Health, Fitness & Medical
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Trail to Bear Peak opens
Aug 14th
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department announces that Fern Canyon Trail to the summit of Bear Peak is now open to hiking. Users are reminded that they must remain on trail at all times. South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak West Ridge and the upper portion of Shadow Canyon remain closed due to hazards and trail damage related to the Flagstaff Fire.
Bear Peak is a popular hiking destination, according to Eric Stone, Division Manager for OSMP. “We wanted to get that opened as soon as possible. Fern Canyon was the least affected trail,” said Stone. “There is still a lot of work to do on the other trails, but our crews are engaged in projects they can’t just walk away from. As soon as those projects are completed, we will start working on the trails in the burn area. It is common practice among land management agencies to allow burned areas to recover naturally. It may be several months before we can have all of the trails opened.”
The Trail & Area Closures Web page has detailed info and a link to a photo gallery from the fire and inside the burn area as it looks today:http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1158&Itemid=2552#trail
Direct link to the gallery page: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16949&Itemid=4235
For trail updates and questions about closures on OSMP properties, please call 303-441-3440 or visit www.osmp.org.
CU scientists discover a new threat from air pollution
Aug 8th
tied to climate change and human health issues
An international research team led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Helsinki has discovered a surprising new chemical compound in Earth’s atmosphere that reacts with sulfur dioxide to form sulfuric acid, which is known to have significant impacts on climate and health.
The new compound, a type of carbonyl oxide, is formed from the reaction of ozone with alkenes, which are a family of hydrocarbons with both natural and man-made sources, said Roy “Lee” Mauldin III, a research associate in CU-Boulder’s atmospheric and oceanic sciences department and lead study author. The study charts a previously unknown chemical pathway for the formation of sulfuric acid, which can result both in increased acid rain and cloud formation as well as negative respiratory effects on humans.
“We have discovered a new and important, atmospherically relevant oxidant,” said Mauldin. “Sulfuric acid plays an essential role in Earth’s atmosphere, from the ecological impacts of acid precipitation to the formation of new aerosol particles, which have significant climatic and health effects. Our findings demonstrate a newly observed connection between the biosphere and atmospheric chemistry.”
A paper on the subject is being published in the Aug. 9 issue of Nature.
Typically the formation of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere occurs via the reaction between the hydroxyl radical OH — which consists of a hydrogen atom and an oxygen atom with unpaired electrons that make it highly reactive — and sulfur dioxide, Mauldin said. The trigger for the reactions to produce sulfuric acid is sunlight, which acts as a “match” to ignite the chemical process, he said.
But Mauldin and his colleagues had suspicions that there were other processes at work when they began detecting sulfuric acid at night, particularly in forests in Finland — where much of the research took place — when the sun wasn’t present to catalyze the reaction. “There were a number of instances when we detected sulfuric acid and wondered where it was coming from,” he said.
In the laboratory, Mauldin and his colleagues combined ozone — which is ubiquitous in the atmosphere — with sulfur dioxide and various alkenes in a gas-analyzing instrument known as a mass spectrometer hooked up with a “flow tube” used to add gases. “Suddenly we saw huge amounts of sulfuric acid being formed,” he said.
Because the researchers wanted to be sure the hydroxyl radical OH was not reacting with the sulfur dioxide to make sulfuric acid, they added in an OH “scavenger” compound to remove any traces of it. Later, one of the research team members held up freshly broken tree branches to the flow tube, exposing hydrocarbons known as isoprene and alpha-pinene — types of alkenes commonly found in trees and which are responsible for the fresh pine tree scent.
“It was such a simple little test,” said Mauldin. “But the sulfuric acid levels went through the roof. It was something we knew that nobody had ever seen before.”
