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Palmeiro-Silva Y, Aravena-Contreras R, Izcue Gana J, González Tapia R, Kelman I. Climate-related health impact indicators for public health surveillance in a changing climate: a systematic review and local suitability analysis. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2024; 38:100854. [PMID: 39171197 PMCID: PMC11334688 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Climate change challenges public health. Effective management of climate-related health risks relies on robust public health surveillance (PHS) and population health indicators. Despite existing global and country-specific indicators, their integration into local PHS systems is limited, impacting decision-making. We conducted a systematic review examining population health indicators relevant to climate change impacts and their suitability for national PHS systems. Guided by a registered protocol, we searched multiple databases and included 41 articles. Of these, 35 reported morbidity indicators, and 39 reported mortality indicators. Using Chile as a case study, we identified three sets of indicators for the Chilean PHS. The high-priority set included vector-, food-, and water-borne diseases, as well as temperature-related health outcomes indicators due to their easy integration into existing PHS systems. This review highlights the importance of population health indicators in monitoring climate-related health impacts, emphasising the need for local contextual factors to guide indicator selection. Funding This research project was partly funded by ANID Chile and University College London. None of these sources had any involvement in the research conceptualisation, design, or interpretation of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José Izcue Gana
- Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ilan Kelman
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- University of Agder, Norway
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Yılmaz M, Kara Y, Toros H, İncecik S. Analysis of the summer thermal comfort indices in İstanbul. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2024; 68:1327-1342. [PMID: 38656352 PMCID: PMC11272817 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-024-02669-7] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Thermal indices and thermal comfort maps have great importance in developing health-minded climate action strategies and livable urban layouts. Especially in cities where vulnerability to heatwaves is high, it is necessary to detect the most appropriate indicators for the regional characteristics and action planning with respect to thermal comfort. The aim of the study is to examine thermal indices as indicators of regional climate characteristics by relating to meteorological parameters and spatial features. Atmospheric variables including air temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, and relative humidity data were obtained from 30 meteorological stations located in districts having different climatic features. Heat stress levels for apparent temperature (AT), heat index (HI), wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), physiological equivalent temperature (PET), universal thermal climate index (UTCI), and perceived temperature (PT) indices were calculated and associated with meteorological parameters. Thermal comfort maps have been created with the daily mean and maximum values of all indices. As a result, the meteorological parameters with the strongest correlation with all thermal indices are air temperature (Ta) with r = 0.89 ± 0.01 and mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) with r = 0.75 ± 0.16. The differences in thermal stress levels over the city have been distinctively observed in the ATmax, PETmax, and PTmax maps, which are generated by the daily maximum values of the indices. Çatalca, where forests cover large areas compared to highly urbanized districts, has the lowest heat stress defined by all indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Yılmaz
- Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, Maslak, İstanbul, 34469, Türkiye
| | - Yiğitalp Kara
- Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, Maslak, İstanbul, 34469, Türkiye.
- Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Meteorological Engineering, Samsun University, Ondokuzmayıs, Samsun, 55420, Türkiye.
