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Hlatshwayo SN, Tesfamichael SG, Kganyago M. Predicting tropospheric nitrogen dioxide column density in South African municipalities using socio-environmental variables and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0308484. [PMID: 39116086 PMCID: PMC11309388 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution is a major health and social challenge in South African induced mainly by fossil fuel combustions for power generation, transportation and domestic biomass burning for indoor activities. The pollution level is moderated by various environmental and social factors, yet previous studies made use of limited factors or focussed on only industrialised regions ignoring the contributions in large parts of the country. There is a need to assess how socio-environmenral factors, which inherently exhibit variations across space, influence the pollution levels in South Africa. This study therefore aimed to predict annual tropospheric NO2 column density using socio-environmental variables that are widely proven in the literature as sources and sinks of pollution. The environmental variables used to predict NO2 included remotely sensed Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Surface Temperature and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) while the social data, which were obtained from national household surveys, included energy sources data, settlement patterns, gender and age statistics aggregated at municipality scale. The prediction was accomplished by applying the Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression that fine-tunes the spatial scale of each variable when building geographically localised relationships. The model returned an overall R2 of 0.92, indicating good predicting performance and the significance of the socio-environmental variables in estimating NO2 in South Africa. From the environmental variables, AOD had the most influence in increasing NO2 pollution while vegetation represented by EVI had the opposite effect of reducing the pollution level. Among the social variables, household electricity and wood usage had the most significant contributions to pollution. Communal residential arrangements significantly reduced NO2, while informal settlements showed the opposite effect. The female proportion was the most important demographic variable in reducing NO2. Age groups had mixed effects on NO2 pollution, with the mid-age group (20-29) being the most important contributor to NO2 emission. The findings of the current study provide evidence that NO2 pollution is explained by socio-economic variables that vary widely across space. This can be achieved reliably using the MGWR approach that produces strong models suited to each locality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sphamandla N. Hlatshwayo
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Solomon G. Tesfamichael
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mahlatse Kganyago
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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2
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Ye Y, Tao Q, Wei H. Public health impacts of air pollution from the spatiotemporal heterogeneity perspective: 31 provinces and municipalities in China from 2013 to 2020. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1422505. [PMID: 39157526 PMCID: PMC11327077 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1422505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Air pollution has long been a significant environmental health issue. Previous studies have employed diverse methodologies to investigate the impacts of air pollution on public health, yet few have thoroughly examined its spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Based on this, this study investigated the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the impacts of air pollution on public health in 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2020 based on the theoretical framework of multifactorial health decision-making and combined with the spatial durbin model and the geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The findings indicate that: (1) Air pollution and public health as measured by the incidence of respiratory diseases (IRD) in China exhibit significant spatial positive correlation and local spatial aggregation. (2) Air pollution demonstrates noteworthy spatial spillover effects. After controlling for economic development and living environment factors, including disposable income, population density, and urbanization rate, the direct and indirect spatial impacts of air pollution on IRD are measured at 3.552 and 2.848, correspondingly. (3) China's IRD is primarily influenced by various factors such as air pollution, economic development, living conditions, and healthcare, and the degree of its influence demonstrates an uneven spatiotemporal distribution trend. The findings of this study hold considerable practical significance for mitigating air pollution and safeguarding public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhong Ye
- School of Hospital Economics and Management, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Data Science and Innovative Development of Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province Philosophy and Social, Hefei, China
| | - Qunshan Tao
- School of Hospital Economics and Management, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Data Science and Innovative Development of Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province Philosophy and Social, Hefei, China
| | - Hua Wei
- School of Hospital Economics and Management, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Data Science and Innovative Development of Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province Philosophy and Social, Hefei, China
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3
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Apte JS, Manchanda C. High-resolution urban air pollution mapping. Science 2024; 385:380-385. [PMID: 39052801 DOI: 10.1126/science.adq3678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Variation in urban air pollution arises because of complex spatial, temporal, and chemical processes, which profoundly affect population exposure, human health, and environmental justice. This Review highlights insights from two popular in situ measurement methods-mobile monitoring and dense sensor networks-that have distinct but complementary strengths in characterizing the dynamics and impacts of the multidimensional urban air quality system. Mobile monitoring can measure many pollutants at fine spatial scales, thereby informing about processes and control strategies. Sensor networks excel at providing temporal resolution at many locations. Increasingly sophisticated studies leveraging both methods can vividly identify spatial and temporal patterns that affect exposures and disparities and offer mechanistic insight toward effective interventions. This Review summarizes the strengths and limitations of these methods and discusses their implications for understanding fine-scale processes and impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Apte
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Chirag Manchanda
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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4
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Kumar M, Cuijpers P, Kumar P. Planetary Health and Mental Health Nexus: Least Understood and Embraced in Policy Decisions. Ann Glob Health 2024; 90:42. [PMID: 39036646 PMCID: PMC11259114 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Planetary health influences mental health and a better management of climate, biodiversity and pollution has co-benefits of improving mental health outcomes. The recognition and treatment of mental health, however, has been marginalized within environmental and climate change sciences and a greater understanding of the complex underlying processes and societal costs is required to appropriately manage and motivate policy responses. The paper provides seven recommendations underscoring that public policy developers and implementors need to be aware of the combined costs of inaction - that might accrue from neglecting mental health and environmental sciences- two areas that have been historically marginalized. Improved methodologies in conducting studies on the nature and mental health nexus are needed. The trajectories and models of adaptation and mitigation of climate change and environmental damage can be strengthened through adoption of mental and behavioral sciences approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasi Kumar
- Institute for Excellence in Global Health Equity, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pushpam Kumar
- United Nations Environment Programme, Washington DC, USA
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5
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Anand A, Touré N, Bahino J, Gnamien S, Hughes AF, Arku RE, Tawiah VO, Asfaw A, Mamo T, Hasheminassab S, Bililign S, Moschos V, Westervelt DM, Presto AA. Low-Cost Hourly Ambient Black Carbon Measurements at Multiple Cities in Africa. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12575-12584. [PMID: 38952258 PMCID: PMC11256757 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
There is a notable lack of continuous monitoring of air pollutants in the Global South, especially for measuring chemical composition, due to the high cost of regulatory monitors. Using our previously developed low-cost method to quantify black carbon (BC) in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by analyzing reflected red light from ambient particle deposits on glass fiber filters, we estimated hourly ambient BC concentrations with filter tapes from beta attenuation monitors (BAMs). BC measurements obtained through this method were validated against a reference aethalometer between August 2 and 23, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, demonstrating a very strong agreement (R2 = 0.95 and slope = 0.97). We present hourly BC for three cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and one in North America: Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Pittsburgh (USA). The average BC concentrations for the measurement period at the Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa Central summer, Addis Ababa Central winter, Addis Ababa Jacros winter, and Pittsburgh sites were 3.85 μg/m3, 5.33 μg/m3, 5.63 μg/m3, 3.89 μg/m3, 9.14 μg/m3, and 0.52 μg/m3, respectively. BC made up 14-20% of PM2.5 mass in the SSA cities compared to only 5.6% in Pittsburgh. The hourly BC data at all sites (SSA and North America) show a pronounced diurnal pattern with prominent peaks during the morning and evening rush hours on workdays. A comparison between our measurements and the Goddard Earth Observing System Composition Forecast (GEOS-CF) estimates shows that the model performs well in predicting PM2.5 for most sites but struggles to predict BC at an hourly resolution. Adding more ground measurements could help evaluate and improve the performance of chemical transport models. Our method can potentially use existing BAM networks, such as BAMs at U.S. Embassies around the globe, to measure hourly BC concentrations. The PM2.5 composition data, thus acquired, can be crucial in identifying emission sources and help in effective policymaking in SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Anand
- Center
for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Carnegie
Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | | | - Julien Bahino
- Université
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan 00225, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Sylvain Gnamien
- Université
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan 00225, Côte d’Ivoire
| | | | - Raphael E Arku
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Victoria Owusu Tawiah
- Department
of Meteorology & Climate Science, Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana
| | - Araya Asfaw
- Institute
of Geophysics, Space Science and Astronomy, Addis Ababa University, Addis
Ababa 1176, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfaye Mamo
- Institute
of Geophysics, Space Science and Astronomy, Addis Ababa University, Addis
Ababa 1176, Ethiopia
| | - Sina Hasheminassab
- Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute
of Technology institution, Pasadena, California 91011, United States
| | - Solomon Bililign
- Department
of Physics, North Carolina A&T State
University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
| | - Vaios Moschos
- Department
of Physics, North Carolina A&T State
University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
| | - Daniel M. Westervelt
- Lamont
Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, New York 10964, United States
| | - Albert A. Presto
- Center
for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Carnegie
Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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6
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Nawsherwan, Khan SA, Mubarik S, Le Z, Akbar F, Wang Y. Epidemiological trends and age-period-cohort effects on cardiovascular diseases burden attributable to ambient air pollution across BRICS. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11464. [PMID: 38769093 PMCID: PMC11106240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution raises the risk of deaths and morbidity worldwide. From 1990 to 2019, we observed the epidemiological trends and age-period-cohort effects on the cardiovascular diseases (CVD) burden attributable to ambient air pollution across Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). The number of CVD deaths related to ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution increased nearly fivefold in China [5.0% (95% CI 4.7, 5.2)] and India [5.7% (95% CI 5.1, 6.3)] during the study period. The age-standardized CVD deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to ambient PM pollution significantly increased in India and China but decreased in Brazil and Russia. Due to air pollution, the relative risk (RR) of premature CVD mortality (< 70 years) was higher in Russia [RR 12.6 (95% CI 8.7, 17.30)] and India [RR 9.2 (95% CI 7.6, 11.20)]. A higher period risk (2015-2019) for CVD deaths was found in India [RR 1.4 (95% CI 1.4, 1.4)] followed by South Africa [RR 1.3 (95% CI 1.3, 1.3)]. Across the BRICS countries, the RR of CVD mortality markedly decreased from the old birth cohort to young birth cohorts. In conclusion, China and India showed an increasing trend of CVD mortality and morbidity due to ambient PM pollution and higher risk of premature CVD deaths were observed in Russia and India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawsherwan
- School of Medicine, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen, China.
| | - Shahzad Ali Khan
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sumaira Mubarik
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhang Le
- School of Medicine, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen, China
| | - Fazli Akbar
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University, Fujian Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen, China.
