Environmental effects of ozone depletion and its interactions with climate change: Progress report, 2016

Exploring Knowledge Domain and Emerging Trends in Climate Change and Environmental Audit: A Scientometric Review

Environmental audit is inevitably linked to climate change, one immediate target of the auditors is likely to be climate control, and the warming of the Earth and the consequent climatic changes affect us all. What is the link between environmental audit and climate change? What ties together some of these themes between environmental audit and climate change? The interaction between climate change and environmental audit has been one of the most challenging. In this paper, a scientometric analysis of 84 academic publications between 2013 and 2021 related to climate change and environmental audit is presented to characterize the knowledge domain by using the CiteSpace visualization software. First, we present the number of publications, the number of citations, research categories, and journals published through Web of Science database. Secondly, we analyze countries, authors, and journals with outstanding contributions through network analysis. Finally, we use keyword analysis and apply three types of knowledge mapping to our research, cluster view, timeline view, and time zone view, revealing the focus and future directions. We identify the most important topic in the field of climate change and environment audit as represented on the basis of existing literature data which include the Carbon Emissions, Social Capital, Energy Audit, Corporate Governance, Diffusion of Innovation Environmental Management System, and Audit Committee. The results show that climate change and environmental audit publications grew slowly, but the research are widely cited by scholars. Published journals are relatively scattered, but the cited journals are the world’s top journals, and most research countries are developed countries. The most productive authors and institutions in this subject area are in UK, Australia, USA, Spain, and Netherlands. There are no leading figures, but the content of their research can be divided into six clusters. Future research content involving city, policy, dynamics, information, biodiversity, conservation and clustering social capital, diffusion of innovation environmental management, and audit committee are the directions for future research. It is worth noting that cities, policies, and adaptability are closely linked to public health.

Cutaneous Melanoma in Alpine Population: Incidence Trends and Clinicopathological Profile

Previous studies associated high-level exposure to ultraviolet radiation with a greater risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). This study focuses on the changing incidence of CMM over time (from 1990 to 2017) in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, and its Alpine area (the province of Belluno). The clinicopathological profile of CMM by residence is also considered. A joinpoint regression analysis was performed to identify significant changes in the yearly incidence of CMM by sex and age. For each trend, the average annual percent change (AAPC) was also calculated. In the 2017 CMM cohort, the study includes a descriptive analysis of the disease's categorical clinicopathological variables. In the population investigated, the incidence of CMM has increased significantly over the last 30 years. The AAPC in the incidence of CMM was significantly higher among Alpine residents aged 0-49 than for the rest of the region's population (males: 6.9 versus 2.4; females 7.7 versus 2.7, respectively). Among the Alpine residents, the AAPC was 3.35 times greater for females aged 0-49 than for people aged 50+. The clinicopathological profile of CMM was significantly associated with the place of residence. Over three decades, the Veneto population has observed a significant increase in the incidence of CMM, and its AAPC. Both trends have been markedly more pronounced among Alpine residents, particularly younger females. While epidemiology and clinicopathological profiles support the role of UV radiation in CMM, the young age of this CMM-affected female population points to other possible host-related etiological factors. These findings also confirm the importance of primary and secondary prevention strategies.

UV Index Does Not Predict Ocular Ultraviolet Exposure

Purpose

The ultraviolet index (UVI), available online, is an international linear scale of levels from 0 to 13+ that warns about the risk of sunburn; however, it does not address the risk to eyes. Our purpose was to develop a useful instrument to warn the public against ocular ultraviolet (OUV) exposure and to serve as a tool for researching UV-induced ocular diseases.

Methods

A rotating model head that included ultraviolet B (UVB) sensors documented UV irradiance at the crown and at the eyes spanning eight azimuths from sunrise to sunset under different climatic conditions in each season. The dose intensities obtained were compared with their respective UVI levels. Doses to the eyes were mathematically transformed to develop an OUV index with linear levels from 0 to 13+, similar to the UVI. Then, readings from both instruments were compared.

Results

UV exposure at the crown increases with solar culmination, whereas that to the eye is greater under low rather than maximum solar altitude. The OUV index levels were higher than recorded UVI levels in the summer under low solar altitude in the early morning and mid- to late afternoon and were markedly higher all day in winter when solar altitude remains low.

