitory and remarkably specific. Inhibiting only a single pathway within the complement system allows the pathogens to maintain a tailored and efficient immune defence.
The study was published in Nature Communications and shows the first 2 cryo-EM structures from IOCB Prague alongside one of the first cryo-EM – Alphafold hybrid models that was deposited to the PDBdev.

Cryo-EM structures show how Trypanosomes escape the human innate immune response

&quot;The first science communicators for me were already high school teachers,” says researcher and laureate of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic award, Barbora Rudzanová.
<blockquote>
Barbora Rudzanová is a doctoral student in the field of Environment and Health, a researcher at the <a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/companies/19">RECETOX</a> center for toxic substances research, and recently also the holder of the Jiřina Michlová Prize from the Learned Society of the Czech Republic for the year 2024. In the interview, she explains why she is dedicated to the impact of chemical substances on human health, what makes her work at RECETOX unique, and what she believes the popularization of science brings.
</blockquote>
<h5>Your research topic is “The Impact of Chemical Exposure on the Human Immune System”. Why this particular topic?</h5>
My interest in it appeared already during my bachelor’s studies, when I was studying immunity and its mechanisms. The immune system fascinates me, it’s an endless interplay of all possible cells and molecules, there’s always something to discover. After my bachelor’s degree, I started to be more interested in the influences and factors that are in the environment around us and at the same time affect our health, and into which we also count chemical substances. When I had the opportunity here at RECETOX to study their impact on our immune system, I went for it.
<h5>Did a personal role model play a role in this choice of yours? Were you inspired by someone or something?</h5>
During the bachelor’s studies, where I studied biochemistry, I found a subject taught here at RECETOX out of my own interest. It was devoted to the basics of general ecotoxicology and was taught by Professor Bláha. I was attracted by the style in which it was lectured and its content. That was probably the moment when the topic drew me in and I started to think more about what and how influences us around.
<h5>Very recently, you were awarded for a study in which you and a team of other scientists dealt with a specific group of substances, namely perfluorinated compounds. Do you focus only on this group or is your research scope wider?</h5>
I am indeed primarily dealing with these substances, which are also called PFAS or eternal chemicals. When studying the mechanism of action, which I am dealing with, it is good to focus on one specific substance or group of substances, because each of them has a slightly different mechanism. In addition to that, we are now also working on a new approach to evaluating mixtures of substances. In everyday life, we are not exposed to just one chemical, but always a combination. The effects on human health can then accumulate. Describing the issue of mixtures is still a bit of a nut to crack for us scientists, so we are now trying to create a model that could help with predicting their effects.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/RECETOX_Prvni_komunikatori_vedy_pro_me_byli_uz_ucitele_na_stredni_rika_vyzkumnice_a_laureatka_ceny_Ucene_spolecnosti_Barbora_Rudzanova_ef8bc50b7e.jpg" alt="RECETOX: &quot;The first science communicators for me were already high school teachers,” says researcher and laureate of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic award, Barbora Rudzanová"/>
<h5>What role do you think RECETOX plays in the quality of scientific outputs you are now able to create?</h5>