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7
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McCarrick S, Delaval MN, Dauter UM, Krais AM, Snigireva A, Abera A, Broberg K, Eriksson AC, Isaxon C, Gliga AR. Toxicity of particles derived from combustion of Ethiopian traditional biomass fuels in human bronchial and macrophage-like cells. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:1515-1532. [PMID: 38427118 PMCID: PMC10965653 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03692-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The combustion of traditional fuels in low-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, leads to extensive indoor particle exposure. Yet, the related health consequences in this context are understudied. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of combustion-derived particles relevant for Sub-Saharan household environments. Particles (< 2.5 µm) were collected using a high-volume sampler during combustion of traditional Ethiopian biomass fuels: cow dung, eucalyptus wood and eucalyptus charcoal. Diesel exhaust particles (DEP, NIST 2975) served as reference particles. The highest levels of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were found in wood (3219 ng/mg), followed by dung (618 ng/mg), charcoal (136 ng/mg) and DEP (118 ng/mg) (GC-MS). BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells and THP-1 derived macrophages were exposed to particle suspensions (1-150 µg/mL) for 24 h. All particles induced concentration-dependent genotoxicity (comet assay) but no pro-inflammatory cytokine release in epithelial cells, whereas dung and wood particles also induced concentration-dependent cytotoxicity (Alamar Blue). Only wood particles induced concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in macrophage-like cells, while dung particles were unique at increasing secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α). In summary, particles derived from combustion of less energy dense fuels like dung and wood had a higher PAH content and were more cytotoxic in epithelial cells. In addition, the least energy dense and cheapest fuel, dung, also induced pro-inflammatory effects in macrophage-like cells. These findings highlight the influence of fuel type on the toxic profile of the emitted particles and warrant further research to understand and mitigate health effects of indoor air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah McCarrick
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Mathilde N Delaval
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre (JMSC), Cooperation Group Comprehensive Molecular Analytics, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ulrike M Dauter
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annette M Krais
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Asmamaw Abera
- Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- NanoLund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Karin Broberg
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Axel C Eriksson
- Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- NanoLund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christina Isaxon
- Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- NanoLund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anda R Gliga
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Wen B, Ademi Z, Wu Y, Xu R, Yu P, Ye T, Coêlho MDSZS, Saldiva PHN, Guo Y, Li S. Ambient PM 2.5 and productivity-adjusted life years lost in Brazil: a national population-based study. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 467:133676. [PMID: 38354440 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Enormous health burden has been associated with air pollution and its effects continue to grow. However, the impact of air pollution on labour productivity at the population level is still unknown. This study assessed the association between premature death due to PM2.5 exposure and the loss of productivity-adjusted life years (PALYs), in Brazil. We applied a novel variant of the difference-in-difference (DID) approach to assess the association. Daily all-cause mortality data in Brazil were collected from 2000-2019. The PALYs lost increased by 5.11% (95% CI: 4.10-6.13%), for every 10 µg/m3 increase in the 2-day moving average of PM2.5. A total of 9,219,995 (95% CI: 7,491,634-10,921,141) PALYs lost and US$ 268.05 (95% CI: 217.82-317.50) billion economic costs were attributed to PM2.5 exposure, corresponding to 7.37% (95% CI: 5.99-8.73%) of the total PALYs lost due to premature death. This study also found that 5,005,306 PALYs could be avoided if the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline (AQG) level was met. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that ambient PM2.5 exposure is associated with a considerable labour productivity burden relating to premature death in Brazil, while over half of the burden could be prevented if the WHO AQG was met. The findings highlight the need to reduce ambient PM2.5 levels and provide strong evidence for the development of strategies to mitigate the economic impacts of air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wen
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Zanfina Ademi
- Health Economics and Policy Evaluation Research (HEPER) Group, Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kuopio Campus, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Yao Wu
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Tingting Ye
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | | | | | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research (CARE) Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
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9
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Chen N, Fong DYT, Wong JYH. Health and economic burden of low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis attributable to smoking in 192 countries and territories in 2019. Addiction 2024; 119:677-685. [PMID: 38105035 DOI: 10.1111/add.16404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Smoking is a risk factor for low back pain (LBP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to estimate the global health and economic burden of LBP and RA attributable to smoking. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study. SETTING The study was conducted in 192 countries and territories. CASES Prevalent cases of LBP and RA were used, extracted from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2019 data repositories. MEASUREMENTS Smoking-attributable health and economic burden was estimated with the population-attributable fraction method. Smoking-attributable prevalence of LBP and RA and health-care costs were estimated for patients of all ages, whereas years lived with disability (YLDs) and productivity losses due to morbidity were estimated for patients aged 15-84 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) of the results were obtained by repeating the analysis with the lower and upper bounds of all input variables. FINDINGS Globally, smoking accounted for 84.5 million (UI = 56.7-120.2 million) prevalent cases of LBP, 1.8 million (UI = 0.5-3.4 million) prevalent cases of RA and 11.3 million (UI = 6.2-18.5 million) YLDs, which represented 1.5% of all-cause YLDs in the working-age population aged 15-84 years in 2019. Health-care costs and productivity losses of smoking-attributable LBP and RA cost the global economy purchasing-power parity $326.0 billion (UI = $184.0-521.4 billion), representing 0.2% of the global gross domestic product. Specifically, smoking accounted for $65.8 billion (UI = $38.0-101.2 billion) in health-care costs world-wide, with more than half [$39.8 billion (UI = $23.1-61.3 billion), 60.6%] borne by the public sector. Smoking also contributed to $260.3 billion (UI = $146.0-420.3 billion) in productivity losses globally. Approximately 60.0% of the global YLDs were observed in middle-income countries, whereas 84.4% of health-care costs and 72.7% of productivity losses were borne by high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS Globally, in 2019, smoking accounted for more than 11.0 million years lived with disability and purchasing-power parity $326.0 billion in economic losses due to low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Middle-income countries suffered more morbidity, whereas high-income countries experienced larger economic losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningjing Chen
- School of Nursing, Putian University, Putian, China
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daniel Yee Tak Fong
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Janet Yuen Ha Wong
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China
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10
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Tang Y, Zhang M, Xie W. Compiling and applying atmospheric resource balance sheet in off-office auditing of leading cadres in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:19329-19347. [PMID: 38358625 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32395-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Atmospheric resources provide important support for human economic and social systems through their unique ecosystem service functions. Implementing the off-office auditing of atmospheric resources for leading cadres holds great strategic significance for fundamentally solve air pollution problems. Exploring the compilation of an atmospheric resource balance sheet is a necessary pre-step in the implementation of outgoing audits. In this paper, atmospheric resources are innovatively divided into atmospheric capacity resources and atmospheric quality resources from the perspective of the ecosystem service functions of atmospheric resources. The value of atmospheric resource assets is calculated by combining the environmental capacity value method and the environmental loss evaluation method. This study evaluates atmospheric ecological achievements based on the atmospheric resources balance sheet and related accounts as the data carrier and opens up the key "blocking point" of the off-office auditing of atmospheric resources. This paper takes Anhui Province as an example and applies the accounting results of the prepared atmospheric resource balance sheet to evaluate the atmospheric resource ecological achievements of leading cadres from 2016 to 2020. The results clearly reflect the ecological achievements and shortcomings of local leading cadres during their tenure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunshu Tang
- School of Management, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China.
- Philosophy and Social Sciences Laboratory of Data Science and Smart Society Governance, Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
| | - Mengli Zhang
- School of Management, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China
| | - Wenyan Xie
- School of Management, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China
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11
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Anyanwu C, Bikomeye JC, Beyer KM. The impact of environmental conditions on non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review of epidemiologic evidence. J Glob Health 2024; 14:04003. [PMID: 38419464 PMCID: PMC10902803 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing. Environmental conditions such as heavy metals and air pollution have been linked with the incidence and mortality of chronic diseases such as cancer, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. We aimed to scope the current state of evidence on the impact of environmental conditions on NCDs in SSA. Methods We conducted a scoping review to identify environmental conditions linked with NCDs in SSA by identifying studies published from January 1986 through February 2023. We searched African Index Medicus, Ovid Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Greenfile. Using the PICOS study selection criteria, we identified studies conducted in SSA focussed on physical environmental exposures and incidence, prevalence, and mortality of NCDs. We included only epidemiologic or quantitative studies. Results We identified 6754 articles from electronic database searches; only 36 met our inclusion criteria and were qualitatively synthesised. Two studies were conducted in multiple SSA countries, while 34 were conducted across ten countries in SSA. Air pollution (58.3%) was the most common type of environmental exposure reported, followed by exposure to dust (19.4%), meteorological variables (13.8%), heavy metals (2.7%), soil radioactivity (2.7%), and neighbourhood greenness (2.7%). The examined NCDs included respiratory diseases (69.4%), cancer (2.7%), stroke (5.5%), diabetes (2.7%), and two or more chronic diseases (19.4%). The study results suggest an association between environmental exposures and NCDs, particularly for respiratory diseases. Only seven studies found a null association between environmental conditions and chronic diseases. Conclusions There is a growing body of research on environmental conditions and chronic diseases in the SSA region. Although some cities in SSA have started implementing environmental monitoring and control measures, there remain high levels of environmental pollution. Investment can focus on improving environmental control measures and disease surveillance.
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Howlett-Downing C, Boman J, Molnár P, Shirinde J, Wichmann J. Case-crossover study for the association between increased hospital admissions for respiratory diseases and the increase in atmospheric PM 2.5 and PM 2.5-bound trace elements in Pretoria, South Africa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:1551-1565. [PMID: 37384843 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2023.2229256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Outdoor PM2.5 was sampled in Pretoria, 18 April 2017 to 28 February 2020. A case-crossover epidemiology study was associated for increased PM2.5 and trace elements with increased hospital admissions for respiratory disorders (J00-J99). The results included a significant increase in hospital admissions, with total PM2.5 of 2.7% (95% CI: 0.6, 4.9) per 10 µg·m-3 increase. For the trace elements, Ca of 4.0% (95% CI: 1.4%-6.8%), Cl of 0.7% (95% CI: 0.0%-1.4%), Fe of 3.3% (95% CI: 0.5%-6.1%), K of 1.8% (95% CI: 0.2-3.5) and Si of 1.3% (95% CI: 0.1%-2.5%). When controlling for PM2.5, only Ca of 3.2% (95% CI: 0.3, 6.1) and within the 0-14 age group by 5.2% (95% CI: 1.5, 9.1). Controlling for a co-pollutant that is highly correlated with PM2.5 does reduce overestimation, but further studies should include deposition rates and parallel sampling analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle Howlett-Downing
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gezina, South Africa
| | - Johan Boman
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Atmospheric Science Division, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Peter Molnár
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Joyce Shirinde
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gezina, South Africa
| | - Janine Wichmann
- School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gezina, South Africa
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13
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Ouma YO, Keitsile A, Lottering L, Nkwae B, Odirile P. Spatiotemporal empirical analysis of particulate matter PM 2.5 pollution and air quality index (AQI) trends in Africa using MERRA-2 reanalysis datasets (1980-2021). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169027. [PMID: 38056664 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the spatial-temporal trends of PM2.5 pollution were analyzed for subregions in Africa and the entire continent from 1980 to 2021. The distributions and trends of PM2.5 were derived from the monthly concentrations of the aerosol species from MERRA-2 reanalysis datasets comprising of sulphates (SO4), organic carbon (OC), black carbon (BC), Dust2.5 and Sea Salt (SS2.5). The resulting PM2.5 trends were compared with the climate factors, socio-economic indicators, and terrain characteristics. Using the Mann-Kendall (M-K) test, the continent and its subregions showed positive trends in PM2.5 concentrations, except for western and central Africa which exhibited marginal negative trends. The M-K trends also determined Dust2.5 as the dominant contributing aerosol factor responsible for the high PM2.5 concentrations in the northern, western and central regions of Africa, while SO4 and OC were respectively the most significant contributors to PM2.5 in the eastern and southern Africa regions. For the climate factors, the PM2.5 trends were determined to be positively correlated with the wind speed trends, while precipitation and temperature trends exhibited low and sometimes negative correlations with PM2.5. Socio-economically, highly populated, and bare/sparse vegetated areas showed higher PM2.5 concentrations, while vegetated areas tended to have lower PM2.5 concentrations. Topographically, low laying regions were observed to retain the deposited PM2.5 especially in the northern and western regions of Africa. The Air Quality Index (AQI) results showed that 94 % of the continent had an average PM2.5 of 12-35 μg/m3 hence classified as "Moderate" AQI, and the rest of the continent's PM2.5 levels was between 35 and 55 μg/m3 implying AQI classification of "Unhealthy for Sensitive People". Northern and western Africa regions had the highest AQI, while southern Africa had the lowest AQI. The approach and findings in this study can be used to complement the evaluation and management of air quality in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashon O Ouma
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0061, Gaborone, Botswana.
