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Mullan K, Avery T, Boise P, Leary CS, Rice WL, Semmens EO. Impacts of wildfire-season air quality on park and playground visitation in the Northwest United States. ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS 2024; 224:108285. [PMID: 39005240 PMCID: PMC11238847 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
A significant cost of wildfires is the exposure of local and regional populations to air pollution from smoke, which can travel hundreds of miles from the source fire and is associated with significant negative health consequences. Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity in the United States, driven by historic fire management approaches and global climate change. These influences will take many decades or longer to reverse, so the main opportunities for mitigating health effects involve minimizing human exposure through changes in behavior or infrastructure. One key recommendation for reducing pollution exposures during wildfire smoke events is to limit time and physical activity outdoors, but there is limited evidence on the extent to which people make this change. We estimate how use of parks and playgrounds changes with air quality during wildfire season in the northwest United States. We find small reductions in park and playground visits on moderately polluted days, and large reductions, to 50-60% of baseline visits, when pollution levels are high. Disaggregating results by neighborhood characteristics, we find a significantly greater behavioral response to moderate levels of air pollution in neighborhoods with higher socio-economic status, although responses to high levels of pollution are similar across neighborhood types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Cindy S Leary
- Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana
| | - William L Rice
- Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana
| | - Erin O Semmens
- School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana
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Zhang Y, Xu R, Huang W, Morawska L, Johnston FH, Abramson M, Knibbs L, Matus P, Ye T, Yu W, Hales S, Morgan G, Yang Z, Liu Y, Ju K, Yu P, Lavigne E, Wu Y, Wen B, Zhang Y, Heyworth J, Marks G, Saldiva PHN, Coelho MSZS, Guo YL, Song J, Guo Y, Li S. Short-term Exposure to Wildfire-Specific PM2.5 and Diabetes Hospitalization: A Study in Multiple Countries and Territories. Diabetes Care 2024; 47:1664-1672. [PMID: 39012781 DOI: 10.2337/dc24-0703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate associations of wildfire fine particulate matter ≤2.5 mm in diameter (PM2.5) with diabetes across multiple countries and territories. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We collected data on 3,612,135 diabetes hospitalizations from 1,008 locations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Thailand, and Taiwan during 2000-2019. Daily wildfire-specific PM2.5 levels were estimated through chemical transport models and machine-learning calibration. Quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag nonlinear models and random-effects meta-analysis were applied to estimate associations between wildfire-specific PM2.5 and diabetes hospitalization. Subgroup analyses were by age, sex, location income level, and country or territory. Diabetes hospitalizations attributable to wildfire-specific PM2.5 and nonwildfire PM2.5 were compared. RESULTS Each 10 µg/m3 increase in wildfire-specific PM2.5 levels over the current day and previous 3 days was associated with relative risks (95% CI) of 1.017 (1.011-1.022), 1.023 (1.011-1.035), 1.023 (1.015-1.032), 0.962 (0.823-1.032), 1.033 (1.001-1.066), and 1.013 (1.004-1.022) for all-cause, type 1, type 2, malnutrition-related, other specified, and unspecified diabetes hospitalization, respectively. Stronger associations were observed for all-cause, type 1, and type 2 diabetes in Thailand, Australia, and Brazil; unspecified diabetes in New Zealand; and type 2 diabetes in high-income locations. An estimate of 0.67% (0.16-1.18%) and 1.02% (0.20-1.81%) for all-cause and type 2 diabetes hospitalizations were attributable to wildfire-specific PM2.5. Compared with nonwildfire PM2.5, wildfire-specific PM2.5 posed greater risks of all-cause, type 1, and type 2 diabetes and were responsible for 38.7% of PM2.5-related diabetes hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS We show the relatively underappreciated links between diabetes and wildfire air pollution, which can lead to a nonnegligible proportion of PM2.5-related diabetes hospitalizations. Precision prevention and mitigation should be developed for those in advantaged communities and in Thailand, Australia, and Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wenzhong Huang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lidia Morawska
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Michael Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Luke Knibbs
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Public Health Research Analytics and Methods for Evidence, Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patricia Matus
- School of Medicine, University of the Andes (Chile), Las Condes, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Tingting Ye
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wenhua Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Hales
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey Morgan
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Zhengyu Yang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yanming Liu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ke Ju
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Lavigne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa
| | - Yao Wu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bo Wen
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yuxi Zhang
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jane Heyworth