Without RECETOX, the publication simply would not have been created. It is the only academic workplace in the Czech Republic where the impact of chemical substances on human health and their mechanism is studied. In addition, I used the population study CELSPAC for my work, i.e. a group of people who voluntarily agree to provide their data for scientific purposes. As far as the Czech Republic is concerned, CELSPAC is also a bit of a rarity, because these are currently participants in the order of hundreds, which is quite a high number considering how big the Czech Republic is.
<h5>Would you recommend RECETOX to future students? And if so, why?</h5>
Yes, I really like RECETOX. It seems to me that we are still a small enough workplace for there to be a rather family atmosphere. I feel good here not only because of the work that I enjoy, but also because people here are nice to each other. I would definitely recommend anyone who is considering studying or researching in the field to apply to RECETOX or come and see us, for example, on Open Doors Day.
<h5>Let’s go back briefly to your success and the winning study. Why do you think it was your work that was awarded such a prestigious prize?</h5>
After finding out that the prize is awarded to a maximum of two students across disciplines from the whole Czech Republic, I honestly didn’t believe in myself much. But when I thought about it after the announcement of the results, I think the evaluators were attracted to the work by the topic of PFAS substances, which is very current now. This is a huge group of chemicals that we encounter on a daily basis and which have been found to be non-degradable and negatively affect human health. These substances have been used since the 1940s and so it’s quite a big problem. The EU has also noticed it and has been actively addressing it for the last year and a comprehensive regulation of these substances is being planned. In the study, we managed to propose and describe the mechanism of their action on one type of immune cells. It could therefore help in the future in assessing the risks of PFAS and serve in setting subsequent regulations.
<h5>Part of the winning study was also a popularization text. You yourself like to devote yourself to popularization. Why do you think it’s important?</h5>
Personally, I think that even though there are excellent popularizers of science, there are still not enough of them at present. We scientists do science because we enjoy it, it makes sense to us to explore and get to the bottom of various things and then share the results among ourselves and discuss them. But it’s a very demanding job and ordinary people out there still don’t understand much what we actually do. It would be great to explain it to them more, so that they could at least a little penetrate into our fascinating world of science and also get excited by it. I find it a pity that popularization is not something automatic that a scientist would do. I understand that it’s not for everyone, but I think that everyone who is at least a little close to it and it makes sense to them should try to talk about science in an understandable way and get involved in the popularization and communication of science.
<h5>Do you think there is enough space for popularization in science?</h5>
Unfortunately, it is not a priority, publishing is. Communication, in my opinion, would deserve much more space and greater emphasis from the authorities. Therefore, I was pleased that a popularization text was part of the competition work for the Jiřina Michlová Prize, which highlighted the importance of popularization. I think that’s a good impulse for scientists. In general, however, it is rather the case that if a scientist wants to devote himself to popularization, he has to find time for it himself. It would be great, for example, if courses in science communication were part of doctoral study programs.
<h5>Do you have someone among popularizers who inspires you?</h5>
Anyone who speaks with passion and enthusiasm always catches my attention. The first science communicators for me were already high school teachers, on whom it was visible that they lived their topic, and that it made them happy. I admire everyone like that and it’s kind of a role model for me.

