Improving Environmental Practices

Saturday afternoon rebuild of a bluebird house using new screws and some panels. I was trying to maintain the original look to a certain degree.

17 April 2024
Bluffton, South Carolina

After servicing some Eastern bluebird houses on the USCB Bluffton campus, we find a nest now with five bluebird eggs. 🪺

In the upcoming fall semester, Dr. D’Antonio will provide a workshop through the Environmental Sustainability and Conservation Club on how to build and maintain bird-boxes.

A recent conversation with Bill Nye on CNN concerning Greenland and global warming.

https://youtu.be/60MWf0DiKIw?si=Lad8C6Q33rNssXHA

Receipts need to be reinvented, or we should wear gloves when picking them up or working with them.
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https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1832525
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Ehrlich S, Calafat AM, Humblet O, Smith T, Hauser R. (2014) Handling of thermal receipts as a source of exposure to bisphenol A. JAMA 311(8):859–860. DOI :10.1001/jama.2013.283735
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Abstract: Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including reproductive function in adults1 and neurodevelopment in children exposed perinatally.2 Exposure to BPA is primarily through dietary ingestion, including consumption of canned foods.3 A less-studied source of exposure is thermal receipt paper,4 handled daily by many people at supermarkets, ATM machines, gas stations, and other settings. We hypothesized that handling of thermal receipts significantly increases BPA exposure, but use of gloves during handling minimizes exposure.

To reduce being exposed to microplastics from tea, it is a good idea to use a stainless steel strainer with loose leaf tea (organic).
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Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea
by Hernandez et al. (2023) Environ. Sci. Technol. 2019, 53, 21, 12300–12310
Publication Date: September 25, 2019.
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ABSTRACT: The increasing presence of micro- and nano-sized plastics in the environment and food chain is of growing concern. Although mindful consumers are promoting the reduction of single-use plastics, some manufacturers are creating new plastic packaging to replace traditional paper uses, such as plastic teabags. The objective of this study was to determine whether plastic teabags could release microplastics and/or nanoplastics during a typical steeping process. We show that steeping a single plastic teabag at brewing temperature (95 °C) releases approximately 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into a single cup of the beverage. The composition of the released particles is matched to the original teabags (nylon and polyethylene terephthalate) using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The levels of nylon and polyethylene terephthalate particles released from the teabag packaging are several orders of magnitude higher than plastic loads previously reported in other foods. An initial acute invertebrate toxicity assessment shows that exposure to only the particles released from the teabags caused dose-dependent behavioral and developmental effects.

Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea The increasing presence of micro- and nano-sized plastics in the environment and food chain is of growing concern. Although mindful consumers are promoting the reduction of single-use plastics, some manufacturers are creating new plastic packaging to replace traditional paper uses, such as plastic t...

Hilton Head Island, SC
10 November 2021
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Confronting Plastic Pollution in Beaufort County
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by: Dr. Edward D’Antonio on behalf of the Environmental Club at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
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Presentation at First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island.
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Pre-recorded vídeo:

Confronting Plastic Pollution in Beaufort County Presented on behalf of the Environmental Club at the University of South Carolina Beaufortby: Edward L. D’Antonio, Ph.D.Associate Professor of BiochemistryUn...

Save the Date (10 November 2021). Dr. Edward D'Antonio will be presenting a seminar on the problems of plastics and methods of remediation at the First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island (Hilton Head Island, SC). The talk will begin at 7:00 pm and it is part of the Earth Cares program series that is being hosted by USCB Chancellor Emerita, Dr. Jane Upshaw and Associate Pastor, Dr. Lisa Schrott.
https://www.fpchhi.org/

The Environmental Club at USCB received $1,100.00 today, which was raised from the runners and supporters of the 2021 Virtual Run for South Carolina Native Trees.