Nitrate

On June 1, 52-year-old Ryan Willis McFarland of Muscatine allegedly fatally shot six family members before taking his own life. On this episode, we get analysis on the tragedy and the community's response from Tom Loewy of 'Quad City Times.' Lindsay Pingel of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence also joins to discuss how this incident reflects the state's landscape around domestic violence and gun laws. Then, Kerri Johannsen of the Iowa Environmental Council joins to clear the air on nitrates as Central Iowa Water Works is asking customers for the second year in a row to reduce water use because of high nitrate levels and water demand. This episode includes discussion of gun violence and suicide. If you are in need of support, call or text 988 to be connected with the Suicide & Crisis Helpline, or text 'NAMI' to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling.

The Iowa Integrated Network for Science, Information, and Geospatial Health Tracking, or INSIGHT, will examine how factors like PFAS and nitrate affect Iowans' health

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the state’s first so-called Iowa Farm Act, along with the appropriations bill for agriculture and natural resources. The legislation provides more funding for local food and water treatment plants.

Central Iowa Water Works leaders said data indicates central Iowans may face another lawn watering ban due to high nitrate levels unless residents limit water use.

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation. A recent report points to contaminants in our water, soil and air as key culprits. On this episode, we talk with two of the authors of this report on environmental risk factors including pesticides, PFAS, nitrates and Iowa's cancer crisis. The report offers several policy and personal recommendations to reduce adverse environmental exposures, including expansion of the state's water monitoring network. The Iowa Legislature diverted funds for the Iowa Quality Information System in 2023. While county governments and other groups have helped fund the system the last few years, Iowa Flood Center Director Larry Weber is asking lawmakers to reappropriate funds before the end of this year's session. (The Harkin Institute and Iowa Environmental Council are sponsors of IPR.)

The Cancer in Iowa Report published annually by the Iowa Cancer Registry gives an overview of the current burden of cancer in the state. This year's report features findings from the Agricultural Health Study, one of the world's largest and longest-running active studies of agricultural exposures and health. We talk with Iowa Cancer Registry Director Mary Charlton about this year's report which estimates this year that 21,700 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer and 6,400 Iowans will die of cancer. We'll also talk with principal investigator of the Agricultural Health Study Laura Beane Freeman about the findings from their study that began in the mid-1990s with participants from Iowa and North Carolina. David Cwiertny of the University of Iowa's Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination also joins to discuss various environmental factors in the state that may be contributing to cancer diagnoses.