"The first science communicators for me were already high school teachers,” says researcher and laureate of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic award, Barbora Rudzanová.

WASHINGTON - Today, April 10, the Biden-Harris Administration issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/library?search=PFAS">PFAS</a>), also known as ‘forever chemicals.’ Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children. This final rule represents the most significant step to protect public health under <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024">EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap</a>. The final rule will reduce PFAS exposure for approximately 100 million people, prevent thousands of deaths, and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses. Today’s announcement complements <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/18/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-launches-plan-to-combat-pfas-pollution/#:~:text=Consistent%20with%20President%20Biden&#39;s%20commitment,from%20discharging%20PFAS%20into%20America&#39;s">President Biden’s government-wide action plan</a> to combat PFAS pollution.
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/US_Environmental_Protection_Agency_US_Environmental_Protection_Agency_press_release_29a82ee333.jpg" alt="US Environmental Protection Agency: US Environmental Protection Agency news release."/>
Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, EPA is also making unprecedented funding available to help ensure that all people have clean and safe water. In addition to today’s final rule, EPA is announcing nearly <a href="https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/emerging-contaminants-ec-small-or-disadvantaged-communities-grant-sdc">$1 billion in newly available funding</a> through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help states and territories implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems and to help owners of private wells address PFAS contamination. This is part of a $9 billion investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help communities with drinking water impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants – the largest-ever investment in tackling PFAS pollution. An additional $12 billion is available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for general drinking water improvements, including addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan will join White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory to announce the final standard today at an event in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 2017, area residents learned that the Cape Fear River, the drinking water source for 1 million people in the region, had been heavily contaminated with PFAS pollution from a nearby manufacturing facility. Today’s announcements will help protect communities like Fayetteville from further devastating impacts of PFAS.
“Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That is why President Biden has made tackling PFAS a top priority, investing historic resources to address these harmful chemicals and protect communities nationwide. Our PFAS Strategic Roadmap marshals the full breadth of EPA’s authority and resources to protect people from these harmful forever chemicals. Today, I am proud to finalize this critical piece of our Roadmap, and in doing so, save thousands of lives and help ensure our children grow up healthier.”
“President Biden believes that everyone deserves access to clean, safe drinking water, and he is delivering on that promise,” said Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “The first national drinking water standards for PFAS marks a significant step towards delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice, protecting communities, and securing clean water for people across the country.”
“Under President Biden’s leadership, we are taking a whole-of-government approach to tackle PFAS pollution and ensure that all Americans have access to clean, safe drinking water. Today’s announcement by EPA complements these efforts and will help keep our communities safe from these toxic ‘forever chemicals,’” said Deputy Assistant to the President for the Cancer Moonshot, Dr. Danielle Carnival. “Coupled with the additional $1 billion investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help communities address PFAS pollution, the reductions in exposure to toxic substances delivered by EPA’s standards will further the Biden Cancer Moonshot goal of reducing the cancer death rate by at least half by 2047 and preventing more than four million cancer deaths — and stopping cancer before it starts by protecting communities from known risks associated with exposure to PFAS and other contaminants, including kidney and testicular cancers, and more.”
EPA is taking a signature step to protect public health by establishing legally enforceable levels for several PFAS known to occur individually and as mixtures in drinking water. This rule sets limits for five individual PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (also known as “GenX Chemicals”). The rule also sets a limit for mixtures of any two or more of four PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX chemicals.” By reducing exposure to PFAS, this final rule will prevent thousands of premature deaths, tens of thousands of serious illnesses, including certain cancers and liver and heart impacts in adults, and immune and developmental impacts to infants and children.
This final rule advances President Biden’s commitment to ending cancer as we know it as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, to ensuring that all Americans have access to clean, safe, drinking water, and to furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to environmental justice by protecting communities that are most exposed to toxic chemicals.
EPA estimates that between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards. All public water systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring for these chemicals. They must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water. Where PFAS is found at levels that exceed these standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years.
The new limits in this rule are achievable using a range of available technologies and approaches including granular activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange systems. For example, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, serving Wilmington, NC – one of the communities most heavily impacted by PFAS contamination – has effectively deployed a granular activated carbon system to remove PFAS regulated by this rule. Drinking water systems will have flexibility to determine the best solution for their community.