Conclusions

The UVI does not provide sufficient warning about the risks of ocular UV damage. The proposed OUV index is a useful instrument to warn the public against OUV exposure and to serve as a tool for researching UV-induced ocular diseases.

Translational Relevance

The OUV index is useful to prevent ocular UV-related diseases.

Ozone Induced Stomatal Regulations, MAPK and Phytohormone Signaling in Plants

Ozone (O₃) is a gaseous environmental pollutant that can enter leaves through stomatal pores and cause damage to foliage. It can induce oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) that can actively participate in stomatal closing or opening in plants. A number of phytohormones, including abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA) are involved in stomatal regulation in plants. The effects of ozone on these phytohormones’ ability to regulate the guard cells of stomata have been little studied, however, and the goal of this paper is to explore and understand the effects of ozone on stomatal regulation through guard cell signaling by phytohormones. In this review, we updated the existing knowledge by considering several physiological mechanisms related to stomatal regulation after response to ozone. The collected information should deepen our understanding of the molecular pathways associated with response to ozone stress, in particular, how it influences stomatal regulation, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, and phytohormone signaling. After summarizing the findings and noting the gaps in the literature, we present some ideas for future research on ozone stress in plants

The influence of climate change on skin cancer incidence - A review of the evidence

BACKGROUND

Climate change is broadly affecting human health, with grave concern that continued warming of the earth's atmosphere will result is serious harm. Since the mid-20th century, skin cancer incidence rates have risen at an alarming rate worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

This review examines the relationship between climate change and cutaneous carcinogenesis.

METHODS

A literature review used the National Institutes of Health databases (PubMed and Medline), the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results and International Agency for Research on Cancer registries, and published reports by federal and international agencies and consortia, including the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organization, and World Meteorological Organization.

RESULTS

Skin cancer risk is determined by multiple factors, with exposure to ultraviolet radiation being the most important. Strong circumstantial evidence supports the hypothesis that factors related to climate change, including stratospheric ozone depletion, global warming, and ambient air pollution, have likely contributed to the increasing incidence of cutaneous malignancy globally and will continue to impose a negative on influence skin cancer incidence for many decades to come.

CONCLUSION

Because much of the data are based on animal studies and computer simulations, establishing a direct and definitive link remains challenging. More epidemiologic studies are needed to prove causality in skin cancer, but the evidence for overall harm to human health as a direct result of climate change is clear. Global action to mitigate these negative impacts to humans and the environment is imperative.

Copper-alloy catalysts: structural characterization and catalytic synergies

Recent progress in the development of copper-alloy catalysts is highlighted, focusing on the structural and mechanistic characterizations of the catalysts in different catalytic reactions, and challenges and opportunities in future research.

Grape Berry Secondary Metabolites and Their Modulation by Abiotic Factors in a Climate Change Scenario-A Review

Temperature, water, solar radiation, and atmospheric CO₂ concentration are the main abiotic factors that are changing in the course of global warming. These abiotic factors govern the synthesis and degradation of primary (sugars, amino acids, organic acids, etc.) and secondary (phenolic and volatile flavor compounds and their precursors) metabolites directly, via the regulation of their biosynthetic pathways, or indirectly, via their effects on vine physiology and phenology. Several hundred secondary metabolites have been identified in the grape berry. Their biosynthesis and degradation have been characterized and have been shown to occur during different developmental stages of the berry. The understanding of how the different abiotic factors modulate secondary metabolism and thus berry quality is of crucial importance for breeders and growers to develop plant material and viticultural practices to maintain high-quality fruit and wine production in the context of global warming. Here, we review the main secondary metabolites of the grape berry, their biosynthesis, and how their accumulation and degradation is influenced by abiotic factors. The first part of the review provides an update on structure, biosynthesis, and degradation of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and non-flavonoids) and major aroma compounds (terpenes, thiols, methoxypyrazines, and C13 norisoprenoids). The second part gives an update on the influence of abiotic factors, such as water availability, temperature, radiation, and CO₂ concentration, on berry secondary metabolism. At the end of the paper, we raise some critical questions regarding intracluster berry heterogeneity and dilution effects and how the sampling strategy can impact the outcome of studies on the grapevine berry response to abiotic factors.

