Tag Archives: salt

Scientists Uncover 1.4 Billion-Year-Old Salt Crystals with Ancient Bubbles

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In a groundbreaking study, researchers uncovered ancient gases and fluids trapped within 1.4 billion-year-old rock salt crystals in northern Ontario, Canada. Their analysis reveals that oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations during the Mesoproterozoic Era (1.8 billion to 800 million years ago) were suppressed to just 3.7% of current levels, while carbon dioxide was found to be ten times pre-industrial levels. These findings indicate a period of climatic stability, suggesting atmospheric oxygen levels temporarily exceeded the needs of early animals long before their emergence.

Examples of primary halite, mixed halite, and secondary halite rock inclusion aggregates. Image credit: Park et al., doi: 10.1073/pnas.2513030122.

Scientists have long recognized that liquid inclusions within rock salt crystals preserve samples of Earth’s primordial atmosphere.

However, accurately measuring these inclusions has presented significant challenges. These inclusions encompass both air bubbles and saline water, with gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide interacting differently in liquids compared to air.

“It’s astonishing to crack open a sample of air that is over a billion years older than the dinosaurs,” said Justin Park, a graduate student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“Our carbon dioxide measurements are unprecedented,” stated Morgan Schaller, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“For the first time, we can trace this era of Earth’s history with remarkable precision. These are authentic samples of ancient air.”

Measurements indicate that Mesoproterozoic atmospheric oxygen levels sat at 3.7%, mirroring today’s levels. This high oxygen concentration was sufficient to support the existence of complex multicellular life, which would not arise for hundreds of millions of years.

Conversely, carbon dioxide was found to be ten times more abundant than present levels, effectively counterbalancing the “weak young sun” and fostering the climate conditions seen today.

One pivotal question arises: if oxygen levels were adequate for animal life, why did evolution take so long?

“This sample represents a snapshot in geological time,” Park explained.

“It may reflect a brief oxygenation event during this lengthy period, humorously dubbed the ‘billion boring years.'”

“This era in Earth’s history was marked by low oxygen levels, geological stability, and minimal evolutionary change.”

“Despite its moniker, direct observational data from this time is crucial for understanding the emergence of complex life and the evolution of our atmosphere.”

Prior indirect estimates suggested low carbon dioxide levels for this epoch, contradicting evidence of a lack of significant glaciation during the Mesoproterozoic.

The team’s direct measurements of elevated carbon dioxide, alongside temperature estimates from the salt, imply that Mesoproterozoic climate conditions were milder and more akin to today’s climate than previously assumed.

“Algae began to flourish during this period, continuing to play a vital role in global oxygen production today,” Professor Schaller remarked.

“The relatively elevated oxygen levels may directly result from the increasing prevalence and complexity of algae.”

“The insights we gained could represent an exciting moment in what is otherwise regarded as a billion years of monotony.”

The team’s research paper has been published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Justin G. Park et al.. 2025. Bringing the Boring Billion to Life: Direct constraints from 1.4 Ga fluid inclusions reveal a favorable climate and oxygen-rich atmosphere. PNAS 122 (52): e2513030122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2513030122

Source: www.sci.news

Humans Experience Rare Conditions After Querying CHATGPT and Eliminating Salt

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American medical journals are cautioning against the use of ChatGPT for health-related information after a case involving men who developed a rare condition following their discussions with chatbots about eliminating table salt from their diets.

A chronicled case in internal medicine highlights that a 60-year-old man experienced bromism, also referred to as bromide toxicity, after consulting ChatGPT.

This case study mentioned that bromism was a “well-recognized” syndrome in the early 20th century, contributing to psychiatric hospitalizations for about one in ten individuals during that period.

After learning about the negative effects of sodium chloride (table salt), the patient sought guidance from ChatGPT on eliminating chloride from his diet and disclosed that he had been consuming sodium bromide for three months. This action occurred despite previous reading that “chloride can be exchanged for bromide, but is likely for other purposes such as cleaning.” Sodium bromide was historically used as a sedative in the early 20th century.


The article’s author, an alumnus of Washington University in Seattle, emphasized that this incident underscores “how the use of artificial intelligence contributes to preventable health outcomes.”