| | - Amantle Keitsile
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0061, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Lone Lottering
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0061, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Boipuso Nkwae
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0061, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Phillimon Odirile
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0061, Gaborone, Botswana
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14
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Yadav N, Sorek-Hamer M, Von Pohle M, Asanjan AA, Sahasrabhojanee A, Suel E, E Arku R, Lingenfelter V, Brauer M, Ezzati M, Oza N, Ganguly AR. Using deep transfer learning and satellite imagery to estimate urban air quality in data-poor regions. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:122914. [PMID: 38000726 PMCID: PMC7615387 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Urban air pollution is a critical public health challenge in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). At the same time, LMICs tend to be data-poor, lacking adequate infrastructure to monitor air quality (AQ). As LMICs undergo rapid urbanization, the socio-economic burden of poor AQ will be immense. Here we present a globally scalable two-step deep learning (DL) based approach for AQ estimation in LMIC cities that mitigates the need for extensive AQ infrastructure on the ground. We train a DL model that can map satellite imagery to AQ in high-income countries (HICs) with sufficient ground data, and then adapt the model to learn meaningful AQ estimates in LMIC cities using transfer learning. The trained model can explain up to 54% of the variation in the AQ distribution of the target LMIC city without the need for target labels. The approach is demonstrated for Accra in Ghana, Africa, with AQ patterns learned and adapted from two HIC cities, specifically Los Angeles and New York.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishant Yadav
- Sustainability and Data Sciences Laboratory, Northeastern University, Boston, USA; University Space Research Association (USRA), Mountain View, USA.
| | - Meytar Sorek-Hamer
- University Space Research Association (USRA), Mountain View, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA
| | - Michael Von Pohle
- University Space Research Association (USRA), Mountain View, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA
| | - Ata Akbari Asanjan
- University Space Research Association (USRA), Mountain View, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA
| | - Adwait Sahasrabhojanee
- University Space Research Association (USRA), Mountain View, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA
| | | | | | - Violet Lingenfelter
- Sustainability and Data Sciences Laboratory, Northeastern University, Boston, USA; University Space Research Association (USRA), Mountain View, USA
| | | | | | - Nikunj Oza
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA
| | - Auroop R Ganguly
- Sustainability and Data Sciences Laboratory, Northeastern University, Boston, USA; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, USA; The Institute for Experiential AI, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
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15
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Shupler M, Tawiah T, Nix E, Baame M, Lorenzetti F, Betang E, Chartier R, Mangeni J, Upadhya A, Anderson de Cuevas R, Sang E, Piedrahita R, Johnson M, Wilson D, Amenga-Etego S, Twumasi M, Ronzi S, Menya D, Puzzolo E, Quansah R, Asante KP, Pope D, Mbatchou Ngahane BH. Household concentrations and female and child exposures to air pollution in peri-urban sub-Saharan Africa: measurements from the CLEAN-Air(Africa) study. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e95-e107. [PMID: 38331535 PMCID: PMC10864747 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00272-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Relatively clean cooking fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) emit less fine particulate matter (PM2·5) and carbon monoxide (CO) than polluting fuels (eg, wood, charcoal). Yet, some clean cooking interventions have not achieved substantial exposure reductions. This study evaluates determinants of between-community variability in exposures to household air pollution (HAP) across sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS In this measurement study, we recruited households cooking primarily with LPG or exclusively with wood or charcoal in peri-urban Cameroon, Ghana, and Kenya from previously surveyed households. In 2019-20, we conducted monitoring of 24 h PM2·5 and CO kitchen concentrations (n=256) and female cook (n=248) and child (n=124) exposures. PM2·5 measurements used gravimetric and light scattering methods. Stove use monitoring and surveys on cooking characteristics and ambient air pollution exposure (eg, walking time to main road) were also administered. FINDINGS The mean PM2·5 kitchen concentration was five times higher among households cooking with charcoal than those using LPG in the Kenyan community (297 μg/m3, 95% CI 216-406, vs 61 μg/m3, 49-76), but only 4 μg/m3 higher in the Ghanaian community (56 μg/m3, 45-70, vs 52 μg/m3, 40-68). The mean CO kitchen concentration in charcoal-using households was double the WHO guideline (6·11 parts per million [ppm]) in the Kenyan community (15·81 ppm, 95% CI 8·71-28·72), but below the guideline in the Ghanaian setting (1·77 ppm, 1·04-2·99). In all communities, mean PM2·5 cook exposures only met the WHO interim-1 target (35 μg/m3) among LPG users staying indoors and living more than 10 min walk from a road. INTERPRETATION Community-level variation in the relative difference in HAP exposures between LPG and polluting cooking fuel users in peri-urban sub-Saharan Africa might be attributed to differences in ambient air pollution levels. Thus, mitigation of indoor and outdoor PM2·5 sources will probably be critical for obtaining significant exposure reductions in rapidly urbanising settings of sub-Saharan Africa. FUNDING UK National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Shupler
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | | | - Emily Nix
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Federico Lorenzetti
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | | | | | - Adithi Upadhya
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Edna Sang
- School of Public Health, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sara Ronzi
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Diana Menya
- School of Public Health, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Elisa Puzzolo
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Pope
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Wright CY, Kapwata T, Naidoo N, Asante KP, Arku RE, Cissé G, Simane B, Atuyambe L, Berhane K. Climate Change and Human Health in Africa in Relation to Opportunities to Strengthen Mitigating Potential and Adaptive Capacity: Strategies to Inform an African "Brains Trust". Ann Glob Health 2024; 90:7. [PMID: 38312714 PMCID: PMC10836170 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Africa faces diverse and complex population/human health challenges due to climate change. Understanding the health impacts of climate change in Africa in all its complexity is essential for implementing effective strategies and policies to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable populations. This study aimed to outline the major climate change-related health impacts in Africa in the context of economic resilience and to seek solutions and provide strategies to prevent or reduce adverse effects of climate change on human health and well-being in Africa. Methods For this narrative review, a literature search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases. We also searched the reference lists of retrieved articles for additional records as well as reports. We followed a conceptual framework to ensure all aspects of climate change and health impacts in Africa were identified. Results The average temperatures in all six eco-regions of Africa have risen since the early twentieth century, and heat exposure, extreme events, and sea level rise are projected to disproportionately affect Africa, resulting in a larger burden of health impacts than other continents. Given that climate change already poses substantial challenges to African health and well-being, this will necessitate significant effort, financial investment, and dedication to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This review offers African leaders and decision-makers data-driven and action-oriented strategies that will ensure a more resilient healthcare system and safe, healthy populations-in ways that contribute to economic resiliency. Conclusions The urgency of climate-health action integrated with sustainable development in Africa cannot be overstated, given the multiple economic gains from reducing current impacts and projected risks of climate change on the continent's population health and well-being. Climate action must be integrated into Africa's development plan to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, protect vulnerable populations from the detrimental effects of climate change, and promote economic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caradee Y. Wright
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Thandi Kapwata
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Natasha Naidoo
- Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Raphael E. Arku
- School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
| | - Guéladio Cissé
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Lynn Atuyambe
- Makerere University, School of Public Health, Uganda
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17
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Navaratnam AMD, Williams H, Sharp SJ, Woodcock J, Khreis H. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of COVID-19 related restrictions on air quality in low- and middle-income countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168110. [PMID: 37884141 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are disproportionately affected by air pollution and its health burden, representing a global inequity. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of unprecedented lockdown measures on air pollutant concentrations globally. We aim to quantify air pollutant concentration changes across LMIC settings as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. METHODS Searches for this systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out across five databases on 30th March 2022; MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and Transport Research Information Documentation. Modelling and observational studies were included, as long as the estimates reflected city or town level data and were taken exclusively in pre-lockdown and lockdown periods. Mean percentage changes per pollutant were calculated and meta-analyses were carried out to calculate mean difference in measured ground-level observed concentrations for each pollutant (PROSPERO CRD42022326924). FINDINGS Of the 2982 manuscripts from initial searches, 256 manuscripts were included providing 3818 percentage changes of all pollutants. No studies included any countries from Sub-Saharan Africa and 34 % and 39.4 % of studies were from China and India, respectively. There was a mean percentage change of -37.4 %, -21.7 %, -54.6 %, -39.1 %, -48.9 %, 16.9 %, -34.9 %, -30.6 % and - 14.7 % for black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), ozone (O3), particulate matter 10 (PM10) and 2.5 (PM2.5) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), respectively. Meta-analysis included 100 manuscripts, providing 908 mean concentration differences, which showed significant reduction in mean concentration in all study settings for BC (-0.46 μg/m3, PI -0.85; -0.08), CO (-0.25 mg/m3, PI -0.44; -0.03), NO2 (-19.41 μg/m3, PI -31.14; -7.68) and NOx (-22.32 μg/m3, PI -40.94; -3.70). INTERPRETATION The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis quantify and confirm the trends reported across the globe in air pollutant concentration, including increases in O3. Despite the majority of global urban growth occurring in LMIC, there are distinct geographical gaps in air pollution data and, where it is available, differing approaches to analysis and reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Harry Williams
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephen J Sharp
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James Woodcock
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Haneen Khreis
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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18
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Taghian G, Fisher S, Chiles TC, Binagwaho A, Landrigan PJ. The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease from Air Pollution in Rwanda. Ann Glob Health 2024; 90:2. [PMID: 38223653 PMCID: PMC10786044 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Rwanda, like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is still relatively early in development. Industrialization and urbanization are major drivers of the county's economic growth. Rwanda is also undergoing an epidemiological transition, from a pattern of morbidity and mortality dominated by infectious diseases to a pattern shaped by non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The rise in NCDs is due, in part, to increasing exposures to environmental hazards. These include emissions from the growing number of motor vehicles and toxic occupational exposures. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now an increasingly important cause of death in Rwanda, and ambient air pollution is a CVD risk factor of growing importance. Objectives To quantify the burden of CVD attributable to air pollution in Rwanda and identify opportunities for prevention and control of air pollution and pollution-related disease. Methods We relied on the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study for information on levels, sources, and trends in household and ambient air pollution and the burden of pollution-related disease in Rwanda. Information on pollution sources was obtained from the Health Effects Institute State of Global Air 2019 report. Findings An estimated 3,477 deaths (95% Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 2,500-4,600) in Rwanda in 2019 were attributable to air pollution-related CVD. Of these, 689 (UI: 283-1,300) deaths were from ambient air pollution-related CVD, while 2,788 (UI: 1,800-3,800) deaths were from household air pollution-related CVD. Conclusion Rwanda is experiencing increased rates of disease and premature death from NCDs, including CVD, as the country grows economically. While household air pollution is still the top pollution-related cause of disease and premature death, rising levels of ambient air pollution are an increasingly important CVD risk factor. Recommendation Actions taken now to curb rising levels of ambient air pollution will improve health, reduce CVD, increase longevity, and produce great economic benefit for Rwanda. The single most effective intervention against air pollution will be a rapid nationwide transition to renewable energy. We recommend additionally that Rwanda prioritize air pollution prevention and control, establish a robust, nationwide air monitoring network, support research on the health effects of air pollutants, and build national research capacity. The allocation of increased resources for rural and urban public health and health care will complement air pollution control measures and further reduce CVD. To incentivize a rapid transition to renewable energy in Rwanda and other nations, we recommend the creation of a new Global Green Development Fund.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Taghian
- Global Pollution Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, US
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, US
| | - Samantha Fisher
- Global Pollution Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, US
- School of Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, US
| | - Thomas C. Chiles
- Department of Biology, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, US
| | | | - Philip J. Landrigan
- Department of Biology and the Global Pollution Observatory for Planetary Health, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, US
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, MC
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Whitmee S, Green R, Belesova K, Hassan S, Cuevas S, Murage P, Picetti R, Clercq-Roques R, Murray K, Falconer J, Anton B, Reynolds T, Sharma Waddington H, Hughes RC, Spadaro J, Aguilar Jaber A, Saheb Y, Campbell-Lendrum D, Cortés-Puch M, Ebi K, Huxley R, Mazzucato M, Oni T, de Paula N, Peng G, Revi A, Rockström J, Srivastava L, Whitmarsh L, Zougmoré R, Phumaphi J, Clark H, Haines A. Pathways to a healthy net-zero future: report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission. Lancet 2024; 403:67-110. [PMID: 37995741 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02466-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Whitmee
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Rosemary Green