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Guy Marks
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paulo H N Saldiva
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Micheline S Z S Coelho
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Yue Leon Guo
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiangning Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Cedeño Laurent JG, Parhizkar H, Calderon L, Lizonova D, Tsiodra I, Mihalopoulos N, Kavouras I, Alam M, Baalousha M, Bazina L, Kelesidis GA, Demokritou P. Physicochemical Characterization of the Particulate Matter in New Jersey/New York City Area, Resulting from the Canadian Quebec Wildfires in June 2023. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:14753-14763. [PMID: 38984996 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
The global increase in wildfires, primarily driven by climate change, significantly affects air quality and health. Wildfire-emitted particulate matter (WFPM) is linked to adverse health effects, yet the toxicological mechanisms are not fully understood given its physicochemical complexity and the lack of spatiotemporal exposure data. This study focuses on the physicochemical characterization of WFPM from a Canadian wildfire in June 2023, which affected over 100 million people in the US Northeast, particularly around New Jersey/New York. Aerosol systems were deployed to characterize WFPM during the 3 day event, revealing unprecedented mass concentrations mainly in the WFPM0.1 and WFPM0.1-2.5 size fractions. Peak WFPM2.5 concentrations reached 317 μg/m3, nearly 10 times the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) 24 h average limit. Chemical analysis showed a high organic-to-total carbon ratio (96%), consistent with brown carbon wildfires nanoparticles. Large concentrations of high-molecular-weight PAHs were found predominantly bound to WFPM0.1, with retene, a molecular marker of biomass burning and a known teratogen, being the most abundant (>70%). Computational modeling estimated a total lung deposition of 9.15 mg over 72 h, highlighting the health risks of WFPM, particularly due to its long-distance travel capability and impact on densely populated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Guillermo Cedeño Laurent
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Hooman Parhizkar
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Leonardo Calderon
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Denisa Lizonova
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Irini Tsiodra
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Koufou, Palea Penteli, Athens 15236, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Mihalopoulos
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Koufou, Palea Penteli, Athens 15236, Greece
- Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece
| | - Ilias Kavouras
- Department of Environmental, Occupational and Geospatial Health Sciences, School of Public Health, City University of New York, New York, New York 10018, United States
| | - Mahbub Alam
- Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Mohammed Baalousha
- Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Lila Bazina
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Georgios A Kelesidis
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Philip Demokritou
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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Hertelendy AJ, Howard C, Sorensen C, Ranse J, Eboreime E, Henderson S, Tochkin J, Ciottone G. Seasons of smoke and fire: preparing health systems for improved performance before, during, and after wildfires. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e588-e602. [PMID: 39122327 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00144-x] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Increased frequency, intensity, and duration of wildfires are intensifying exposure to direct and smoke-related hazards in many areas, leading to evacuation and smoke-related effects on health and health systems that can affect regions extending over thousands of kilometres. Effective preparation and response are currently hampered by inadequate training, continued siloing of disciplines, insufficient finance, and inadequate coordination between health systems and governance at municipal, regional, national, and international levels. This Review highlights the key health and health systems considerations before, during, and after wildfires, and outlines how a health system should respond to optimise population health outcomes now and into the future. The focus is on the implications of wildfires for air quality, mental health, and emergency management, with elements of international policy and finance also addressed. We discuss commonalities of existing climate-resilient health care and disaster management frameworks and integrate them into an approach that addresses issues of financing, leadership and governance, health workforce, health information systems, infrastructure, supply chain, technologies, community interaction and health-care delivery, before, during, and after a wildfire season. This Review is a practical briefing for leaders and health professionals facing severe wildfire seasons and a call to break down silos and join with other disciplines to proactively plan for and fund innovation and coordination in service of a healthier future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila J Hertelendy
- Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Courtney Howard
- Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, ON, Canada
| | - Cecilia Sorensen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jamie Ranse
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ejemai Eboreime
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sarah Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, BC Center for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Tochkin