They noted that the lack of access to the patient’s ChatGPT conversation logs hindered their ability to ascertain the specific advice the man received.

Regardless, the author found that when querying ChatGPT for alternatives to chloride, the responses also included bromide, lacking specific health warnings, and did not inquire about the author’s reasons for seeking such information; “I think healthcare professionals typically would do that,” they remarked.

The author cautioned that ChatGPT and other AI applications can “generate scientific inaccuracies and critically debate results, ultimately spreading misinformation.”

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, was approached for a statement.

The company recently announced an upgrade for its chatbot, asserting that one of its notable strengths lies in health-related queries. Powered by the GPT-5 model, ChatGPT excels in answering health questions and aims to be more proactive in “flagging potential concerns” like serious physical and mental illnesses. However, it stressed that chatbots cannot replace expert advice.

An article published last week before the release of GPT-5 indicated that the patient had likely interacted with an earlier version of ChatGPT.

While recognizing that AI could serve as a conduit between scientists and the public, the article warned that the technology also risks disseminating “decontextualized information,” emphasizing that medical professionals would rarely suggest sodium bromide in response to inquiries about replacing table salt.

The authors encouraged physicians to consider using AI in understanding where patients derived their information.

The author narrated that a patient suffering from bromism introduced himself at a hospital and expressed concern about a neighbor possibly being addicted to him. He also mentioned having several dietary restrictions and was noted to have paranoia regarding the water provided to him despite intense thirst.

The patient attempted to leave the hospital within 24 hours of admission and was subsequently sectioned before receiving treatment for mental health issues. Once stabilized, he reported various other bromism symptoms, including facial acne, relentless thirst, and insomnia.

Source: www.theguardian.com

California Invests in Iron Salt Batteries to Safeguard Against Wildfires

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Batteries created from iron and salt in ceramic tubes present a reduced fire risk compared to lithium-ion batteries

Inlyte Energy

Batteries utilizing iron and salt can deliver emergency power without fire hazards, located near one of California’s historic redwood forests.

The 200-kilowatt battery will be integrated with solar panels at the Alliance Red Woods Conference Ground in Sonoma County, California. This site is situated in a high wildfire risk zone of Redwood Forest, merely 16 kilometers from Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, and is home to California’s tallest and oldest trees. During severe weather and wildfires, conference facilities often assist firefighters and evacuees, yet they are also prone to power grid outages.

“Our view of technology revolves around establishing a secure, cost-effective energy storage solution.” Ben Kaun from Inlyte Energy in California stated. “This perspective guided us toward developing large cells with affordable and plentiful active materials such as iron and salt.”

The battery projects are expected to provide up to two weeks of emergency backup power, operational by 2027. This capability will enable lighting within the conference grounds and supply power to local firefighter water pump stations without jeopardizing the iconic redwood trees.

This is attributed to the non-flammable nature of these easily sourced battery components (powdered iron and salt contained in ceramic tubes). “These batteries and their cells can be positioned closely together without the typical fire or explosion risks associated with lithium-ion batteries,” says Kaun.

Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in smartphones and electric vehicles, can ignite under certain conditions, and this risk escalates when batteries are concentrated in large storage facilities. For instance, in January 2025, a fire at California’s largest battery storage site obliterated 300 megawatts of energy storage. Conversely, Inlyte’s iron-salt batteries possess significantly lower risk profiles. The Iron-Salt Battery initiative has secured nearly $4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to enhance energy resilience in wildfire-prone areas near Redwood Forest.

“These non-flammable batteries are a prudent choice for project developers considering energy storage installations in remote or drought-prone regions or near forests vulnerable to frequent drought,” says Dustin Mulbany from San Jose State University. “Energy technology and infrastructure have historically contributed to wildfires, and utilizing non-flammable batteries offers a way to mitigate some of these risks.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Amino Acids, Salt, and Other Compounds Discovered in Asteroid Bennu Sample by Scientists

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The asteroid Benne is believed to be made of tile BLE fragments from the body 4.5 billion years ago, which contains materials generated beyond Saturn, which is a separate object long ago. Destroyed by a collision. In two new papers, scientists include amino acids (including 14 out of 20 used in land biology), polygan aromatic hydrocarbons, ammonia and other compounds, and sodium carbonate, phosphate. It is reported to detect salt such as sulfate, sulfate, sulfate, and sulfate sulfate. Chloride is a Bennu sample delivered to the earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REX spacecraft in 2023.