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kristine Belesova
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Syreen Hassan
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Soledad Cuevas
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Peninah Murage
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Roberto Picetti
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Romain Clercq-Roques
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kris Murray
- MRC Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Jane Falconer
- Library, Archive & Open Research Services, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Blanca Anton
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tamzin Reynolds
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Hugh Sharma Waddington
- Environmental Health Group, Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; London International Development Centre, London, UK
| | - Robert C Hughes
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Joseph Spadaro
- Spadaro Environmental Research Consultants (SERC), Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Kristie Ebi
- Center for Health and the Global Environment, Hans Rosling Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel Huxley
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariana Mazzucato
- Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tolu Oni
- Global Diet and Activity Research Group, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicole de Paula
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy; Women Leaders for Planetary Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gong Peng
- University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Aromar Revi
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements Tharangavana, Bengaluru, India
| | - Johan Rockström
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Leena Srivastava
- Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Robert Zougmoré
- AICCRA, International Crops Research for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Bamako, Mali
| | - Joy Phumaphi
- African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Helen Clark
- Helen Clark Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andy Haines
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Lim S, Said B, Zurba L, Mosler G, Addo-Yobo E, Adeyeye OO, Arhin B, Evangelopoulos D, Fapohunda VT, Fortune F, Griffiths CJ, Hlophe S, Kasekete M, Lowther S, Masekela R, Mkutumula E, Mmbaga BT, Mujuru HA, Nantanda R, Mzati Nkhalamba L, Ngocho JS, Ojo OT, Owusu SK, Shaibu S, Ticklay I, Grigg J, Barratt B. Characterising sources of PM 2·5 exposure for school children with asthma: a personal exposure study across six cities in sub-Saharan Africa. THE LANCET. CHILD & ADOLESCENT HEALTH 2024; 8:17-27. [PMID: 38000380 PMCID: PMC10716619 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-4642(23)00261-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is the second largest risk to health in Africa, and children with asthma are particularly susceptible to its effects. Yet, there is a scarcity of air pollution exposure data from cities in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to identify potential exposure reduction strategies for school children with asthma living in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS This personal exposure study was part of the Achieving Control of Asthma in Children in Africa (ACACIA) project. Personal exposure to particulate matter (PM) was monitored in school children in six cities in sub-Saharan Africa (Blantyre, Malawi; Durban, South Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kumasi, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Moshi, Tanzania). Participants were selected if they were aged 12-16 years and had symptoms of asthma. Monitoring was conducted between June 21, and Nov 26, 2021, from Monday morning (approximately 1000 h) to Friday morning (approximately 1000 h), by use of a bespoke backpack with a small air pollution monitoring unit with an inbuilt Global Positioning System (GPS) data logger. Children filled in a questionnaire detailing potential sources of air pollution during monitoring and exposures were tagged into three different microenvironments (school, commute, and home) with GPS coordinates. Mixed-effects models were used to identify the most important determinants of children's PM2·5 (PM <2·5 μm in diameter) exposure. FINDINGS 330 children were recruited across 43 schools; of these, 297 had valid monitoring data, and 1109 days of valid data were analysed. Only 227 (20%) of 1109 days monitored were lower than the current WHO 24 h PM2·5 exposure health guideline of 15 μg/m3. Children in Blantyre had the highest PM2·5 exposure (median 41·8 μg/m3), whereas children in Durban (16·0 μg/m3) and Kumasi (17·9 μg/m3) recorded the lowest exposures. Children had significantly higher PM2·5 exposures at school than at home in Kumasi (median 19·6 μg/m3vs 14·2 μg/m3), Lagos (32·0 μg/m3vs 18·0 μg/m3), and Moshi (33·1 μg/m3vs 23·6 μg/m3), while children in the other three cities monitored had significantly higher PM2·5 exposures at home and while commuting than at school (median 48·0 μg/m3 and 43·2 μg/m3vs 32·3 μg/m3 in Blantyre, 20·9 μg/m3 and 16·3 μg/m3vs 11·9 μg/m3 in Durban, and 22·7 μg/m3 and 25·4 μg/m3vs 16·4 μg/m3 in Harare). The mixed-effects model highlighted the following determinants for higher PM2·5 exposure: presence of smokers at home (23·0% higher exposure, 95% CI 10·8-36·4), use of coal or wood for cooking (27·1%, 3·9-56·3), and kerosene lamps for lighting (30·2%, 9·1-55·2). By contrast, 37·2% (95% CI 22·9-48·2) lower PM2·5 exposures were found for children who went to schools with paved grounds compared with those whose school grounds were covered with loose dirt. INTERPRETATION Our study suggests that the most effective changes to reduce PM2·5 exposures in these cities would be to provide paving in school grounds, increase the use of clean fuel for cooking and light in homes, and discourage smoking within homes. The most efficient way to improve air quality in these cities would require tailored interventions to prioritise different exposure-reduction policies in different cities. FUNDING UK National Institute for Health and Care Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanon Lim
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bibie Said
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Kibong'oto Infectious Disease Hospital, Hai, Tanzania
| | | | - Gioia Mosler
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Emmanuel Addo-Yobo
- Department of Child Health, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Olayinka Olufunke Adeyeye
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja Lagos, Nigeria
| | | | - Dimitris Evangelopoulos
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Victoria Temitope Fapohunda
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Farida Fortune
- Centre for Oral immunobiology and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Chris J Griffiths
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Sbekezelo Hlophe
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Nelson R Mandela School of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Marian Kasekete
- University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Refiloe Masekela
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Nelson R Mandela School of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Blandina Theophil Mmbaga
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Hilda Angela Mujuru
- University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Rebecca Nantanda
- Makerere University Lung Institute, Makerere College of Health Sciences, Kampala Uganda
| | | | - James S Ngocho
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Oluwafemi Tunde Ojo
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja Lagos, Nigeria
| | | | - Sunshine Shaibu
- Department of Medicine, Lagos State University College of Medicine, and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Ismail Ticklay
- University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Jonathan Grigg
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Benjamin Barratt
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK; NIHR NPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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21
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Diao B, Wang Y, Dong F, Ding L, Zhang X, Li Z. Can factor substitution reduce the shadow price of air pollution embodied in international trade? A worldwide perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:7092-7110. [PMID: 38158524 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31447-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The calculation of trade-embodied air pollution (TEAP) and its economic losses can be reasonably used to assess the impact of transboundary air pollution. However, these air pollutants, which are associated with international trade, can be easily ignored due to their concealment. Based on this, the global multiregional input‒output model (MRIO) is used to quantify the volume of five air pollutants that are embodied in the trade of 20 countries from 2000 to 2016. Then, the shadow price of trade-embodied air pollution (SPTEAP) and the elasticity of factor substitution (EFS) are both calculated by applying the translog production function. Finally, impulse response analysis is used to study the dynamic impact of EFS on the SPTEAP. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) All countries experienced a mass transfer of TEAP, among which China and the USA are the developing and developed countries with the largest amount of TEAP transfers, respectively. (2) The SPTEAP and EFS vary greatly among countries, and these values are generally higher in developed countries than in developing countries. The relationship between the three EFSs can be expressed as [Formula: see text] in all countries, thus indicating that improving the technological level of a country is the best solution for reducing the TEAP in that country while incurring the lowest cost and the least difficulty. (3) Over the long run, the increase in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] reduces the SPTEAP. Conversely, an increase in [Formula: see text] increases the SPTEAP. Therefore, policymakers should weigh these three factors according to the fluctuation of the SPTEAP and constantly adjust the allocation structure and ratio of these factors to maximize the benefits of transboundary air pollution governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beidi Diao
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulong Wang
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Dong
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lei Ding
- Industrial Economic Research Center Around Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo Polytechnic, No.388 Lushan Road, 315800, Ningbo, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhang
- School of Business, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Li
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, People's Republic of China
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22
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Enyew HD, Hailu AB, Mereta ST. Kitchen fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) concentrations from biomass fuel use in rural households of Northwest Ethiopia. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1241977. [PMID: 37915824 PMCID: PMC10616595 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1241977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Combustion of solid biomass fuels using traditional stoves which is the daily routine for 3 billion people emits various air pollutants including fine particulate matter which is one of the widely recognized risk factors for various cardiorespiratory and other health problems. But, there is only limited evidences of kitchen PM2.5 concentrations in rural Ethiopia. Objective This study is aimed to estimate the 24-h average kitchen area concentrations of PM2.5 and to identify associated factors in rural households of northwest Ethiopia. Method The average kitchen area PM2.5 concentrations were measured using a low-cost light-scattering Particle and Temperature Sensor Plus (PATS+) for a 24-h sampling period. Data from the PATS+ was downloaded in electronic form for further analysis. Other characteristics were collected using face-to-face interviews. Independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to test differences in PM2.5 concentrations between and among various characteristics, respectively. Result Mixed fuels were the most common cooking biomass fuel. The 24-h average kitchen PM2.5 concentrations was estimated to be 405 μg/m3, ranging from 52 to 965 μg/m3. The average concentrations were 639 vs. 336 μg/m3 (p < 0.001) in the thatched and corrugated iron sheet roof kitchens, respectively. The average concentration was also higher among mixed fuel users at 493 vs. 347 μg/m3 (p = 0.042) compared with firewood users and 493 vs. 233 μg/m3 (p = 0.007) as compared with crop residue fuel users. Statistically significant differences were also observed across starter fuel types 613 vs. 343 μg/m3 (p = 0.016) for kerosene vs. dried leaves and Injera baking events 523 vs. 343 μg/m3 (p < 0.001) for baked vs. not baked events. Conclusion The average kitchen PM2.5 concentrations in the study area exceeded the world health organization indoor air quality guideline value of 15 μg/m3 which can put pregnant women at greater risk and contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes. Thatched roof kitchen, mixed cooking fuel, kerosene fire starter, and Injera baking events were positively associated with high-level average kitchen PM2.5. concentration. Simple cost-effective interventions like the use of chimney-fitted improved stoves and sensitizing women about factors that aggravate kitchen PM2.5 concentrations could reduce kitchen PM 2.5 levels in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habtamu Demelash Enyew
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Abebe Beyene Hailu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Institution of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Institution of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
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23
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Madonsela BS. A meta-analysis of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide air quality monitoring associated with the burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2023; 73:737-749. [PMID: 37602776 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2248928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to air pollution is a fundamental obstacle that makes it complex to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3) for good health and wellbeing. It is for this reason that air pollution has been characterized as the global environmental health risk facing the current generation. The risks of air pollution on morbidity, and life expectancy are well documented. This feeds directly to the substantial body of the literature that exists regarding the burden of diseases associated with ambient air pollution. However, the bulk of this literature originates from developed countries. Whilst most of the sub-Saharan African studies extrapolate literature from developed countries to contextualize the risks of elevated air pollution exposure levels associated with the burden of disease. However, extrapolation of epidemiological evidence from developed countries is problematic given that it disregards the social vulnerability. Therefore, given this observation, it is ideal to evaluate if the monitoring executions of hazardous particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide do take into consideration the concerted necessary efforts to associate monitored air pollution exposure levels with the burden of disease. Therefore, based on this background, the current meta-analysis evaluated air quality monitoring associated with the burden of disease across sub-Saharan Africa. To this extent, the current meta-analysis strictly included peer-reviewed published journal articles from the sub-Saharan African regions to gain insight on air quality monitoring associated with the burden of disease. The collected meta-analysis data was captured and subsequently analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019. This program facilitated the presentation of the meta-analysis data in the form of graphs and numerical techniques. Generally, the results indicate that the sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by a substantial gap in the number of regional studies that evaluate the burden of disease in relation with exposure to air quality.Implications: The work presented here is an original contribution and provides a comprehensive yet succinct overview of the monitoring associated with the burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa. The author explores if the monitoring executions of hazardous particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide do take into considerations the concerted necessary efforts to associate monitored air pollution exposure levels with the burden of disease. The manuscript includes the most relevant and current literature in a field of study that has not received a deserving degree of research attention in recent years. This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by insufficient monitoring of air quality exposure concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benett Siyabonga Madonsela