- School of Health Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Health Emergency Management, Vernon, BC, Canada
| | - Gregory Ciottone
- Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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5
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Lane TJ, Smith CL, Gao CX, Ikin JF, Xu R, Carroll MTC, Nehme E, Abramson MJ, Guo Y. Long-term effects of a coalmine fire on hospital and ambulance use: An interrupted time series study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 261:119693. [PMID: 39068973 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2014, the Hazelwood coalmine fire in regional Victoria, Australia shrouded nearby communities in smoke for six weeks. Prior investigations identified substantial adverse effects, including increases in the use of health services. In this study, we examined the effects on hospital and ambulance use in the eight years following the fire. METHODS Using Victorian hospital (Jan 2009-Jun 2022) and ambulance (Jan 2013-Dec 2021) data, we conducted an interrupted time series of changes to the rate of hospital admissions, emergency presentations, and ambulance attendances. A categorical exposure model compared two locations, most-exposed Morwell and less-exposed Latrobe Valley, to the rest of regional Victoria. A continuous exposure model used spatial estimates of fire-related PM2.5. Analyses were stratified by sex, age group (<65/65+ years), and condition (cardiovascular, respiratory, mental health, injury). RESULTS There were small but significant increases in overall hospital admissions and emergency presentations across all analyses, but little evidence of change in overall ambulance attendances. Effects varied considerably by condition, with the biggest relative increases observed among hospital admissions for mental health conditions and injuries. While cardiovascular-related hospital admissions and emergency presentations increased post-fire, ambulance attendances decreased. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest the Hazelwood coalmine fire likely increased hospital usage. However, it is unclear whether this was due to the direct effects of smoke exposure on health, or the disruptive socioeconomic and behavioural impacts of an environmental disaster that affected how communities engaged with various health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Lane
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Catherine L Smith
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jillian F Ikin
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew T C Carroll
- Monash Rural Health Churchill, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily Nehme
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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6
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Boogaard H, Crouse DL, Tanner E, Mantus E, van Erp AM, Vedal S, Samet J. Assessing Adverse Health Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Low Levels of Ambient Air Pollution: The HEI Experience and What's Next? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12767-12783. [PMID: 38991107 PMCID: PMC11270999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09745] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Although concentrations of ambient air pollution continue to decline in high-income regions, epidemiological studies document adverse health effects at levels below current standards in many countries. The Health Effects Institute (HEI) recently completed a comprehensive research initiative to investigate the health effects of long-term exposure to low levels of air pollution in the United States (U.S.), Canada, and Europe. We provide an overview and synthesis of the results of this initiative along with other key research, the strengths and limitations of the research, and remaining research needs. The three studies funded through the HEI initiative estimated the effects of long-term ambient exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and other pollutants on a broad range of health outcomes, including cause-specific mortality and cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity. To ensure high quality research and comparability across studies, HEI worked actively with the study teams and engaged independent expert panels for project oversight and review. All three studies documented positive associations between mortality and exposure to PM2.5 below the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards and current and proposed European Union limit values. Furthermore, the studies observed nonthreshold linear (U.S.), or supra-linear (Canada and Europe) exposure-response functions for PM2.5 and mortality. Heterogeneity was found in both the magnitude and shape of this association within and across studies. Strengths of the studies included the large populations (7-69 million), state-of-the-art exposure assessment methods, and thorough statistical analyses that applied novel methods. Future work is needed to better understand potential sources of heterogeneity in the findings across studies and regions. Other areas of future work include the changing and evolving nature of PM components and sources, including wildfires, and the role of indoor environments. This research initiative provided important new evidence of the adverse effects of long-term exposures to low levels of air pollution at and below current standards, suggesting that further reductions could yield larger benefits than previously anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Boogaard
- Health
Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1940, United States
| | - Dan L. Crouse
- Health
Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1940, United States
| | - Eva Tanner
- Health
Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1940, United States
| | - Ellen Mantus
- Health
Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1940, United States
| | - Annemoon M. van Erp
- Health
Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-1940, United States
| | - Sverre Vedal
- Department
of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, Washington 98105, United States
| | - Jonathan Samet
- Department
of Environmental & Occupational Health, Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 East 17th Place, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
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7
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Chen G, Guo Y, Yue X, Xu R, Yu W, Ye T, Tong S, Gasparrini A, Bell ML, Armstrong B, Schwartz J, Jaakkola JJK, Lavigne E, Saldiva PHN, Kan H, Royé D, Urban A, Vicedo-Cabrera AM, Tobias A, Forsberg B, Sera F, Lei Y, Abramson MJ, Li S. All-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and wildfire-related ozone: a multicountry two-stage time series analysis. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e452-e462. [PMID: 38969473 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00117-7] [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: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildfire activity is an important source of tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution. However, no study to date has systematically examined the associations of wildfire-related O3 exposure with mortality globally. METHODS We did a multicountry two-stage time series analysis. From the Multi-City Multi-Country (MCC) Collaborative Research Network, data on daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory deaths were obtained from 749 locations in 43 countries or areas, representing overlapping periods from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec 31, 2016. We estimated the daily concentration of wildfire-related O3 in study locations using a chemical transport model, and then calibrated and downscaled O3 estimates to a resolution of 0·25° × 0·25° (approximately 28 km2 at the equator). Using a random-effects meta-analysis, we examined the associations of short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure (lag period of 0-2 days) with daily mortality, first at the location level and then pooled at the country, regional, and global levels. Annual excess mortality fraction in each location attributable to wildfire-related O3 was calculated with pooled effect estimates and used to obtain excess mortality fractions at country, regional, and global levels. FINDINGS Between 2000 and 2016, the highest maximum daily wildfire-related O3 concentrations (≥30 μg/m3) were observed in locations in South America, central America, and southeastern Asia, and the country of South Africa. Across all locations, an increase of 1 μg/m3 in the mean daily concentration of wildfire-related O3 during lag 0-2 days was associated with increases of 0·55% (95% CI 0·29 to 0·80) in daily all-cause mortality, 0·44% (-0·10 to 0·99) in daily cardiovascular mortality, and 0·82% (0·18 to 1·47) in daily respiratory mortality. The associations of daily mortality rates with wildfire-related O3 exposure showed substantial geographical heterogeneity at the country and regional levels. Across all locations, estimated annual excess mortality fractions of 0·58% (95% CI 0·31 to 0·85; 31 606 deaths [95% CI 17 038 to 46 027]) for all-cause mortality, 0·41% (-0·10 to 0·91; 5249 [-1244 to 11 620]) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0·86% (0·18 to 1·51; 4657 [999 to 8206]) for respiratory mortality were attributable to short-term exposure to wildfire-related O3. INTERPRETATION In this study, we observed an increase in all-cause and respiratory mortality associated with short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure. Effective risk and smoke management strategies should be implemented to protect the public from the impacts of wildfires. FUNDING Australian Research Council and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongbo Chen
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Xu Yue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenhua Yu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tingting Ye
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shilu Tong
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China; School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; School of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ben Armstrong
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jouni J K Jaakkola
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, OuluUniversity Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eric Lavigne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Haidong Kan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dominic Royé
- Department of Geography, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aleš Urban
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Aurelio Tobias
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Barcelona, Spain; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Bertil Forsberg
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Francesco Sera
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications "G Parenti", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Yadong Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather and Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry of China Meteorological Administration, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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8