This mosaic image of the asteroid Benne consists of 12 images collected by 15 miles (24 km) of OSIRIS-REX on December 2, 2018. Image Credit: NASA / NASA Godaddo Space Flight Center / Arizona University.

Dr. Nicky Fox, a semi -manager of the NASA headquarters science mission director, states:

“Asteroids provide time capsules to the history of our hometown planet, and Bennne's sample is extremely important to understand what our solar components exist before life begins on the earth.”

In the Bennu sample, researchers Found Amino Acid -Life on the Earth Used to produce proteins, 14- and all five nuclear foundations used by life on the earth, including a method of placing amino acids amino acids. Used to save and send genetic instructions to molecules. protein.

In addition, the very high existence of ammonia was detected. This is important for biology because it may react with formaldehyde detected in samples, form complex molecules such as amino acids and react in consideration of proper conditions.

When the amino acid is linked to a long chain, protein is created and almost all biological functions supply power.

These building blocks detected by the Bennu sample have previously been found on the outer rocks.

However, it supports the idea that identifying them with an unbalanced sample collected in the universe may be an important cause for the life of the entire solar system. I am.

Dr. Dany Gravin, a senior sample scientist at NASA's Godde Space Flight Center, states:

“That's why some of these new discoveries are not possible without sample return missions, close pollution control measures, and the precious curation and storage of this precious material from Benne.”

OSIRIS-REX View on the outside of sample collector. The asteroid sample material can be seen in the center of the right. Image credit: NASA / ERIKA Blumenfeld / Joseph AeberSold.

scientist It will be identified The traces of 11 salt minerals in the bene sample, which are formed as water containing dissolved salt, evaporate for a long period of time, leaving salt as solid crystals.

Similar salt water is detected or proposed throughout the solar system, including Dwarf Planet Ceres and Saturn's Moon Enkelladus.

“The discovery of these salt was a break -through in space research,” said Dr. Nick Timms, a researcher at Curtin University.

“I was surprised to identify the mineral haright, which is a sodium chloride. It is exactly the same salt as the salt that may be placed in the chip.”

“The mineral we discovered is formed from the evaporation of salt water, which is a bit similar to the salt sediment formed in Australia and the salt lake around the world.”

“By comparing with the mineral sequence of the salt lake on the earth, we can begin to imagine what the asteroid Bennne was, and provide instructions on ancient universe water activities.”

“OSIRIS-REX was a very successful mission,” said Dr. Jason Dworkin, the scientist of OSIRIS-REX, a researcher of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

“OSIRIS-REX data adds a major brush stroke to photos of the solar system that may have life.”

“Why are we so far, not only to see the life on the earth, but it's a really appetite question.”

The survey results are displayed in two journals Natural astronomy And journal Nature。

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DP gravin et al。 Asteroid (101955) Sil soluble organic matter with abundant ammonia and nitrogen in Benne sample. Nut asronReleased online on January 29, 2025. Doi: 10.1038/S41550-02472-9

TJ McCoy et al。 2025. An evaporated sequence from ancient salt water recorded in Bennne sample. Nature 637, 1072-1077; DOI: 10.1038/S41586-024-08495-6

Source: www.sci.news

Start Using Salt Now to Kick Your Addiction

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In 1960, most of the world’s population was deficient in the micronutrient iodine, with serious implications for public health. By 2020, the number of iodine-deficient countries had decreased to 21 (down from 113 in 1990), and 90% of people were receiving sufficient amounts.

The solution? Adding iodine to table salt. Adding iodine to the salt supply is strongly supported by the salt industry and governments, and is arguably one of the most effective public health interventions in history.

In 2024, the world faces a similar public health crisis. High blood pressure is a leading cause of illness and death. A key contributor is excessive sodium intake, which raises blood pressure. But as we report in An Easy Way to Satisfy Your Salt Cravings Without Compromising Your Health, new research suggests that an equally simple solution may be at hand: potassium-fortified salt.