Melanin has a Small Inhibitory Effect on Cutaneous Vitamin D Synthesis: A Comparison of Extreme Phenotypes

Epidemiology suggests that melanin inhibits cutaneous vitamin D₃ synthesis by UVR. Laboratory investigations assessing the impact of melanin on vitamin D production have produced contradictory results. We determined the effect of melanin on vitamin D₃ photosynthesis in healthy young volunteers (n = 102) of Fitzpatrick skin types II-VI (white to black). Participants, irrespective of skin type, were exposed to the same suberythemal UVR dose, to 85% body surface area, using solar simulated UVR or narrowband UVB (311 nm). This was repeated five times with intervals of 3-4 days between UVR exposures. Blood was taken before, during, and after the irradiation and assessed for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25[OH]D₃) as a marker of vitamin D₃ status. Linear UVR dose-dependent increases in 25(OH)D₃ were highly significant (P ≤ 7.7 x 10^-11). The ratios of regression slopes of the different skin type groups were compared, and only skin type II was significantly steeper than the other groups. Comparisons between extreme skin types II and VI showed melanin inhibition factors of approximately 1.3-1.4, depending on the UVR source. We conclude that the inhibitory effect of melanin on vitamin D₃ synthesis is small, compared with erythema, but that this difference may be sufficient to explain the epidemiological data.

Sunscreen photoprotection and vitamin D status

Background

Global concern about vitamin D deficiency has fuelled debates on photoprotection and the importance of solar exposure to meet vitamin D requirements.

Objectives

To review the published evidence to reach a consensus on the influence of photoprotection by sunscreens on vitamin D status, considering other relevant factors.

Methods

An international panel of 13 experts in endocrinology, dermatology, photobiology, epidemiology and biological anthropology reviewed the literature prior to a 1‐day meeting in June 2017, during which the evidence was discussed. Methods of assessment and determining factors of vitamin D status, and public health perspectives were examined and consequences of sun exposure and the effects of photoprotection were assessed.

Results

A serum level of ≥ 50 nmol L⁻¹ 25(OH)D is a target for all individuals. Broad‐spectrum sunscreens that prevent erythema are unlikely to compromise vitamin D status in healthy populations. Vitamin D screening should be restricted to those at risk of hypovitaminosis, such as patients with photosensitivity disorders, who require rigorous photoprotection. Screening and supplementation are advised for this group.

Conclusions

Sunscreen use for daily and recreational photoprotection does not compromise vitamin D synthesis, even when applied under optimal conditions.

What's already known about this topic?

Knowledge of the relationship between solar exposure behaviour, sunscreen use and vitamin D is important for public health but there is confusion about optimal vitamin D status and the safest way to achieve this.

Practical recommendations on the potential impact of daily and/or recreational sunscreens on vitamin D status are lacking for healthy people.

What does this study add?

Judicious use of daily broad‐spectrum sunscreens with high ultraviolet (UV) A protection will not compromise vitamin D status in healthy people.

However, photoprotection strategies for patients with photosensitivity disorders that include high sun‐protection factor sunscreens with high UVA protection, along with protective clothing and shade‐seeking behaviour are likely to compromise vitamin D status.

Screening for vitamin D status and supplementation are recommended in patients with photosensitivity disorders.

Linked Comment: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.18126.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.18494 available online

Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids for Skin Photoprotection

BACKGROUND

Excessive human exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) continues to be a major public health concern, with skin cancer rates increasing year on year. The major protective measure is the use of synthetic UVR filters formulated into sunscreens, but there is a growing concern that some of these chemicals cause damage to delicate marine ecosystems. One alternative is the use of biocompatible mycosporine-like amino acids (MAA), which occur naturally in a wide range of marine species. Their role within nature is mainly thought to be photoprotective. However, their potential for human photoprotection is largely understudied.

OBJECTIVE

To review the role of MAA in nature and assess their potential as natural sunscreens for human skin photoprotection.

METHOD

A literature review of all relevant papers was conducted.

CONCLUSION

MAA are natural photostable compounds that are thought to offer photoprotection to marine species. Initially thought of as protective based on their absorption properties in the solar UVR spectrum, it is clear that MAA are multifunctional photoprotective compounds acting as chemical and biological anti-oxidants. This suggests that MAA may offer a novel eco-friendly approach to human skin photoprotection. Most studies have been carried out in vitro and current data strongly suggest that MAA have potential for development as natural biocompatible sunscreens that protect against a diverse range of solar UVR induced adverse effects on human health.