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Yin H, McDuffie EE, Martin RV, Brauer M. Global health costs of ambient PM 2·5 from combustion sources: a modelling study supporting air pollution control strategies. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e476-e488. [PMID: 38969475 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00098-6] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate actions targeting combustion sources can generate large ancillary health benefits via associated air-quality improvements. Therefore, understanding the health costs associated with ambient fine particulate matter (PM2·5) from combustion sources can guide policy design for both air pollution and climate mitigation efforts. METHODS In this modelling study, we estimated the health costs attributable to ambient PM2·5 from six major combustion sources across 204 countries using updated concentration-response models and an age-adjusted valuation method. We defined major combustion sources as the sum of total coal, liquid fuel and natural gas, solid biofuel, agricultural waste burning, other fires, and 50% of the anthropogenic fugitive, combustion, and industrial dust source. FINDINGS Global long-term exposure to ambient PM2·5 from combustion sources imposed US$1·1 (95% uncertainty interval 0·8-1·5) trillion in health costs in 2019, accounting for 56% of the total health costs from all PM2·5 sources. Comparing source contributions to PM2·5 concentrations and health costs, we observed a higher share of health costs from combustion sources compared to their contribution to population-weighted PM2·5 concentration across 134 countries, accounting for more than 87% of the global population. This disparity was primarily attributed to the non-linear relationship between PM2·5 concentration and its associated health costs. Globally, phasing out fossil fuels can generate 23% higher relative health benefits compared to their share of PM2·5 reductions. Specifically, the share of health costs for total coal was 36% higher than the source's contributions to corresponding PM2·5 concentrations and the share of health costs for liquid fuel and natural gas was 12% higher. Other than fossil fuels, South Asia was expected to show 16% greater relative health benefits than the percentage reduction in PM2·5 from the abatement of solid biofuel emissions. INTERPRETATION In most countries, targeting combustion sources might offer greater health benefits than non-combustion sources. This finding provides additional rationale for climate actions aimed at phasing out combustion sources, especially those related to fossil fuels and solid biofuel. Mitigation efforts designed according to source-specific health costs can more effectively avoid health costs than strategies that depend solely on the source contributions to overall PM2·5 concentration. FUNDING The Health Effects Institute, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and NASA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yin
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Erin E McDuffie
- Energy, Environmental, Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Randall V Martin
- Energy, Environmental, Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael Brauer
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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9
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Yatera K, Nishida C. Contemporary Concise Review 2023: Environmental and occupational lung diseases. Respirology 2024; 29:574-587. [PMID: 38826078 DOI: 10.1111/resp.14761] [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: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Air pollutants have various effects on human health in environmental and occupational settings. Air pollutants can be a risk factor for incidence, exacerbation/aggravation and death due to various lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypersensitivity pneumonitis or pneumonia (HP), pulmonary fibrosis such as pneumoconiosis and malignant respiratory diseases such as lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. Environmental and occupational respiratory diseases are crucial clinical and social issues worldwide, although the burden of respiratory disease due to environmental and occupational causes varies depending on country/region, demographic variables, geographical location, industrial structure and socioeconomic situation. The correct recognition of environmental and occupational lung diseases and taking appropriate measures are essential to their effective prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Yatera
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Chinatsu Nishida
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
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10
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Leap SR, Soled DR, Sampath V, Nadeau KC. Effects of extreme weather on health in underserved communities. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 133:20-27. [PMID: 38648975 PMCID: PMC11222027 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.04.018] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Increased fossil fuel use has increased carbon dioxide concentrations leading to global warming and climate change with increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as thunderstorms, wildfires, droughts, and heat waves. These changes increase the risk of adverse health effects for all human beings. However, these experiences do not affect everyone equally. Underserved communities, including people of color, the elderly, people living with chronic conditions, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, have greater vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. These vulnerabilities are a result of multiple factors such as disparities in health care, lower educational status, and systemic racism. These social inequities are exacerbated by extreme weather events, which act as threat multipliers increasing disparities in health outcomes. It is clear that without human action, these global temperatures will continue to increase to unbearable levels creating an existential crisis. There is now global consensus that climate change is caused by anthropogenic activity and that actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change are urgently needed. The 2015 Paris Accord was the first truly global commitment that set goals to limit further warming. It also aimed to implement equity in action, founded on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Meeting these goals requires individual, community, organizational, national, and global cooperation. Health care professionals, often in the frontline with firsthand knowledge of the health impacts of climate change, can play a key role in advocating for just and equitable climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotheany R Leap