This could be a game changer, since efforts to reduce salt intake have failed for a variety of reasons, not least because people prefer salty foods. Governments and industry must also bear some of the blame: processed food manufacturers have been reluctant to set salt reduction targets, while the salt industry has tried to cast doubt on the efficacy and safety of salt reduction, in part by promoting the idea that too little is as harmful as too much.

Either way, new scientific findings offer a new solution: Switching to potassium-fortified salt is a win-win: reduce sodium and increase potassium intake. New research shows this has a greater impact on blood pressure than reducing sodium intake alone. Only 14% of people get enough potassium. Nearly everyone gets too much sodium.

“If industry won’t act on these findings voluntarily, governments should be forced to do so. Hypertension is an enormous cost to the health care system. Adding potassium to salt, as we have done with iodine, is a surprisingly simple way to save lives and money.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Excessive salt intake may trigger eczema symptoms

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It is already known that excessive salt intake increases blood pressure.

Toufik Ahmed/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Researchers have found that people with the skin condition have higher levels of sodium in their urine, suggesting that excessive salt intake may be linked to eczema.

Over 200 million people Eczema affects many people around the world and is a skin condition that causes dry, cracked, itchy skin. Common causes include irritants in soaps and detergents, as well as environmental and food allergens. Previous studies have shown that: Frequent fast food consumption linked to increased risk of severe eczema For the children.

To see if salt plays a role, Katrina Abuaballah Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) looked at urine sample data from more than 215,800 adults who took part in the UK Biobank study, more than 10,800 of whom had eczema.

The researchers used each participant's urine sample to estimate urinary sodium excretion over a 24-hour period. About 90% of dietary sodium is excreted in the urine.This waste product therefore provides a relatively reliable way of measuring a person's salt intake.

Overall, study participants were estimated to have excreted an average of 3.01 grams of sodium in their urine over a 24-hour period. Typically around 2.5 grams per dayThis is the equivalent of 6 grams of salt, or 1 teaspoon.

The researchers found that for every gram of sodium excreted, participants were 11 percent more likely to be diagnosed with eczema, and their risk of ever developing eczema at any one time increased by 16 percent.

The team acknowledges that a single urine sample may not accurately reflect an individual's typical salt intake, but in another part of the study, the researchers looked at the daily diet of a different group of more than 13,000 U.S. adults and found further correlations between high salt intake and eczema.

In previous studies, Sodium activates immune system cells“The immune system responds to allergens and irritants in a way that triggers several inflammatory pathways,” Abuaballah said. People with eczema have an overactive immune response to allergens and irritants, which causes skin inflammation and subsequent symptoms.

Although the study suggests a link between high urinary sodium levels and eczema, team members say more research is needed to prove that the former causes the latter. Brenda Chanalso at UCSF.

“It's too early to say whether lowering sodium in the diet can reduce the severity or risk of developing eczema,” he said. Karsten Flor At King's College London.

Abuaballah said her team will soon begin enrolling participants for a National Institutes of Health-funded study that will look at the relationship between dietary sodium, sodium levels on the skin, and eczema severity.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Study reveals new organizational structure of water molecules on the surface of salt water

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The distribution of ions at the air-water interface plays a decisive role in many natural processes. Some studies suggest that large ions tend to exhibit interfacial activity, suggesting that the ions sit above the water surface, thereby inducing an electric field that determines the interfacial water structure. But new research by chemists at the University of Cambridge and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research casts doubt on this view. Their results show that ions in typical electrolyte solutions are actually located in subsurface regions and that such interfaces stratify into two characteristic aqueous layers.

Littman other. They show that the ions and water molecules at the surface of most aqueous salt solutions, known as electrolyte solutions, are organized in a completely different way than previously understood.Image credit: Littmann other., doi: 10.1038/s41557-023-01416-6.

Many important reactions related to climate and environmental processes occur where water molecules come into contact with air.

For example, ocean water evaporation plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and climate science.

Understanding these responses is critical to efforts to reduce human impact on the planet.

The distribution of ions at the air-water interface can influence atmospheric processes. However, accurately understanding the microscopic reactions at these important interfaces has been hotly debated.

Dr. Yair Littman of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues set out to study how water molecules are affected by the distribution of ions at the very point where air and water meet.

Traditionally, this has been done with a technique called oscillatory sum frequency generation (VSFG).