Interactive effects of changing stratospheric ozone and climate on tropospheric composition and air quality, and the consequences for human and ecosystem health

The composition of the air we breathe is determined by emissions, weather, and photochemical transformations induced by solar UV radiation. Photochemical reactions of many emitted chemical compounds can generate important (secondary) pollutants including ground-level ozone (O₃) and some particulate matter, known to be detrimental to human health and ecosystems. Poor air quality is the major environmental cause of premature deaths globally, and even a small decrease in air quality can translate into a large increase in the number of deaths. In many regions of the globe, changes in emissions of pollutants have caused significant changes in air quality. Short-term variability in the weather as well as long-term climatic trends can affect ground-level pollution through several mechanisms. These include large-scale changes in the transport of O₃ from the stratosphere to the troposphere, winds, clouds, and patterns of precipitation. Long-term trends in UV radiation, particularly related to the depletion and recovery of stratospheric ozone, are also expected to result in changes in air quality as well as the self-cleaning capacity of the global atmosphere. The increased use of substitutes for ozone-depleting substances, in response to the Montreal Protocol, does not currently pose a significant risk to the environment. This includes both the direct emissions of substitutes during use and their atmospheric degradation products (e.g. trifluoroacetic acid, TFA).

Linkages between stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate change and their implications for terrestrial ecosystems

Linkages between stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate change: terrestrial ecosystems.

Homeostasis in Topical Photoprotection: Getting the Spectral Balance Right

The solar radiation range has harmful and beneficial effects. Sunscreens, which selectively block specific spectral regions, may potentially interfere with skin homeostasis. For instance, the ultraviolet (UV) B waveband produces erythema and DNA damage; simultaneously, it induces pre-vitamin D₃ synthesis. UVA1 and visible light can both induce pigmentation in skin phototypes IV–VI, and act in synergy to induce erythema and persistent pigment darkening. In contrast, UVA may contribute to blood pressure control and cardioprotection by inducing release of nitric oxide from intracutaneous photolabile nitric oxide derivatives. Finally, infrared A radiation alters the collagen equilibrium of the dermal extracellular matrix but is involved in the regulation of body temperature and in nitric oxide release, with a potential beneficial impact on blood pressure regulation. Ideally, photoprotection should thus be performed with a neutral density filter, mitigating all radiation ranges homogeneously, to maintain solar spectrum homeostasis. Natural compounds such as mycosporine-like amino acids are promising natural UV radiation-filtering compounds for an improved homeostasis with our environment. Lastly, we should not forget individual characteristics and behavior, as homeostasis differs according to individual phototypes and skin exposure behaviors.

UV-Protective Compounds in Marine Organisms from the Southern Ocean

Solar radiation represents a key abiotic factor in the evolution of life in the oceans. In general, marine, biota-particularly in euphotic and dysphotic zones-depends directly or indirectly on light, but ultraviolet radiation (UV-R) can damage vital molecular machineries. UV-R induces the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impairs intracellular structures and enzymatic reactions. It can also affect organismal physiologies and eventually alter trophic chains at the ecosystem level. In Antarctica, physical drivers, such as sunlight, sea-ice, seasonality and low temperature are particularly influencing as compared to other regions. The springtime ozone depletion over the Southern Ocean makes organisms be more vulnerable to UV-R. Nonetheless, Antarctic species seem to possess analogous UV photoprotection and repair mechanisms as those found in organisms from other latitudes. The lack of data on species-specific responses towards increased UV-B still limits the understanding about the ecological impact and the tolerance levels related to ozone depletion in this region. The photobiology of Antarctic biota is largely unknown, in spite of representing a highly promising reservoir in the discovery of novel cosmeceutical products. This review compiles the most relevant information on photoprotection and UV-repair processes described in organisms from the Southern Ocean, in the context of this unique marine polar environment.