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
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24
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Dube E, Okuthe GE. Plastics and Micro/Nano-Plastics (MNPs) in the Environment: Occurrence, Impact, and Toxicity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6667. [PMID: 37681807 PMCID: PMC10488176 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20176667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Plastics, due to their varied properties, find use in different sectors such as agriculture, packaging, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and construction, to mention a few. Excessive use of plastics results in a lot of plastic waste buildup. Poorly managed plastic waste (as shown by heaps of plastic waste on dumpsites, in free spaces, along roads, and in marine systems) and the plastic in landfills, are just a fraction of the plastic waste in the environment. A complete picture should include the micro and nano-plastics (MNPs) in the hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere, as the current extreme weather conditions (which are effects of climate change), wear and tear, and other factors promote MNP formation. MNPs pose a threat to the environment more than their pristine counterparts. This review highlights the entry and occurrence of primary and secondary MNPs in the soil, water and air, together with their aging. Furthermore, the uptake and internalization, by plants, animals, and humans are discussed, together with their toxicity effects. Finally, the future perspective and conclusion are given. The material utilized in this work was acquired from published articles and the internet using keywords such as plastic waste, degradation, microplastic, aging, internalization, and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Dube
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa;
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25
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Raheja G, Nimo J, Appoh EKE, Essien B, Sunu M, Nyante J, Amegah M, Quansah R, Arku RE, Penn SL, Giordano MR, Zheng Z, Jack D, Chillrud S, Amegah K, Subramanian R, Pinder R, Appah-Sampong E, Tetteh EN, Borketey MA, Hughes AF, Westervelt DM. Low-Cost Sensor Performance Intercomparison, Correction Factor Development, and 2+ Years of Ambient PM 2.5 Monitoring in Accra, Ghana. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:10708-10720. [PMID: 37437161 PMCID: PMC10373484 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Particulate matter air pollution is a leading cause of global mortality, particularly in Asia and Africa. Addressing the high and wide-ranging air pollution levels requires ambient monitoring, but many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain scarcely monitored. To address these data gaps, recent studies have utilized low-cost sensors. These sensors have varied performance, and little literature exists about sensor intercomparison in Africa. By colocating 2 QuantAQ Modulair-PM, 2 PurpleAir PA-II SD, and 16 Clarity Node-S Generation II monitors with a reference-grade Teledyne monitor in Accra, Ghana, we present the first intercomparisons of different brands of low-cost sensors in Africa, demonstrating that each type of low-cost sensor PM2.5 is strongly correlated with reference PM2.5, but biased high for ambient mixture of sources found in Accra. When compared to a reference monitor, the QuantAQ Modulair-PM has the lowest mean absolute error at 3.04 μg/m3, followed by PurpleAir PA-II (4.54 μg/m3) and Clarity Node-S (13.68 μg/m3). We also compare the usage of 4 statistical or machine learning models (Multiple Linear Regression, Random Forest, Gaussian Mixture Regression, and XGBoost) to correct low-cost sensors data, and find that XGBoost performs the best in testing (R2: 0.97, 0.94, 0.96; mean absolute error: 0.56, 0.80, and 0.68 μg/m3 for PurpleAir PA-II, Clarity Node-S, and Modulair-PM, respectively), but tree-based models do not perform well when correcting data outside the range of the colocation training. Therefore, we used Gaussian Mixture Regression to correct data from the network of 17 Clarity Node-S monitors deployed around Accra, Ghana, from 2018 to 2021. We find that the network daily average PM2.5 concentration in Accra is 23.4 μg/m3, which is 1.6 times the World Health Organization Daily PM2.5 guideline of 15 μg/m3. While this level is lower than those seen in some larger African cities (such as Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo), mitigation strategies should be developed soon to prevent further impairment to air quality as Accra, and Ghana as a whole, rapidly grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Raheja
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia
University, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
| | - James Nimo
- Department
of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, Ghana
- African
Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Kigali, Rwanda
| | | | | | - Maxwell Sunu
- Ghana
Environmental Protection Agency, Accra, Ghana
| | - John Nyante
- Ghana
Environmental Protection Agency, Accra, Ghana
| | | | | | - Raphael E. Arku
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health
Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Stefani L. Penn
- Industrial
Economics, Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
| | - Michael R. Giordano
- Univ
Paris Est Creteil, CNRS UMS 3563, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussés,
Université de Paris, OSU-EFLUVE—Observatoire Sciences
de L’Univers-Envelopes Fluides de La Ville à L’Exobiologie, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - Zhonghua Zheng
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
| | - Darby Jack
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman
School of Public
Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Steven Chillrud
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman
School of Public
Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | | | - R. Subramanian
- Univ
Paris Est Creteil, CNRS UMS 3563, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussés,
Université de Paris, OSU-EFLUVE—Observatoire Sciences
de L’Univers-Envelopes Fluides de La Ville à L’Exobiologie, F-94010 Créteil, France
- Kigali Collaborative
Research Centre, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Robert Pinder
- Environmental Protection Agency, Raleigh, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel M. Westervelt
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Science, New York, New York 10025, United States
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Amegbor PM, Sabel CE, Mortensen LH, Mehta AJ, Rosenberg MW. Early-life air pollution and green space exposures as determinants of stunting among children under age five in Sub-Saharan Africa. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00572-8. [PMID: 37386059 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00572-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood malnutrition is a major public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and 61.4 million children under the age of five years in the region are stunted. Although insight from existing studies suggests plausible pathways between ambient air pollution exposure and stunting, there are limited studies on the effect of different ambient air pollutants on stunting among children. OBJECTIVE Explore the effect of early-life environmental exposures on stunting among children under the age of five years. METHODS In this study, we used pooled health and population data from 33 countries in SSA between 2006 and 2019 and environmental data from the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group and NASA's GIOVANNI platform. We estimated the association between early-life environmental exposures and stunting in three exposure periods - in-utero (during pregnancy), post-utero (after pregnancy to current age) and cumulative (from pregnancy to current age), using Bayesian hierarchical modelling. We also visualise the likelihood of stunting among children based on their region of residence using Bayesian hierarchical modelling. RESULTS The findings show that 33.6% of sampled children were stunted. In-utero PM2.5 was associated with a higher likelihood of stunting (OR = 1.038, CrI = 1.002-1.075). Early-life exposures to nitrogen dioxide and sulphate were robustly associated with stunting among children. The findings also show spatial variation in a high and low likelihood of stunting based on a region of residence. IMPACT STATEMENT This study explores the effect of early-life environmental exposures on child growth or stunting among sub-Saharan African children. The study focuses on three exposure windows - pregnancy, after birth and cumulative exposure during pregnancy and after birth. The study also employs spatial analysis to assess the spatial burden of stunted growth in relation to environmental exposures and socioeconomic factors. The findings suggest major air pollutants are associated with stunted growth among children in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prince M Amegbor
- School of Gobal Public Health, New York University, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
- Denmark Statistics, Sejrøgade 11, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Clive E Sabel
- Department of Public Health, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- The Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Laust H Mortensen
- Denmark Statistics, Sejrøgade 11, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amar J Mehta
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Lundbeck A/S, Ottiliavej 9, 2500, Valby, Denmark
| | - Mark W Rosenberg
- Department of Geography & Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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Liu Y, Hao Y. How does coordinated regional digital economy development improve air quality? New evidence from the spatial simultaneous equation analysis. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 342:118235. [PMID: 37270984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Countries around the world are increasingly turning towards developing digital economies to find better strategies for tackling the environmental pollution associated with economic growth while also pursuing high-quality economic conditions. This study aims to probe the link between coordinated regional digital economy development (RDEC) and air quality. A province-level RDEC indicator based on city-level data is developed, and air pollution is gauged by annual average PM2.5 concentrations. Furthermore, a spatial simultaneous equation model is employed to examine the causality further. The empirical results indicate that a bilateral causal relationship exists: RDEC improves air quality, and better air quality also facilitates RDEC. This relationship is influenced by spatial spillover effects. Specifically, air quality and RDEC of an area have a negative influence on the RDEC of neighboring regions, while they have a positive impact on neighboring areas' air quality. Further analysis suggests that green total factor productivity, advanced industrial structure, and regional entrepreneurship level can indirectly affect the contribution of RDEC to air quality. Additionally, the impact of air quality on RDEC may be realized through the increase in labor productivity, lower external environmental costs of regional economic development, and enhanced regional foreign economic exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhong Liu
- College of Statistics and Applied Mathematics, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, 233030, China.
| | - Yu Hao
- School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China; Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China; Sustainable Development Research Institute for Economy and Society of Beijing, Beijing, 100081, China; Beijing Key Lab of Energy Economics and Environmental Management, Beijing, 100081, China; Yangtze Delta Region Academy of Beijing Institute of Technology, Jiaxing, 314001, China.
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28
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Ali EB, Gyamfi BA, Bekun FV, Ozturk I, Nketiah P. An empirical assessment of the tripartite nexus between environmental pollution, economic growth, and agricultural production in Sub-Saharan African countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27307-4. [PMID: 37160515 PMCID: PMC10169204 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27307-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A lot of attention has been paid to environmental pollution worldwide, due to the increase in anthropogenic activities. Massive investment in non-renewable energy options raises questions regarding environmental sustainability and how to maximize food and non-food output while still preserving a healthy ecosystem. To this end, the present study explores the three-way nexus between economic growth, CO2 emission, and agriculture-value added will accounting for other control variables across a balanced panel of selected African economies from 1997 to 2020. Panel econometrics method of the generalized method of moments (two-step difference GMM) is used to obtain a robust result. From the present study, the environmental pollution model shows that economic growth significantly contributes to environmental pollution in Africa. Additionally, the food price index, capital, and FDI promote pollution, while agricultural production and labor decrease pollution. In the case of the economic growth model, the findings reveal that environmental pollution supports the growth-led pollution hypothesis. Also, the food price index and capital ameliorate economic growth, while foreign direct investments decrease economic growth. Finally, the agricultural production model indicates that economic growth increases agricultural production when the interaction term between GDPC and FDI is included in the model. In summary, the combination of explanatory variables, environmental pollution, capital, and foreign direct investment decreases agricultural production. On the contrary, the food price index and labor promote agricultural production in Africa. Furthermore, the study provides a lot of policies for authorities and stakeholders in Sub-Saharan African countries and other developing economies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Baba Ali
- Department of Environmental Economics, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Bright Akwasi Gyamfi
- School of Management, Sir Padampat Singhania University, Bhatewar-Udaipur, India
| | - Festus Victor Bekun
- Faculty of Economics Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of International Logistics and Transportation, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Adnan Kassar School of Business, Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Ilhan Ozturk
- College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Nisantasi University, Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Prince Nketiah
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Acheampong AO, Opoku EEO. Energy justice, democracy and deforestation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 341:118012. [PMID: 37150171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper contributes to the debate on the determinants of deforestation, a menace that is posing threat to sustainable development particularly in tropical developing regions. Specifically, the paper focuses on the effect of energy justice and democratization. The main contribution to the literature hinges on the emphasis on energy justice - operationalized as rural-urban equality in access to electricity and clean fuels and technologies for cooking - and its interaction with democracy. Using a panel data of 47 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000-2020 and the dynamic two-step generalized method of moment estimator, the results generally indicate that improvement in rural-urban equality in access to electricity and clean fuels and technologies for cooking is associated with a reduction in deforestation. Democracy is similarly found to be associated with reduction in deforestation. The conditional effect analysis largely depicts an intensified reducing effect of energy justice on deforestation in the presence of improved democratic practices. The results though robust to an alternative estimator, the Driscoll-Kraay estimator, differ when sub-regional analysis is considered. The paper aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 7, 13, 15 and 16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex O Acheampong
- Bond Business School, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia; Centre for Data Analytics, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.
| | - Eric Evans Osei Opoku
- Nottingham University Business School China, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China.