Using this laser irradiation technique, it is possible to directly measure molecular vibrations at these key interfaces.

However, while the strength of the signal can be measured, this technique does not measure whether the signal is positive or negative, which has previously made the results difficult to interpret. Furthermore, using only experimental data can lead to ambiguous results.

The authors overcame these challenges by utilizing a more sophisticated form of VSFG, called heterodyne detection (HD)-VSFG, to study different electrolyte solutions.

We then developed sophisticated computer models to simulate the interface in various scenarios.

The combined results showed that both positively charged ions, called cations, and negatively charged ions, called anions, are depleted from the water-air interface.

The cations and anions of simple electrolytes orient water molecules both upward and downward.

This is a reversal of the textbook model that teaches that ions form an electric double layer, orienting water molecules in only one direction.

“Our study shows that the surface of a simple electrolyte solution has a different ion distribution than previously thought, and that the ion-rich subsurface determines the composition of the interface. .At the top you have a few layers of pure water, then you have the ions, the “dense layer,'' and finally the bulk salt solution,'' Dr. Littman said.

“Our paper shows that combining high-level HD-VSFG with simulation is a valuable tool that contributes to the molecular-level understanding of liquid interfaces,” said Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research researchers said Dr. Kuo-Yang Chiang. .

“These kinds of interfaces exist everywhere on Earth, and studying them not only helps our fundamental understanding, but can also lead to the development of better devices and technologies.” said Professor Misha Bonn, also of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.

“We are applying these same methods to study solid/liquid interfaces, which could have applications in batteries and energy storage.”

of study It was published in the magazine natural chemistry.

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Y. Littman other. Surface stratification determines the structure of interfacial water in simple electrolyte solutions. nut.chemistry, published online on January 15, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41557-023-01416-6

Source: www.sci.news

The Power of Salt and “Baking” in Addressing Environmental Challenges

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Chemists at the University of Copenhagen have made a significant breakthrough in textile recycling by developing an environmentally friendly method to recycle polyester using Harthorn salt. Polyester, which is the second most used fiber in the world, poses a threat to the environment as very little of it is currently recycled. The fabric is a combination of plastic and cotton, making it challenging for the industry to separate and recycle. However, the chemists have discovered a simple solution using a single ingredient found in households.

Polyester is found in various everyday items, such as clothing, sofas, and curtains, with an astonishing 60 million tonnes of the fabric being produced annually. Unfortunately, the production and lack of recycling have a negative impact on the climate and environment, as only 15% of polyester is recycled, while the rest ends up in landfills or incineration, contributing to carbon emissions.

Recycling polyester presents significant challenges, particularly in separating the plastic and cotton fibers without losing them. Traditional methods prioritize preserving the plastic components, resulting in the loss of cotton fibers. These methods are also expensive and complex, with the use of metal catalysts generating harmful waste.

In a revolutionary development, a team of young chemists has found a remarkably simple solution to this problem that could transform sustainability in the textile industry. The researchers have developed a traceless catalytic methodology that allows for the depolymerization of polyester into monomers in an easy and environmentally friendly approach, at a large scale.

The process requires no special equipment and only relies on heat, a non-toxic solvent, and common household materials. By cutting a polyester garment into small pieces and placing them in a container with a mild solvent and Harthorn salt (ammonium bicarbonate), the mixture is heated to 160 degrees Celsius and left for 24 hours. The result is a liquid where the plastic and cotton fibers separate into distinct layers. This simple and cost-effective process preserves the cotton fiber while breaking down the polyester.

The Harthorn salt is broken down into ammonia, CO2, and water during the process. The combination of ammonia and CO2 acts as a catalyst, selectively breaking down the polyester while keeping the cotton fibers intact. The use of ammonia in combination with CO2 is environmentally friendly and safe. Due to the mild nature of the chemical reaction, the cotton fibers remain in excellent condition.

The researchers were pleasantly surprised by the success of their simple recipe for recycling polyester. Although the method has only been tested in the laboratory, the researchers believe it is scalable and are currently exploring partnerships with companies to test the method on an industrial scale. They are determined to commercialize this technology, which has the potential to make a significant impact on textile recycling.

Source: scitechdaily.com