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When we think of climate change, we may consider extreme weather events record-breaking heatwaves, heavy downpours and devastating floods. But have you considered that these changes could also increase your risk of exposure to certain viruses? We now live in world where extreme weather events are common. With the increasing frequency of prolonged rainstorms and heatwaves, climate change may raise the likelihood of being exposed to sewage-associated viruses in rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Intense rainstorms can also result in rainwater overloading urban sewer systems. As a result, raw untreated sewage is released into rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Newly published research I have collaborated on shows that sewage-associated viruses can persist for days in certain weather conditions, raising health risks for people exposed to untreated outfall. Raw sewage contains human urine and excrement, and carries with it a rich load of dead cells, food waste, pharmaceuticals, bacteria and viruses. Although most viruses shed by humans are relatively harmless, people infected with disease-causing viruses such as enterovirus and norovirus can shed billions of viral particles each time they go to the toilet. Even after the disease symptoms have passed, people can still shed the viruses in large amounts when they use the lavatory. These are then released into the sewer system, flowing through the network until they reach the sewage treatment plant. Typical wastewater treatment practices used in the UK are more than 99% effective at removing viruses. But despite this efficiency, treated wastewater discharged into the environment still poses some risk. Consequently, every day of the year, our rivers, lakes and seas receive potentially harmful viruses. However, the release of raw untreated sewage represents a much more severe risk. Health risks from extreme weather While the UK is prolonged periods of rain, climate projections also predict more heatwaves like those in 2022, where temperatures reached record highs. Its important for scientists to understand how these extreme weather events will influence the sewage-associated viruses discharged into the environment. We already know that recreational water users are exposed to harmful pathogens as a direct result of sewage discharge and agricultural runoff entering bodies of water. What remains unclear is how weather conditions affect a viruss ability to infect people and whether climate change could make these risks worse. Understanding this is crucial to tackling the growing health challenges posed by extreme weather and sewage contamination. To explore these questions, scientists need reliable ways to detect potentially infectious viruses in the environment. This isnt easy. Environmental samples often contain contaminants including various chemicals and bacteria, which can interfere with standard laboratory testing methods. These challenges make it difficult to accurately assess the presence and potential risk of harmful viruses in water sources. To address these challenges, my colleagues and I developed methods that filter out viruses too damaged to cause infection. This approach ensured our data focused solely on the potentially infectious viruses in each sample. Our methods also allowed us to identify multiple types of virus simultaneously, making the process more efficient and comprehensive. We conducted a series of experiments to investigate how climate change affects sewage-associated viruses, and the risks they pose to human health. These experiments were designed to simulate both short-term weather events, such as storms, and long-term changes including rising temperatures. We introduced sewage-associated viruses, such as adenovirus and norovirus, into samples of river, estuary and seawater, and tracked how they degraded over two weeks. In one experiment, we exposed the samples to different temperatures, while in another, we simulated sunlight exposure. At various intervals, we measured the levels of intact, potentially infectious viruses to monitor their decline. From this data, we calculated T90 decay rates, which is the time it takes for viral loads to drop by 90%. These rates were measured separately for viruses still capable of causing infections, and for those in all stages of decay. Interestingly, we found that the type of water river, estuarine or sea had little effect on how long viruses remained infectious or detectable in our analyses. Enteric viruses those that cause stomach upsets stayed infectious in seawater for up to three days at temperatures as high as 30C. At cooler temperatures, they lasted even longer, persisting for up to a week. When exposed to sunlight, viruses in water survived less than 24 hours on a sunny day. But on cloudy days, they remained viable for around 2.5 days. These findings demonstrate the significant health risks posed by sewage-associated viruses in wastewater. Advice To reduce the risk of infection, our research suggests people should avoid recreational activities in waters affected by sewage discharge for at least 2.5 days during cloudy weather, and at least 24 hours after sunny days. And climate change could worsen the problem: some summers may see an increase in sewage contamination, especially following heavy rain after droughts. This issue isnt limited to the UK, of course. Many countries continue to release untreated or partially treated sewage into natural waters, making it a global health concern. Our research highlights the urgent need for better sewage treatment practices worldwide. It also demonstrates the need for governments and health agencies to develop targeted risk management strategies which address the growing threats posed by climate change. Jessica Kevill is a post-doctoral research associate at the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The skies over London could soon get a lot more exciting. Joby Aviation, the California-based electric air taxi company, announced an exclusive partnership with Virgin Atlantic on Saturday that it says will pave the way to launching its vehicles across the United Kingdom. The partnership will see Jobys services integrated into Virgins app and website, and connect passengers at Heathrow and Manchester airports. Passengers will be able to reserve a seat on a Joby air taxi using Virgins app, the companies say. The announcement did not say when service is expected to begin. We are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flights to airports and cities throughout the United Kingdom,” said Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantics CEO, in a statement. “Our strategic partnership combines Jobys expertise in design, engineering, and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantics brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Jobys service to the U.K. and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers. [Photo courtesy of Joby Aviation] Up in the air Jobys air taxis, which have been shown off during exhibition flights in New York and other cities, are catching a lot of lift recently, with the company having inked deals with Uber, Delta Air Lines, and Toyota, along with raising hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. While waiting for the green light to start operating in full in the United States and the U.K., Joby is expected to start carrying passengers in the UAE as early as this year. Joby’s aircraft, known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, can carry four passengers plus a pilot, and travel at up to 200 miles per hour. That means rapid transit around the U.K. with absolutely no emissions. While there is plenty of electricity in the air about these types of vehicles, they remain part of a speculative industry with regulatory hurdles and a ways to go before their path to the skies become clear. Joby Aviation stock (NYSE: Joby) has reflected this cycle of hype versus uncertainty over the last few months, rising significantly in the weeks following the 2024 presidential election only to fall again this year. Shares are down 22% since the beginning of January. Still, the company’s string of recent deals suggests it could very well defy gravity soon enough. Virgin Atlantics commitment to delighting its customers is unparalleled and we couldnt imagine a better partner to work with in the U.K., said JoeBen Bevirt, Joby’s founder and CEO. Together, we are committed to delivering faster options for mobility across the country, including for Virgin Atlantic customers to get to the airport and move between U.K. towns and cities.
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Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell and award-winning creator Kenya Barris sat down with Fast Company’s KC Ifeanyi at the FC Grill at SXSW. The trio discussed The Unusual Suspects, Gladwell and Barris’s latest podcast series, as well as their business partnership and creative process. Stay tuned for key takeaways from their conversation and why The Unusual Suspects is a must-listen. https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Unusual-Suspects-with-Kenya-Barris-and-Malcolm-Gladwell-Audiobook/B0DNLMFCX7
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