1,300 different sorts of bugs found in Beijing smog

Here’s one I meant to blog earlier:

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Beijing’s smog problem has long been talked about, but now it’s not just the unpleasant chemicals and particulates that are out to get the local population: a recently published study found shedloads of microbes were hitching a ride on the smog as well.

Chinese researchers have now used genome sequencing to identify about 1,300 different microbial species in an exceptionally soupy smog that hit Beijing in January 2013. Reassuringly, most of the microbes they found are benign — but a few are responsible for allergies and respiratory disease in humans. And on days with heavier pollution, the proportion of DNA from these allergens and pathogens increased, suggesting that they might present an additional health threat to vulnerable groups, such as older people or those with weakened immune systems.

It should be pointed out that this was a search for genetic material in the air samples, and while that means that you’re more likely to find anything that’s there, a positive result does also mean that the microbes could be either alive or dead. Spoiler: Dead ones are less likely to infect you. Either way, you really don’t want to be breathing them in.

The most abundant species identified was Geodermatophilus obscurus, a common soil bacterium. But they also found Streptococcus pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia; Aspergillus fumigatus, a fungal allergen; and a range of other bacteria typically found in faeces. 

Nice.

Interestingly, the proportion of the bugs found are similar to those found in a similar survey done in Milan, Italy. Despite the fact that these cities are halfway around the planet from one another, the microbes are essentially the same.

And the other point to note was that microbe levels increased on smoggier days. Which, given that we have some quite smoggy days here in Cape Town is worth bearing in mind if you have asthma or some other respitatory disease.
And you’re here.
On a smoggy day.

Pretty Patterns In The Sky

BA brought their A380 down to Cape Town this afternoon to do some publicity shots in front of the mountain. You may recall that Lufthansa did this some time ago: the airline equivalent of the Germans getting their towel on the sunbed before the British had even woken up.

The weather wasn’t all it could have been, the mountain in question being shrouded by a monster tablecloth today, but judging by the flight path from flightradar24.com, it looks like they had some fun anyway:

ba380

Those 4,000ft passes over the mountain must have been especially exciting, given that the mountain itself is about 3,500ft. As I write, G-XLED is already up to 32,000ft and has disappeared back towards Durban.

I’m sure that there will be photos galore of the passes, so I’ll select the best (so you don’t have to) and chuck them up here sometime soon.

Istanbul at night

Long story short, Mrs 6000 went to Spain to visit a friend and then got stuck in Istanbul on the way home. Given that she had an enforced 24 hours in the city, she did a quick tour and then had a pricey drink in a hotel bar in Beyoglu with this view:

There are obviously a lot more photos taken in Spain and Turkey, and I’ll see if she wants them uploaded to Flickr, but in the meantime, I’m sharing this as my favourite. Using a unfamiliar camera, in the dark and just pointing and shooting, I think we can agree that this is fairly spectacular. #NoFilter

I now want to visit Istanbul. At night.

Last Minute Winner

I stayed up awfully late watching football last night, especially since Mrs 6000 was getting up at 4:15 to head to the airport and I was getting up at 6 to get the kids to school and the me to work.

I’m knackered.

But it was SOOOOO worth it!

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After 119½ minutes of… “uninspiring” (polite terminology) football and with the threat of a penalty shootout looming large, Sheffield United substitute Shaun Miller stooped to head in from a couple of yards out after a towering header by Harry “Harry” Maguire, sending the visitors’ huge and vocal contingent into ecstasy.

I may have shouted a bit too.

blades

I’m suffering today – Scoop even commented on the “big blue lines” underneath my eyes this morning – but, fueled by imported Caribbean coffee, I’ll somehow make it through to this evening. However, please be warned that today’s productivity may be slightly reduced.

Another Manx Storm

My inbox has been alive with images from the Isle of Man suffering the slings and arrows of another winter storm this weekend. This just a couple of weeks after a huge storm hit the Island. They’ve come in from various sources (the photos, not the storms, they all came from Atlantic low pressure areas), and in various ways, so – aside from the top one – I’m not sure whose are whose. If they’re yours and you want credit or want them removed, please get in touch.

IMG_61216580618737Castletown Breakwater doing exactly what it’s supposed to.

Photo by Peter Killey of manxscenes.com (who’s been on 6000 miles… previously here).

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Laxey harbour wall is under there somewhere.

IMG-20140202-WA0013Douglas Prom

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The aftermath on Douglas Prom

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Fire Hazard and no footpath at Groudle Glen

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Laxey is overcome

I recognise that these photos won’t mean as much to many of my local readers as they do to be, but 1. I want a record of them and 2. “My most important reader is me“.