Identifying conserved UV exposure genes and mechanisms

Studies have been showing how changes in ultraviolet (UV) affect the terrestrial system, mostly focusing on higher plants and indirect effects, e.g. UV changed food quality/decomposition. Much less attention has been given to direct effect on terrestrial species, although the negative effects have been recognized for some earthworms. Further, the actual mechanisms of UV toxicity to soil invertebrates are even less understood. We here studied the effect of UV on the soil oligochaete Enchytraeus crypticus, and attempted to identify the possible mechanisms of toxicity using high-throughput gene expression. Applying a UV dose equivalent to UV during the winter months in northern Europe we observed an 80% decrease in reproduction. For these organisms, approximately 5% of the genes were differentially expressed. Among the observations was an activation of the DNA repair mechanisms, nucleotide excision repair, which correlated with survival of the organisms. An observed repressing of apoptosis seems to have deleterious effects (e.g. because it may lead to the accumulation of aberrant cells) leading to a decline in reproduction. The mechanisms activated by UV were similar to those mechanisms activated in humans, showing conservation across species.

Behavioral thermoregulation in a small herbivore avoids direct UVB damage

Direct damage of increased solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) on organism fitness has attracted attention due to stratospheric ozone depletion. Although most ectotherms are not capable of detecting and avoiding solar UVB, they may avoid direct exposure to solar UVB via thermoregulation behavior. However, it is still not clear whether organisms are harmed by ambient UVB radiation before escaping to shaded microhabitats. In this study we used the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera: Aphididae), to test whether sunlight-avoidance behavior was caused by heat stress rather than UVB, and whether behavioral thermoregulation in shaded microhabitats contributes to avoidance or reduction of direct UVB damage. Our results showed that S. avenae tended to inhabit exposed adaxial leaf surfaces in mid-May in Mongolia, but inhabited shaded leaf surfaces in mid-June, thereby avoiding strong sunlight. Heat exposure rather than solar UVB was the primary reason for such avoidance behavior. The average and extreme temperatures of shaded leaf surfaces were several degrees lower than sunlight-exposed surfaces at midday, suggesting that movement to shaded leaf surfaces represents a form of behavioral thermoregulation. Such responses occurred before UVB radiation reached harmful levels, and contributed to avoiding direct UVB damage. As future climate warming is expected to lead to harmful UVB radiation as well as increasing temperatures, this may represent a case where responses to one stressor inadvertently protect against the harmful effects of a different stressor.

Organization environmental footprint applying a multi-regional input-output analysis: A case study of a wood parquet company in Spain

Wood has been presented as a carbon-neutral material capable of significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and has become an appealing option for the building sector. This paper presents the quantification of the organization environmental footprint of a wood parquet company. The multi-regional input-output (MRIO) database EXIOBASE was used with a further structural path analysis decomposition. The application of the proposed method quantifies 14 environmental impacts. Highly influential sectors and regions responsible for these impacts are assessed to propose efficient measures. For the parquet company studied, the highest impact category once normalized was ozone depletion and the dominant sector responsible for this impact was the chemical industry from Spain and China. The structural path decomposition related to ozone loss revealed that the indirect impacts embedded in the supply chain are higher than the direct impacts. It can be concluded that the assessment of the organizational environmental footprint can be carried out applying this well-structured and robust method. Its implementation will enable tracking of the environmental burdens through a company's supply chain at a global scale and provide information for the adoption of environmental strategies.

Environmental effects of ozone depletion, UV radiation and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, update 2017

The Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) is one of three Panels of experts that inform the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. The EEAP focuses on the effects of UV radiation on human health, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, air quality, and materials, as well as on the interactive effects of UV radiation and global climate change. When considering the effects of climate change, it has become clear that processes resulting in changes in stratospheric ozone are more complex than previously held. Because of the Montreal Protocol, there are now indications of the beginnings of a recovery of stratospheric ozone, although the time required to reach levels like those before the 1960s is still uncertain, particularly as the effects of stratospheric ozone on climate change and vice versa, are not yet fully understood. Some regions will likely receive enhanced levels of UV radiation, while other areas will likely experience a reduction in UV radiation as ozone- and climate-driven changes affect the amounts of UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Like the other Panels, the EEAP produces detailed Quadrennial Reports every four years; the most recent was published as a series of seven papers in 2015 (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2015, 14, 1-184). In the years in between, the EEAP produces less detailed and shorter Update Reports of recent and relevant scientific findings. The most recent of these was for 2016 (Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2017, 16, 107-145). The present 2017 Update Report assesses some of the highlights and new insights about the interactive nature of the direct and indirect effects of UV radiation, atmospheric processes, and climate change. A full 2018 Quadrennial Assessment, will be made available in 2018/2019.