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Olutola BG, Phoobane P. A Bibliometric Analysis of Literature on Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution: 1994-2022. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3076. [PMID: 36833768 PMCID: PMC9961110 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Early life exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy is one of the leading causes of different health outcomes. However, few studies have provided an overview of this area of research. The aim of this study was to look at the key trends in the research on prenatal exposure to air pollution. Data were retrieved from Web of Science, and the search was conducted based on the paper title, abstract, and keywords. The relevant literature searched was from 1994 to 2022, and 952 English documents were obtained. Of the total documents, 438 documents were included in the review and 83% (n = 365) of the documents were journal articles. Type of document, annual distribution of publications, and distribution of prenatal exposure by countries were extracted. Co-authorship and keywords co-occurrence analyses were also carried out. Of all the countries that published in this field, the United States of America. had the highest number of publications, followed by China. Among the different health and environmental disciplines, 62% (n = 273) of papers came from environmental science. There were limited collaborations among researchers from different countries and institutions. In conclusion, there should be more collaboration among the researchers in this field regarding institutions, countries, and disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bukola G. Olutola
- School of Engineering, Science and Health, The Independent Institute of Education (IIEMSA), Roodepoort 1724, South Africa
| | - Paulina Phoobane
- School of Information Technology, The Independent Institute of Education (IIEMSA), Roodepoort 1724, South Africa
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Odo DB, Yang IA, Dey S, Hammer MS, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, Dong GH, Yang BY, Hystad P, Knibbs LD. A cross-sectional analysis of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive development in children aged 3-4 years living in 12 low- and middle-income countries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120916. [PMID: 36563987 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ambient air pollution may affect cognitive functioning and development in children. Unfortunately, there is little evidence available for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where air pollution levels are highest. We analysed the association between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (≤2.5 μm [PM2.5]) and cognitive development indicators in a cross-sectional analysis of children (aged 3-4 years) in 12 LMICs. We linked Demographic and Health Survey data, conducted between 2011 and 2018, with global estimates of PM2.5 mass concentrations to examine annual average exposure to PM2.5 and cognitive development (literacy-numeracy and learning domains) in children. Cognitive development was assessed using the United Nations Children's Fund's early child development indicators administered to each child's mother. We used multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for individual- and area-level covariates, and multi-pollutant models (including nitrogen dioxide and surface-level ozone). We assessed if sex and urban/rural status modified the association of PM2.5 with the outcome. We included 57,647 children, of whom, 9613 (13.3%) had indicators of cognitive delay. In the adjusted model, a 5 μg/m3 increase in annual all composition PM2.5 was associated with greater odds of cognitive delay (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.22). A 5 μg/m3 increase in anthropogenic PM2.5 was also associated with greater odds of cognitive delay (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.10). These results were robust to several sensitivity analyses, including multi-pollutant models. Interaction terms showed that urban-dwelling children had greater odds of cognitive delay than rural-dwelling children, while there was no significant difference by sex. Our findings suggest that annual average exposure to PM2.5 in young children was associated with adverse effects on cognitive development, which may have long-term consequences for educational attainment and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Odo
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; College of Health Sciences, Arsi University, Asela, Ethiopia.
| | - Ian A Yang
- Thoracic Program, The Prince Charles Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia; UQ Thoracic Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sagnik Dey
- Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India; Arun Duggal Centre of Excellence for Research in Climate Change and Air Pollution, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Melanie S Hammer
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Aaron van Donkelaar
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Randall V Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Guang-Hui Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bo-Yi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Perry Hystad
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, USA
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
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Gordon JND, Bilsback KR, Fiddler MN, Pokhrel RP, Fischer EV, Pierce JR, Bililign S. The Effects of Trash, Residential Biofuel, and Open Biomass Burning Emissions on Local and Transported PM 2.5 and Its Attributed Mortality in Africa. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000673. [PMID: 36743737 PMCID: PMC9884662 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the second leading risk factor of premature death in Sub-Saharan Africa. We use GEOS-Chem to quantify the effects of (a) trash burning, (b) residential solid-fuel burning, and (c) open biomass burning (BB) (i.e., landscape fires) on ambient PM2.5 and PM2.5-attributable mortality in Africa. Using a series of sensitivity simulations, we excluded each of the three combustion sources in each of five African regions. We estimate that in 2017 emissions from these three combustion sources within Africa increased global ambient PM2.5 by 2%, leading to 203,000 (95% confidence interval: 133,000-259,000) premature mortalities yr-1 globally and 167,000 premature mortalities yr-1 in Africa. BB contributes more ambient PM2.5-related premature mortalities per year (63%) than residential solid-fuel burning (29%) and trash burning (8%). Open BB in Central Africa leads to the largest number of PM2.5-attributed mortalities inside the region, while trash burning in North Africa and residential solid-fuel burning in West Africa contribute the most regional mortalities for each source. Overall, Africa has a unique ambient air pollution profile because natural sources, such as windblown dust and BB, contribute strongly to ambient PM2.5 levels and PM2.5-related mortality. Air pollution policies may need to focus on taking preventative measures to avoid exposure to ambient PM2.5 from these less-controllable sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janica N. D. Gordon
- Department of PhysicsNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboroNCUSA
- Applied Sciences and Technology PhD programNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboroNCUSA
| | - Kelsey R. Bilsback
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
- PSE Healthy EnergyOaklandCAUSA
| | - Marc N. Fiddler
- Department of ChemistryNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboroNCUSA
| | - Rudra P. Pokhrel
- Department of PhysicsNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboroNCUSA
- NOAA Chemical Sciences LaboratoryBoulderCOUSA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Emily V. Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Jeffrey R. Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Solomon Bililign
- Department of PhysicsNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboroNCUSA
- Applied Sciences and Technology PhD programNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityGreensboroNCUSA
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Chen N, Fong DYT, Wong JYH. Health and Economic Outcomes Associated With Musculoskeletal Disorders Attributable to High Body Mass Index in 192 Countries and Territories in 2019. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2250674. [PMID: 36662529 PMCID: PMC9860530 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance The degree to which health and economic outcomes of musculoskeletal disorders are attributable to high body mass index (BMI) has not been quantified on a global scale. Objective To estimate global health and economic outcomes associated with musculoskeletal disorders-low back pain (LBP), gout, and osteoarthritis attributable to high BMI in 2019. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used data of 192 countries and territories from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure, World Bank, and International Labour Organization databases. Data analyses were conducted from February 24 to June 16, 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), health care costs, and productivity losses due to morbidity from LBP, gout, and osteoarthritis attributable to high BMI by region and country. Prevalence and YLDs were calculated with the population attributable fraction approach. The economic burden, including health care costs and productivity losses due to morbidity, was also quantified. Health care costs borne by the public, private, and out-of-pocket sectors were estimated based on their corresponding payment shares. Productivity losses were estimated based on the output per worker. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to arrive at the base, minimum, and maximum estimates (ie, uncertainty interval [UI]) by using the mean, lower, and upper bounds of all input variables. Results High BMI was estimated to be responsible for 36.3 million (UI, 18.4-61.0 million), 16.9 million (UI, 7.5-32.5 million), and 73.0 million (UI, 32.4-131.1 million) prevalent cases of LBP, gout, and osteoarthritis, respectively, which accounted for 7.3 million (UI, 3.0-15.0 million) YLDs across 192 countries and territories in 2019. Globally, the YLDs of musculoskeletal disorders attributable to high BMI accounted for 1.0% of all-cause YLDs in the working-age population aged 15 to 84 years. The global total costs of musculoskeletal disorders attributable to high BMI reached $180.7 billion (UI, $83.8-$333.1 billion), including $60.5 billion (UI, $30.7-$100.5 billion) in health care costs and $120.2 billion (UI, $53.1-$232.7 billion) in productivity losses. In terms of the global health care costs, 58.9% ($35.6 billion; UI, $17.8-$59.6 billion) was borne by the public sector, 24.0% ($14.5 billion; UI, $7.8-$23.2 billion) by the private sector, and 17.1% ($10.3 billion; UI, $5.1-$17.6 billion) by the out-of-pocket sector. On average, the total costs accounted for 0.2% of global gross domestic product. Great inequalities in the disease and economic burden existed across regions and countries. Nearly 80% of global health care (82.4%) and morbidity-related costs (82.9%) were paid by high-income countries, whereas more than 60% (61.4%) of global YLDs occurred in middle-income countries. Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study of 192 countries and territories, a substantial amount of the health and economic impact of musculoskeletal disorders was attributable to high BMI. Developing effective policies and active participation from health professionals to prevent excessive weight gain are needed. More available estimates are also needed to facilitate a global analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningjing Chen
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daniel Yee Tak Fong
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Janet Yuen Ha Wong
- School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China
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Okello G, Nantanda R, Awokola B, Thondoo M, Okure D, Tatah L, Bainomugisha E, Oni T. Air quality management strategies in Africa: A scoping review of the content, context, co-benefits and unintended consequences. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107709. [PMID: 36580733 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
One of the major consequences of Africa's rapid urbanisation is the worsening air pollution, especially in urban centres. However, existing societal challenges such as recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, intensifying effects of climate change are making prioritisation of addressing air pollution harder. We undertook a scoping review of strategies developed and/or implemented in Africa to provide a repository to stakeholders as a reference that could be applied for various local contexts. The review includes strategies assessed for effectiveness in improving air quality and/or health outcomes, co-benefits of the strategies, potential collaborators, and pitfalls. An international multidisciplinary team convened to develop well-considered research themes and scope from a contextual lens relevant to the African continent. From the initial 18,684 search returns, additional 43 returns through reference chaining, contacting topic experts and policy makers, 65 studies and reports were included for final analysis. Three main strategy categories obtained from the review included technology (75%), policy (20%) and education/behavioural change (5%). Most strategies (83%) predominantly focused on household air pollution compared to outdoor air pollution (17%) yet the latter is increasing due to urbanisation. Mobility strategies were only 6% compared to household energy strategies (88%) yet motorised mobility has rapidly increased over recent decades. A cost effective way to tackle air pollution in African cities given the competing priorities could be by leveraging and adopting implemented strategies, collaborating with actors involved whilst considering local contextual factors. Lessons and best practices from early adopters/implementers can go a long way in identifying opportunities and mitigating potential barriers related to the air quality management strategies hence saving time on trying to "reinvent the wheel" and prevent pitfalls. We suggest collaboration of various stakeholders, such as policy makers, academia, businesses and communities in order to formulate strategies that are suitable and practical to various local contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Okello
- Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; AirQo, Department of Computer Science, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
| | | | - Babatunde Awokola
- Department of Clinical Services, Medical Research Council Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Meelan Thondoo
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Deo Okure
- AirQo, Department of Computer Science, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Lambed Tatah