Mauldin said the new chemical pathway for sulfuric acid formation is of interest to climate change researchers because the vast majority of sulfur dioxide is produced by fossil fuel combustion at power plants. “With emissions of sulfur dioxide, the precursor of sulfuric acid, expected to rise globally in the future, this new pathway will affect the atmospheric sulfur cycle,” he said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 90 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power plants and other industrial facilities. Other sulfur sources include volcanoes and even ocean phytoplankton. It has long been known that when sulfur dioxide reacts with OH, it produces sulfuric acid that can form acid rain, shown to be harmful to terrestrial and aquatic life on Earth.
Airborne sulfuric acid particles — which form in a wide variety of sizes — play the main role in the formation of clouds, which can have a cooling effect on the atmosphere, he said. Smaller particles near the planet’s surface have been shown to cause respiratory problems in humans.
Mauldin said the newly discovered oxidant might help explain recent studies that have shown large parts of the southeastern United States might have cooled slightly over the past century. Particulates from sulfuric acid over the forests there may be forming more clouds than normal, cooling the region by reflecting sunlight back to space.
Most of the laboratory experiments for the study were conducted at the Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig, Germany.
Co-authors on the study include Torsten Berndt and Frank Stratmann from the Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research; Mikko Sipilä, Pauli Paasonen, Tuukka Petäjä, Theo Kurtén, Veli-Matti Kerminen and Markku Kulmula from the University of Helsinki in Finland; and Saewung Kim from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. Mauldin also is affiliated with NCAR and the University of Helsinki.
The study was funded by the European Commission Sixth Framework program, the Academy of Finland, The Finnish Center of Excellence, the European Research Council, the Kone Foundation, the Väisälä Foundation, the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, the Otto Malm Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Six puppies test positive for Parvovirus in Boulder
Aug 1st
The Boulder Police Department’s Animal Control Unit is notifying dog owners about potential Parvovirus (also called Parvo) among some dogs in the city.
At least six puppies have tested positive for the virus, and one has died. The others are undergoing veterinary treatment. The infected dogs were in the area of 9th and Canyon, near the library and municipal building.
Boulder’s Animal Control Unit says vaccinated dogs are at a very low risk of contracting the disease. If your dog is not current on vaccinations, there is a higher risk of exposure. Talk to your veterinarian if you have concerns or questions about whether your pet is current on shots.
Parvovirus is a serious viral disease. It is extremely contagious and the risk of exposure is a year-round issue. Parvo is most often an intestinal disease, but the virus can also infect the heart muscles. Sometimes an infected dog doesn’t show any symptoms of the virus, although it generally presents itself quickly (sometimes as soon as 12 hours) after a dog has been exposed.
Signs of intestinal Parvo include:
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea (usually bloody and foul-smelling
- Fever
- Intussusception– this is when a section of the animal’s intestinal tract telescopes into itself. This is an emergency which requires immediate veterinary attention.
There is no cure for Parvovirus. Veterinarians can give fluids orally if the infection is mild, or subcutaneously (under the skin) if dehydration is more extreme. Anti-vomiting medications, antibiotics and blood/plasma transfusions are also used in treatment.
Parvo is spread by dog-to-dog contact and contact with contaminated feces. People can carry the virus on their hands and clothes if they pet an infected dog or touch the leash or collar of an infected dog. The virus can also be carried on the bottoms of shoes if a person steps on feces or contaminated dirt, and can be transmitted from shoes to homes, workplaces and other areas.
The virus can remain “live” for up to seven months, so it’s important to properly disinfect areas which may have been exposed to the virus. Household bleach is the best disinfectant for surfaces like countertops and floors, or the bottoms of shoes. The dilution formula is one part bleach to 30 parts water. (Be careful with fabrics). Never, ever use the bleach solution on an animal. For people who are sensitive to the smell of bleach, there are commercially-available Parvovirus disinfectants which don’t smell as strong.
The best way to prevent your dog from becoming infected with Parvovirus is to vaccinate against the disease. Talk to your veterinarian if you have questions or need recommendations for your pet.