| | - Hüseyin Toros
- Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, Maslak, İstanbul, 34469, Türkiye
| | - Selahattin İncecik
- Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Meteorological Engineering, İstanbul Technical University, Maslak, İstanbul, 34469, Türkiye
- International Union of Air Pollution Prevention Associations-IUAPPA, 124, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea
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Spangler KR, Adams QH, Hu JK, Braun D, Weinberger KR, Dominici F, Wellenius GA. Does choice of outdoor heat metric affect heat-related epidemiologic analyses in the US Medicare population? Environ Epidemiol 2023; 7:e261. [PMID: 37545812 PMCID: PMC10402938 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Outdoor air temperature is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Other thermal indices theoretically confer greater physiological relevance by incorporating additional meteorological variables. However, the optimal metric for predicting excess deaths or hospitalizations owing to extreme heat among US Medicare beneficiaries remains unknown. Methods We calculated daily maximum, minimum, and mean outdoor air temperature (T), heat index (HI), wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) for populous US counties and linked estimates with daily all-cause mortality and heat-related hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries (2006-2016). We fit distributed-lag nonlinear models for each metric and compared relative risks (RRs) at the 99th percentile. Results Across all heat metrics, extreme heat was statistically significantly associated with elevated risks of morbidity and mortality. Associations were more pronounced for maximum daily values versus the corresponding minimum for the same metric. The starkest example was between HImax (RR = 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12, 1.15) and HImin (RR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.09, 1.11) for hospitalizations. When comparing RRs across heat metrics, we found no statistically significant differences within the minimum and maximum heat values (i.e., no significant differences between Tmax/HImax/WBGTmax/UTCImax or between Tmin/HImin/WBGTmin/UTCImin). We found similar relationships across the National Climate Assessment regions. Conclusion Among Medicare beneficiaries in populous US counties, daily maximum and mean values of outdoor heat are associated with greater RRs of heat-related morbidity and all-cause mortality versus minimum values of the same metric. The choice of heat metric (e.g., temperature versus HI) does not appear to substantively affect risk calculations in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith R. Spangler
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Quinn H. Adams
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jie Kate Hu
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Danielle Braun
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kate R. Weinberger
- University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory A. Wellenius
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Sun S, Zhang Q, Singh VP, Shi C, Wang G, Wu W, Shen Z. Increased moist heat stress risk across China under warming climate. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22548. [PMID: 36581657 PMCID: PMC9800580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27162-2] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Heatwaves have afflicted human health, ecosystem, and socioeconomy and are expected to intensify under warming climate. However, few efforts have been directed to moist heat stress (MHS) considering relative humidity and wind speed, and moist heat stress risk (MHSR) considering exposure and vulnerability. Here we showed MHS and MHSR variations across China during 1998-2100 using China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System datasets, the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) merged datasets, Gross Domestic Product, population and leaf area index. We detected increased MHS across China under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). Specifically, the historical MHS occurred mostly during mid-July to mid-August. We found increasing trends of 0.08%/year, 0.249%/year, and 0.669%/year in the MHS-affected areas under SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585, respectively. Furthermore, we observed the highest increasing rate of MHSR in Northwest and Southwest China, while the MHSR across Northeast and North China under SSP126 shifted from increasing to decreasing trends. Noteworthy is that the increasing trend of MHSR under SSP585 is 1.5-2.6 times larger than that under SSP245, especially in North and South China. This study highlights spatiotemporal evolutions of MHS and MHSR and mitigation to moisture heat stress in a warming climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Sun
- grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China ,grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China ,grid.8658.30000 0001 2234 550XNational Meteorological Information Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964Advanced Interdisciplinary Institute of Environment and Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087 China
| | - Vijay P. Singh
- grid.264756.40000 0004 4687 2082Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX USA ,grid.43519.3a0000 0001 2193 6666National Water and Energy Center, UAE University, Al Ain, UAE
| | - Chunxiang Shi
- grid.8658.30000 0001 2234 550XNational Meteorological Information Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Wang
- grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China ,grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhuan Wu
- grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China ,grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zexi Shen
- grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China ,grid.20513.350000 0004 1789 9964Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Ahn KH. Interannual variability of heat waves over the Korean Peninsula based on integrated approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:154153. [PMID: 35227723 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Heat waves can provide detrimental impacts on human society and the environmental system, and thus have received substantial attention in scientific research. Since heat waves are relevant to a wide range of stakeholders, definitions for heat wave events vary in terms of threshold values, durations, and utilized variables. While there is a value in this diversity of perspectives, the various definitions often complicate the assessment of heat wave risk, thereby underscoring the improved utility of a unified definition. In this study, we examine the interannual variability of heat wave patterns by using a proposed copula-based framework. From five observed temperature-related variables, this study first evaluates the individual changes of fifteen previously published heat wave indices focused on heat wave events across the Korean Peninsula for the last 49 years (1973-2021). We then extract the integrated signals to understand the overall trend patterns using the multiple heat wave indices. Results indicate that different heat wave definitions present distinctive attributes (e.g., in the magnitude of temporal changes) depending on the locations, implying that the diversity of heat wave definitions leads to potentially inconsistent conclusions. Using the integrated analysis, we identify that the expected heat wave day has increased across the majority of the regions in the Korean Peninsula. To be specific, substantial increases are shown in North Korea, while rapid increases in heat wave events have been observed after the year 2010 over South Korea. Finally, through the sensitivity analysis, we demonstrate the importance of choosing the heat wave definition in the integrated analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuk-Hyun Ahn
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheon-an, South Korea.