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tolu Oni
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Avokpaho EFGA, Gineau L, Sabbagh A, Atindégla E, Fiogbé A, Galagan S, Ibikounlé M, Massougbodji A, Walson JL, Luty AJF, Garcia A. Multiple overlapping risk factors for childhood wheeze among children in Benin. Eur J Med Res 2022; 27:304. [PMID: 36572891 PMCID: PMC9791764 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-022-00919-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The African continent is currently facing an epidemiological transition characterized by a shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Prominent amongst the latter are allergies and asthma. In that context, wheeze has multiple potential contributory factors that could include some of the endemic helminth infections, as well as environmental exposures, such as household air pollution. We sought to determine the relative importance of these risk factors among children in Benin. METHODS We included 964 children aged 6-14 years living in the commune of Comé, south-west Benin. All children were participants in the longitudinal monitoring cohort of the DeWorm3 trial designed to evaluate multiple rounds of community mass treatment with albendazole for interruption of the transmission of soil transmitted helminths (STH). We administered a standard ISAAC questionnaire to determine the presence of wheeze. In addition, we assessed exposure to household air pollution and to other potential allergy-inducing factors, dietary intake and anthropometry. Using STH infection status assessed at the pretreatment baseline timepoint, we used multivariate statistical modelling, controlling for covariates, to investigate associations between wheeze and the different factors measured. RESULTS The prevalence of wheezing history was 5.2%, of current wheezing was 4.6% and of severe wheezing was 3.1%, while STH infections were found in 5.6% of children. These profiles did not vary as a function of either age or gender. Infection with Ascaris lumbricoides, but not hookworm species, was significantly associated with both current wheeze (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 4.3; 95% CI [1.5-12.0]) and severe wheeze (aOR = 9.2; 95% CI [3.1-27.8]). Significant positive associations with current wheeze, independent of each other and of STH infection status, were also found for (i) use of open cookstoves (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI [1.3-11.5]), (ii) use of palm cakes for fire lighting (aOR = 3.4; 95% CI [1.1-9.9]), (iii) contact with domestic animals and/or rodents (aOR = 2.5; 95% CI [1.1-6.0]), (iv) being overweight (aOR = 9.7; 95% CI [1.7-55.9]). Use of open cookstoves and being overweight were also independent risk factors for severe wheeze (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI [1.1-13.7]) and aOR = 10.3; 95% CI [1.8-60.0], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Children infected with A. lumbricoides appear to be at elevated risk of wheeze. Deworming may be an important intervention to reduce these symptoms. Improving cooking methods to reduce household air pollution, modifying dietary habits to avoid overweight, and keeping animals out of the house are all additional measures that could also contribute to reducing childrens' risk of wheeze. Policymakers in LMIC should consider tailoring public health measures to reflect the importance of these different risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euripide F. G. A. Avokpaho
- Institut de Recherche Clinique du Bénin, Abomey-Calavi, Benin ,grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602ED 393 Pierre Louis de Santé Publique, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Laure Gineau
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602MERIT, IRD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Sabbagh
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602MERIT, IRD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Eloic Atindégla
- Institut de Recherche Clinique du Bénin, Abomey-Calavi, Benin
| | - Arnauld Fiogbé
- grid.463453.3Ministère de la Santé, Centre National Hospitalo-Universitaire de Pneumo- Phtisiologie, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Sean Galagan
- grid.34477.330000000122986657DeWorm3, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Moudachirou Ibikounlé
- Institut de Recherche Clinique du Bénin, Abomey-Calavi, Benin ,grid.412037.30000 0001 0382 0205Centre de Recherche Pour La Lutte Contre Les Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales (CReMIT/TIDRC), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Bénin
| | | | - Judd L. Walson
- grid.34477.330000000122986657DeWorm3, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Adrian J. F. Luty
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602MERIT, IRD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - André Garcia
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602MERIT, IRD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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Mwiinde AM, Siankwilimba E, Sakala M, Banda F, Michelo C. Climatic and Environmental Factors Influencing COVID-19 Transmission-An African Perspective. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:433. [PMID: 36548688 PMCID: PMC9785776 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7120433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 was decreed by the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of worldwide concern, the epidemic has drawn attention from all around the world. The disease has since spread globally in developed and developing countries. The African continent has not been spared from the pandemic; however, the low number of cases in Africa compared to developed countries has brought about more questions than answers. Africa is known to have a poor healthcare system that cannot sustain the emerging infectious disease pandemic. This study explored climatic and environmental elements influencing COVID-19 transmission in Africa. This study involved manuscripts and data that evaluated and investigated the climatic and environmental elements of COVID-19 in African countries. Only articles written in English were considered in the systematic review. Seventeen articles and one database were selected for manuscript write-ups after the review process. The findings indicated that there is evidence that suggests the influence of climatic and environmental elements on the spread of COVID-19 in the continent of Africa; however, the evidence needs more investigation in all six regions of Africa and at the country level to understand the role of weather patterns and environmental aspects in the transmission of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Mayaba Mwiinde
- Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology Ridgeway Campus, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50516, Zambia
- Department of Public Health, Mazabuka Municipal Council, Mazabuka P.O. Box 670022, Zambia
| | - Enock Siankwilimba
- Graduate School of Business, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50516, Zambia
| | - Masauso Sakala
- School of Engineering, Department of Geomatic Engineering, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50516, Zambia
| | - Faustin Banda
- School of Engineering, Department of Geomatic Engineering, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50516, Zambia
- The National Remote Sensing Centre, Plot Number 15302 Airport Road, Lusaka P.O. Box 310303, Zambia
| | - Charles Michelo
- Department of Public Health, Mazabuka Municipal Council, Mazabuka P.O. Box 670022, Zambia
- Harvest Research Institute, Lusaka P.O. Box 51176, Zambia
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Dunbar EJ, Gupta L. Temporal Variation and Source Identification of Carbonaceous Aerosols in Monrovia, Liberia. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Clarke K, Rivas AC, Milletich S, Sabo-Attwood T, Coker ES. Prenatal Exposure to Ambient PM 2.5 and Early Childhood Growth Impairment Risk in East Africa. TOXICS 2022; 10:705. [PMID: 36422914 PMCID: PMC9699051 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10110705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Height for age is an important and widely used population-level indicator of children's health. Morbidity trends show that stunting in young children is a significant public health concern. Recent studies point to environmental factors as an understudied area of child growth failure in Africa. Data on child measurements of height-for-age and confounders were obtained from fifteen waves of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for six countries in East Africa. Monthly ambient PM2.5 concentration data was retrieved from the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG) global surface PM2.5 estimates and spatially integrated with DHS data. Generalized additive models with linear and logistic regression were used to estimate the exposure-response relationship between prenatal PM2.5 and height-for-age and stunting among children under five in East Africa (EA). Fully adjusted models showed that for each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration there is a 0.069 (CI: 0.097, 0.041) standard deviation decrease in height-for-age and 9% higher odds of being stunted. Our study identified ambient PM2.5 as an environmental risk factor for lower height-for-age among young children in EA. This underscores the need to address emissions of harmful air pollutants in EA as adverse health effects are attributable to ambient PM2.5 air pollution.
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Eriksson A, Abera A, Malmqvist E, Isaxon C. Characterization of fine particulate matter from indoor cooking with solid biomass fuels. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e13143. [PMID: 36437670 PMCID: PMC9828024 DOI: 10.1111/ina.13143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Household burning of solid biomass fuels emits pollution particles that are a huge health risk factor, especially in low-income countries (LICs) such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa. In epidemiological studies, indoor exposure is often more challenging to assess than outdoor exposure. Laboratory studies of solid biomass fuels, performed under real-life conditions, are an important path toward improved exposure assessments. Using on- and offline measurement techniques, particulate matter (PM) from the most commonly used solid biomass fuels (charcoal, wood, dung, and crops residue) was characterized in laboratory settings using a way of burning the fuels and an air exchange rate that is representative of real-world settings in low-income countries. All the fuels generated emissions that resulted in concentrations which by far exceed both the annual and the 24-hour-average WHO guidelines for healthy air. Fuels with lower energy density, such as dung, emitted orders of magnitude more than, for example, charcoal. The vast majority of the emitted particles were smaller than 300 nm, indicating high deposition in the alveoli tract. The chemical composition of the indoor pollution changes over time, with organic particle emissions often peaking early in the stove operation. The chemical composition of the emitted PM is different for different biomass fuels, which is important to consider both in toxicological studies and in source apportionment efforts. For example, dung and wood yield higher organic aerosol emissions, and for dung, nitrogen content in the organic PM fraction is higher than for the other fuels. We show that aerosol mass spectrometry can be used to differentiate stove-related emissions from fuel, accelerant, and incense. We argue that further emission studies, targeting, for example, vehicles relevant for LICs and trash burning, coupled with field observations of chemical composition, would advance our understanding of air pollution in LIC. We believe this to be a necessary step for improved air quality policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Eriksson
- Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol TechnologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Asmamaw Abera
- Ethiopia Institute of Water ResourcesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Ebba Malmqvist
- Division of Occupational and Environmental MedicineLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Christina Isaxon
- Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol TechnologyLund UniversityLundSweden
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Husni E, Prayoga GA, Tamba JD, Retnowati Y, Fauzandi FI, Yusuf R, Yahya BN. Microclimate Investigation of Vehicular Traffic on The Urban Heat Island Through IoT-Based Device. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11739. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Kansiime WK, Mugambe RK, Atusingwize E, Wafula ST, Nsereko V, Ssekamatte T, Nalugya A, Coker ES, Ssempebwa JC, Isunju JB. Use of biomass fuels predicts indoor particulate matter and carbon monoxide concentrations; evidence from an informal urban settlement in Fort Portal city, Uganda. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1723. [PMID: 36089579 PMCID: PMC9464485 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14015-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is a leading cause of respiratory and cardiopulmonary illnesses. Particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) are critical indicators of IAQ, yet there is limited evidence of their concentrations in informal urban settlements in low-income countries.
Objective
This study assessed household characteristics that predict the concentrations of PM2.5 and CO within households in an informal settlement in Fort Portal City, Uganda.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 374 households. Concentrations of PM2.5 and CO were measured using a multi-purpose laser particle detector and a carbon monoxide IAQ meter, respectively. Data on household characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. Data were analysed using STATA version 14.0. Linear regression was used to establish the relationship between PM2.5, CO concentrations and household cooking characteristics.
Results
The majority (89%, 332/374) of the households used charcoal for cooking. More than half (52%, 194/374) cooked outdoors. Cooking areas had significantly higher PM2.5 and CO concentrations (t = 18.14, p ≤ 0.05) and (t = 5.77 p ≤ 0.05), respectively. Cooking outdoors was associated with a 0.112 increase in the PM2.5 concentrations in the cooking area (0.112 [95% CI: -0.069, 1.614; p = 0.033]). Cooking with moderately polluting fuel was associated with a 0.718 increase in CO concentrations (0.718 [95% CI: 0.084, 1.352; p = 0.027]) in the living area.
Conclusions
The cooking and the living areas had high concentrations of PM2.5 and CO during the cooking time. Cooking with charcoal resulted in higher CO in the living area. Furthermore, cooking outdoors did not have a protective effect against PM2.5, and ambient PM2.5 exceeded the WHO Air quality limits. Interventions to improve the indoor air quality in informal settlements should promote a switch to cleaner cooking energy and improvement in the ambient air quality.
