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Effects of bottling on water pollution

11/12/2013

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Bottled water is much more than just water in a bottle; it comes with multifarious environmental impacts and the worst being water pollution. The process of bottling water involves, extraction of water, processing to meet water quality, bottling, labeling, packing, and transportation. Each of these steps impinges the environment adversely. 

Majority of bottled water is sourced from groundwater reserves of the planet. Groundwater, although a renewable resource, takes a long time to replenish naturally. Moreover, there are no known human interventions, which can hasten the replenishment of groundwater resources. Bottled water manufacturers typically use around 2 to 3 liters of water per liter of bottled water, resulting in increased wastage and indiscriminate abuse of sensitive water reserves of the planet. 

The water treatment plants are an essential features of every bottled water manufacturer, needed to conform to the regulatory norms of water quality. However, these processing plants make use of chemical purifiers, which are later, disposed in landfills or large water bodies, leading to widespread chemical contamination of soil and water. 

Used plastic bottles are a major by product of bottling industry. Unlike the popular belief, not all bottles can be reused and 90% of the bottles end up in landfills. The other byproducts of bottling, such as tags, caps, threading, etc. several times find their way into the oceans, travelling thousands of miles along the oceanic current and affecting the aquatic flora along the way. 

This along with the fossil fuel wastage during transportation results in manifold impact on the water reserves of the planet. According to the Water Policy Report (2008) the indiscriminate use of bottled water can result in acute potable water shortage in near future. 

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Causes of Diabetes - A mix of genetic and lifestyle defects

11/12/2013

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Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders that affect human kind. In spite of several breakthroughs in managing the disease, the exact etiology of diabetes is yet to be discovered. Studies point at several mechanisms leading to the disorder.

Genes play a deciding factor in the way an organism’s body functions. Several genome studies have indicated that mutation of the genes controlling the production of Human leukocyte antigen (HLA protein) results in Type1 diabetes, while variations in the gene TCF7L2 results in Type2 diabetes. Apart from the gene play, certain congenital autoimmune disorders result in the destruction of Beta cells of the pancreas resulting in late onset Type1 diabetes.

Diabetes was once known as the disease of the affluent, which suggested a connection between the disease and rich diet combined with physical inactivity. Modern science has confirmed this old adage. Obesity reduces insulin sensitivity of the cells resulting in Type2 diabetes. Moreover, high body fat percentage can adversely affect the pancreas, leading to reduced insulin secretion. 

Further complicating the etiology is the discovery of the Ob gene. This is a mutant gene found in obese individuals, which plays a role in passing Type2 diabetes to the next generation. Ob gene, purportedly leads to insulin toxicity resulting in age onset diabetes. At the same time, the presence of the gene in healthy and physically active individuals has shown to have no effect on insulin sensitivity, suggesting interplay of nature and nurture. 

Thus, according to the present understanding, diabetes mellitus is a result of a combination of genetic predisposition and faulty lifestyle (including both under nutrition and over nutrition). 

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