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Spangler KR, Liang S, Wellenius GA. Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature, Universal Thermal Climate Index, and Other Heat Metrics for US Counties, 2000-2020. Sci Data 2022; 9:326. [PMID: 35715416 PMCID: PMC9206009 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01405-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiologic research on extreme heat consistently finds significant impacts on human morbidity and mortality. However, most of these analyses do not use spatially explicit measures of heat (typically assessing exposures at major cities using the nearest weather station), and they frequently consider only ambient temperature or heat index. The field is moving toward more expansive analyses that use spatially resolved gridded meteorological datasets and alternative assessments of heat, such as wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and universal thermal climate index (UTCI), both of which require technical geoscientific skills that may be inaccessible to many public health researchers. To facilitate research in this domain, we created a database of population-weighted, spatially explicit daily heat metrics - including WBGT, UTCI, heat index, dewpoint temperature, net effective temperature, and humidex - for counties in the conterminous United States derived from the ERA5-Land gridded data set and using previously validated equations and algorithms. We also provide an R package to calculate these metrics, including gold-standard algorithms for estimating WBGT and UTCI, to facilitate replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith R Spangler
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Shixin Liang
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gregory A Wellenius
- Boston University School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Marková I, Tureková I, Jaďuďová J, Hroncová E. Analysis of Hygrothermal Microclimatic (HTM) Parameters in Specific Food Storage Environments in Slovakia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17062092. [PMID: 32245247 PMCID: PMC7142483 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17062092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The quality of work environment, temperature changes and humidity must be controlled in every production process and in the locations where employees are present. The aim of this paper is to objectively assess the exposure of employees to microclimatic factors of the workplace environment: the warehouse, changing rooms, office and cold room refrigerator. Data were obtained in real working conditions. The heat stress due to cold and heat exposure in the individual locations was evaluated using the WBGT (wet bulb globe temperature) indicator. The parameters of the hygrothermal microclimate (HTM) were objectified by a QUES Temp 44/46 T spherical thermometer. The measurements were performed both in cold and hot periods of the year. The measurements confirmed standard temperatures for individual types of interiors in the winter period, but in the summer period there was a variability of results, leading to the thermal discomfort of employees. The assessment of the WBGT index revealed that nearly 80% of employees are susceptible to hypothermia as a result of thermal stress conditions. It was proven that the temperatures measured by a spherical thermometer in the hottest room were 8.62% higher than the calculated operating temperature, while the difference in the cold room refrigerator was only 1.28% higher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iveta Marková
- Department of Fire Engineering, Faculty of Security Engineering, University of Žilina, Univerzitná 1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +421-041-513-6799
| | - Ivana Tureková
- Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 1, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia;
| | - Jana Jaďuďová
- Matej Bel University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Environmental Management, Tajovskeho 40, 97401 Banska Bystrica, Slovakia;
| | - Emília Hroncová
- European Science and Research Institute, A. Hlinku 29, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia
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The Use of a Quasi-Experimental Study on the Mortality Effect of a Heat Wave Warning System in Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16122245. [PMID: 31242672 PMCID: PMC6617315 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16122245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Many cities and countries have implemented heat wave warning systems to combat the health effects of extreme heat. Little is known about whether these systems actually reduce heat-related morbidity and mortality. We examined the effectiveness of heat wave alerts and health plans in reducing the mortality risk of heat waves in Korea by utilizing the discrepancy between the alerts and the monitored temperature. A difference-in-differences analysis combined with propensity score weighting was used. Mortality, weather monitoring, and heat wave alert announcement data were collected for 7 major cities during 2009–2014. Results showed evidence of risk reduction among people aged 19–64 without education (−0.144 deaths/1,000,000 people, 95% CI: −0.227, −0.061) and children aged 0–19 (−0.555 deaths/1,000,000 people, 95% CI: −0.993, −0.117). Decreased cardiovascular and respiratory mortality was found in several subgroups including single persons, widowed people, blue-collar workers, people with no education or the highest level of education (university or higher). No evidence was found for decreased all-cause mortality in the population (1.687 deaths/1,000,000 people per day; 95% CI: 1.118, 2.255). In conclusion, heat wave alerts may reduce mortality for several causes and subpopulations of age and socio-economic status. Further work needs to examine the pathways through which the alerts impact subpopulations differently.
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