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Amegbor PM. Early-life environmental exposures and anaemia among children under age five in Sub-Saharan Africa: An insight from the Demographic & Health Surveys. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 832:154957. [PMID: 35367541 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reports show that the majority (60%) of children under age five years in Sub-Saharan Africa are anaemic. Studies in the region have mainly focused on the effect of individual, maternal and household socioeconomic status on the prevalence of anaemia. Currently, there is limited understanding of the association between early-life environmental exposures and anaemia among children in Sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE The study examines the association between early-life environmental exposures and anaemia among children under five in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS The study used health and demographic data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) program and environmental data from NASA's Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) and Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group. Three exposure periods were defined for the study, namely: in-utero, post-utero and cumulative life exposures. Multilevel mixed-effect models were used to assess the associations between environmental exposures and anaemia in each exposure period. RESULTS The findings show that 63% of children in the study were anaemic. It also reveals that mean PM 2.5 exposure for in-utero (34.93 μgm-3), post-utero (35.23 μgm-3) and cumulative exposure (35.08 μgm-3) were seven times higher than the new air quality guideline WHO recommended. A 10 μgm-3 increase in in-utero, post-utero and cumulative PM 2.5 exposures was associated with 4% to 5% increase in the prevalence of anaemia among children. A 10ppbv increase in in-utero, post-utero and cumulative carbon monoxide exposures was associated with 1% increase in the prevalence of anaemia among children. The spatial risk distribution maps show that socioeconomic factors modify the spatial risk distribution pattern. CONCLUSION The findings of the study suggest that early-life exposure to ambient air pollution is significantly associated with anaemia among children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, policies aimed at addressing air quality should be incorporated into targeted interventions for anaemia among children in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prince M Amegbor
- Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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Fuller R, Landrigan PJ, Balakrishnan K, Bathan G, Bose-O'Reilly S, Brauer M, Caravanos J, Chiles T, Cohen A, Corra L, Cropper M, Ferraro G, Hanna J, Hanrahan D, Hu H, Hunter D, Janata G, Kupka R, Lanphear B, Lichtveld M, Martin K, Mustapha A, Sanchez-Triana E, Sandilya K, Schaefli L, Shaw J, Seddon J, Suk W, Téllez-Rojo MM, Yan C. Pollution and health: a progress update. Lancet Planet Health 2022; 6:e535-e547. [PMID: 35594895 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00090-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 405] [Impact Index Per Article: 202.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The Lancet Commission on pollution and health reported that pollution was responsible for 9 million premature deaths in 2015, making it the world's largest environmental risk factor for disease and premature death. We have now updated this estimate using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuriaes, and Risk Factors Study 2019. We find that pollution remains responsible for approximately 9 million deaths per year, corresponding to one in six deaths worldwide. Reductions have occurred in the number of deaths attributable to the types of pollution associated with extreme poverty. However, these reductions in deaths from household air pollution and water pollution are offset by increased deaths attributable to ambient air pollution and toxic chemical pollution (ie, lead). Deaths from these modern pollution risk factors, which are the unintended consequence of industrialisation and urbanisation, have risen by 7% since 2015 and by over 66% since 2000. Despite ongoing efforts by UN agencies, committed groups, committed individuals, and some national governments (mostly in high-income countries), little real progress against pollution can be identified overall, particularly in the low-income and middle-income countries, where pollution is most severe. Urgent attention is needed to control pollution and prevent pollution-related disease, with an emphasis on air pollution and lead poisoning, and a stronger focus on hazardous chemical pollution. Pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss are closely linked. Successful control of these conjoined threats requires a globally supported, formal science-policy interface to inform intervention, influence research, and guide funding. Pollution has typically been viewed as a local issue to be addressed through subnational and national regulation or, occasionally, using regional policy in higher-income countries. Now, however, it is increasingly clear that pollution is a planetary threat, and that its drivers, its dispersion, and its effects on health transcend local boundaries and demand a global response. Global action on all major modern pollutants is needed. Global efforts can synergise with other global environmental policy programmes, especially as a large-scale, rapid transition away from all fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy is an effective strategy for preventing pollution while also slowing down climate change, and thus achieves a double benefit for planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Fuller
- Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Philip J Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Kalpana Balakrishnan
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai, India
| | | | - Stephan Bose-O'Reilly
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jack Caravanos
- Environmental Public Health Sciences, School of Global Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tom Chiles
- Biology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | - Lilian Corra
- Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maureen Cropper
- Department of Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Jill Hanna
- Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Howard Hu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David Hunter
- Translational Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Rachael Kupka
- Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Maureen Lichtveld
- Environmental and Occupational Health Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Ernesto Sanchez-Triana
- Global Practice on Environment and Natural Resources, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Karti Sandilya
- Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laura Schaefli
- Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joseph Shaw
- O'Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Jessica Seddon
- Air Quality, Ross Center, World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - William Suk
- Hazardous Substances Research Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Martha María Téllez-Rojo
- Centro de Investigación en Nutrición y Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Avenida Universidad, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Chonghuai Yan
- Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Fuller CH, Amegah AK. Limited Air Pollution Research on the African Continent: Time to Fill the Gap. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116359. [PMID: 35681943 PMCID: PMC9180590 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina H. Fuller
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Georgia State University School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Correspondence: (C.H.F.); (A.K.A.)
| | - A. Kofi Amegah
- Public Health Research Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Correspondence: (C.H.F.); (A.K.A.)
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Raheja G, Sabi K, Sonla H, Gbedjangni EK, McFarlane CM, Hodoli CG, Westervelt DM. A Network of Field-Calibrated Low-Cost Sensor Measurements of PM 2.5 in Lomé, Togo, Over One to Two Years. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2022; 6:1011-1021. [PMID: 35495364 PMCID: PMC9036579 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is a leading cause of global premature mortality and is especially prevalent in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In sub-Saharan Africa, preliminary monitoring networks, satellite retrievals of air-quality-relevant species, and air quality models show ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations that far exceed the World Health Organization guidelines, yet many areas remain largely unmonitored and understudied. Deploying a network of five low-cost PurpleAir PM2.5 monitors over 2 years (2019-2021), we present the first multiyear ambient air pollution monitoring data results from Lomé, Togo, a major West African coastal city with a population of about 1.4 million people. The full-study time period network-wide mean measured daily PM2.5 concentration is 23.5 μg m-3 m-3. The strong regional influence of the dry and dusty Harmattan wind increases the local average PM2.5 concentration by up to 58% during December through February, but the diurnal and weekly trends in PM2.5 are largely controlled by local influences. At all sites, more than 87% of measured days exceeded the new WHO Daily PM2.5 guidelines; these first measurements highlight the need for air quality improvement in a rapidly growing urban metropolis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Raheja
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Science, Columbia
University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York 10027, United
States
| | - Kokou Sabi
- Université
de Lomé (UL), 01BP, 1515 Lomé, Togo
| | | | | | - Celeste M. McFarlane
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
| | | | - Daniel M. Westervelt
- Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York 10964, United States
- NASA
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, New York 10025, United
States
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Glenn BE, Espira LM, Larson MC, Larson PS. Ambient air pollution and non-communicable respiratory illness in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the literature. Environ Health 2022; 21:40. [PMID: 35422005 PMCID: PMC9009030 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00852-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aerosol pollutants are known to raise the risk of development of non-communicable respiratory diseases (NCRDs) such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and allergic rhinitis. Sub-Saharan Africa's rapid pace of urbanization, economic expansion, and population growth raise concerns of increasing incidence of NCRDs. This research characterizes the state of research on pollution and NCRDs in the 46 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This research systematically reviewed the literature on studies of asthma; chronic bronchitis; allergic rhinitis; and air pollutants such as particulate matter, ozone, NOx, and sulfuric oxide. METHODS We searched three major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) using the key words "asthma", "chronic bronchitis", "allergic rhinitis", and "COPD" with "carbon monoxide (CO)", "sulfuric oxide (SO)", "ozone (O3)", "nitrogen dioxide (NO2)", and "particulate matter (PM)", restricting the search to the 46 countries that comprise SSA. Only papers published in scholarly journals with a defined health outcome in individuals and which tested associations with explicitly measured or modelled air exposures were considered for inclusion. All candidate papers were entered into a database for review. RESULTS We found a total of 362 unique research papers in the initial search of the three databases. Among these, 14 met the inclusion criteria. These papers comprised studies from just five countries. Nine papers were from South Africa; two from Malawi; and one each from Ghana, Namibia, and Nigeria. Most studies were cross-sectional. Exposures to ambient air pollutants were measured using spectrometry and chromatography. Some studies created composite measures of air pollution using a range of data layers. NCRD outcomes were measured by self-reported health status and measures of lung function (spirometry). Populations of interest were primarily schoolchildren, though a few studies focused on secondary school students and adults. CONCLUSIONS The paucity of research on NCRDs and ambient air pollutant exposures is pronounced within the African continent. While capacity to measure air quality in SSA is high, studies targeting NCRDs should work to draw attention to questions of outdoor air pollution and health. As the climate changes and SSA economies expand and countries urbanize, these questions will become increasingly important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey E. Glenn
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA USA
| | - Leon M. Espira
- Center for Global Health Equity, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | | | - Peter S. Larson
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA USA
- Social Environment and Health Program, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
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Unnatural Cycles: Anthropogenic Disruption to Health and Planetary Functions. GEOSCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences12030137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Natural cycles underpin the very stuff of life. In this commentary we consider unnatural cycles: that is, anthropogenic activities which have a circularity, but whose nature is to have a detrimental effect on human health, exacerbating existing problems. Natural cycles have feedback loops, some of which have recently come to light, with an understanding that everything is connected in some way. In health, feedback loops are imperative in homeostatic mechanisms. However, in the unnatural cycle the feedback loops serve to reinforce (and in some cases amplify) negative problems. We offer a commentary on an unnatural cycle moving from air quality to lung function and back to air quality; we call this the lung disease unnatural cycle. We suggest where links occur, and where wider consideration of interactions between various disciplines can lead to breaking this unnatural (or vicious) cycle, changing it to a healthy cycle where individual health can be improved, along with better global scale outcomes. We suggest that many activities within this unnatural cycle occur within silos. However, the improved cycle incorporates joint activities at geological, health, and financial levels, to the mutual benefit of all, breaking the unnatural cycle and improving health, life, and financial costs.
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Environmental Regulation, Rural Residents' Health Investment, and Agricultural Eco-Efficiency: An Empirical Analysis Based on 31 Chinese Provinces. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19053125. [PMID: 35270816 PMCID: PMC8910385 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19053125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This paper explores the effects of environmental regulation (ER) and rural residents’ health investment (RRHI) on agricultural eco-efficiency (AEE) to provide a reference for the Chinese Government and other developing countries for implementing environmental regulation policies and to provide new paths to further improve green development in agriculture. Using the panel data of 31 Chinese provinces from 2009–2018, the Super-SBM model was used to measure AEE. The role of ER on AEE was analyzed based on panel two-way fixed effects with endogeneity treatment and a robustness test, and this mediating effect analysis was conducted to analyze the role of RRHI in ER and AEE, examining the extent of the effect of ER on AEE in three regions of China—eastern, central and western—using a heterogeneity analysis. The results of the study show that: (1) from a national perspective, ER has a significant positive impact on AEE, showing that ER is effective at this stage; (2) when RRHI is used as a mediating variable, the rising ER’s intensity can promote AEE by increasing RRHI; and (3) the results of the heterogeneity analysis show that ER has the greatest impact on AEE in the economically developed eastern region; the western region with a weaker level of economic development is in second place. However, ER has a negative impact on AEE in the central region with a medium level of economic development. Thus, the impact of ER on AEE will show great differences depending on the stage of economic development.
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