EPA will be working closely with state co-regulators in supporting water systems and local officials to implement this rule. In the coming weeks, EPA will host a series of webinars to provide information to the public, communities, and water utilities about the final PFAS drinking water regulation. To learn more about the webinars, please visit EPA’s <a href="https://epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas#Webinars">PFAS drinking water regulation webpage</a>. EPA has also published a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/pfas-communications-toolkit">toolkit of communications resources</a> to help drinking water systems and community leaders educate the public about PFAS, where they come from, their health risks, how to reduce exposure, and about this rule.
“We are thankful that Administrator Regan and the Biden Administration are taking this action to protect drinking water in North Carolina and across the country,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “We asked for this because we know science-based standards for PFAS and other compounds are desperately needed.”
“For decades, the American people have been exposed to the family of incredibly toxic ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS with no protection from their government. Those chemicals now contaminate virtually all Americans from birth. That’s because for generations, PFAS chemicals slid off of every federal environmental law like a fried egg off a Teflon pan — until Joe Biden came along,” said Environmental Working Group President and Co-Founder Ken Cook. “We commend EPA Administrator Michael Regan for his tireless leadership to make this decision a reality, and CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory for making sure PFAS is tackled with the ‘whole of government’ approach President Biden promised. There is much work yet to be done to end PFAS pollution. The fact that the EPA has adopted the very strong policy announced today should give everyone confidence that the Biden administration will stay the course and keep the president’s promises, until the American people are protected, at long last, from the scourge of PFAS pollution.”
“We learned about GenX and other PFAS in our tap water six years ago. I raised my children on this water and watched loved ones suffer from rare or recurrent cancers. No one should ever worry if their tap water will make them sick or give them cancer. I’m grateful the Biden EPA heard our pleas and kept its promise to the American people. We will keep fighting until all exposures to PFAS end and the chemical companies responsible for business-related human rights abuses are held fully accountable,” said Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear.
<h5>More details about funding to address PFAS in Drinking Water</h5>
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is making an unprecedented $21 billion available to strengthen our nation’s drinking water systems, including by addressing PFAS contamination. Of that, $9 billion is specifically for tackling PFAS and emerging contaminants. The financing programs delivering this funding are part of President Biden’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/">Justice40 Initiative</a>, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Additionally, EPA has a nationwide Water Technical Assistance program to help small, rural, and disadvantaged communities access federal resources by working directly with water systems to identify challenges like PFAS; develop plans; build technical, managerial, and financial capacity; and apply for water infrastructure funding. <a href="https://www.epa.gov/water-infrastructure/water-technical-assistance-programs">Learn more about EPA’s Water Technical Assistance programs</a>.
<h5>More details about the final PFAS drinking water standards:</h5>
<ul>
<li>For PFOA and PFOS, EPA is setting a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, a non-enforceable health-based goal, at zero. This reflects the latest science showing that there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers.</li>
<li>EPA is setting enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels at 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, individually. This standard will reduce exposure from these PFAS in our drinking water to the lowest levels that are feasible for effective implementation.</li>
<li>For PFNA, PFHxS, and “GenX Chemicals,” EPA is setting the MCLGs and MCLs at 10 parts per trillion.</li>
<li>Because PFAS can often be found together in mixtures, and research shows these mixtures may have combined health impacts, EPA is also setting a limit for any mixture of two or more of the following PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX Chemicals.” EPA is issuing this rule after reviewing extensive research and science on how PFAS affects public health, while engaging with the water sector and with state regulators to ensure effective implementation. EPA also considered 120,000 comments on the proposed rule from a wide variety of stakeholders.</li>
</ul>
<h5>Background:</h5>
PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ are prevalent in the environment. PFAS are a category of chemicals used since the 1940s to repel oil and water and resist heat, which makes them useful in everyday products such as nonstick cookware, stain resistant clothing, and firefighting foam. The science is clear that exposure to certain PFAS over a long period of time can cause cancer and other illnesses. In addition, PFAS exposure during critical life stages such as pregnancy or early childhood can also result in adverse health impacts.
Across the country, PFAS contamination is impacting millions of people’s health and wellbeing. People can be exposed to PFAS through drinking water or food contaminated with PFAS, by coming into contact with products that contain PFAS, or through workplace exposures in certain industries.
Since EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024">PFAS Strategic Roadmap</a> in October 2021, EPA has taken action – within the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach – by advancing science and following the law to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. The actions described in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap each represent important and meaningful steps to protect communities from PFAS contamination. Cumulatively, these actions will build upon one another and lead to more enduring and protective solutions. In December 2023, the EPA released its <a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-12/epas-pfas-strategic-roadmap-dec-2023508v2.pdf">second annual report on PFAS progress</a>. The report highlights significant accomplishments achieved under the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap.

Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes First-Ever National Drinking Water Standard to Protect 100M People from PFAS Pollution

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Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes First-Ever National Drinking Water Standard to Protect 100M People from PFAS Pollution

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