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Derek R Soled
- Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Vanitha Sampath
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kari C Nadeau
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
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11
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Luo B, Luo D, Dai A, Xiao C, Simmonds I, Hanna E, Overland J, Shi J, Chen X, Yao Y, Duan W, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Xu X, Diao Y, Jiang Z, Gong T. Rapid summer Russian Arctic sea-ice loss enhances the risk of recent Eastern Siberian wildfires. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5399. [PMID: 38926364 PMCID: PMC11208637 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49677-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades boreal wildfires have occurred frequently over eastern Siberia, leading to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants. However, it is unclear what factors have contributed to recent increases in these wildfires. Here, using the data we show that background eastern Siberian Arctic warming (BAW) related to summer Russian Arctic sea-ice decline accounts for ~79% of the increase in summer vapor pressure deficit (VPD) that controls wildfires over eastern Siberia over 2004-2021 with the remaining ~21% related to internal atmospheric variability associated with changes in Siberian blocking events. We further demonstrate that Siberian blocking events are occurring at higher latitudes, are more persistent and have larger zonal scales and slower decay due to smaller meridional potential vorticity gradients caused by stronger BAW under lower sea-ice. These changes lead to more persistent, widespread and intense high-latitude warming and VPD, thus contributing to recent increases in eastern Siberian high-latitude wildfires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binhe Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Dehai Luo
- Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100029, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
| | - Aiguo Dai
- Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Cunde Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Ian Simmonds
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Edward Hanna
- Department of Geography, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - James Overland
- NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jiaqi Shi
- Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100029, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Xiaodan Chen
- Department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yao Yao
- Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100029, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Wansuo Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Yimin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Earth system Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiyan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100029, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Yina Diao
- College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Zhina Jiang
- Institute of Global Change and Polar Meteorology, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Tingting Gong
- Key Laboratory of Ocean Circulation and Waves, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266400, China
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12
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Parsons ES, Jowell A, Veidis E, Barry M, Israni ST. Climate change and inequality. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03153-z. [PMID: 38914758 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03153-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
This review explores how climate change is manifesting along existing lines of inequality and thus further exacerbating current health disparities with a particular focus on children and future generations. Climate change risk and vulnerability are not equally distributed, nor is the adaptive capacity to respond to its adverse effects, which include health consequences, economic impacts, and displacement. Existing lines of inequality are already magnifying the adverse effects of climate change. Today's children and future generations will experience a disproportionate number of adverse climate events than prior generations, especially children in lower-income populations, communities of color, and Indigenous communities. In order to mitigate the crisis of inequity accompanying the climate crisis, systemic action must be taken on a global scale - with a focus on protecting children and future generations, and in empowering youth-led environmental activism and engagement in climate policy. IMPACT STATEMENT: Our review offers a current summary of the ways in which inequality is manifesting with respect to climate change in children and future generations. Rather than use a systematic review, we opted to use a theoretical framework to guide our review. We divided the effects of climate change into three effect pathways: via disruptions in (i) climate and weather, (ii) ecosystems, and (iii) society. By dividing our review in this theoretical framework, we can better suggest targeted public health interventions at each effect level. Furthermore, we are able to successfully identify literature gaps and areas of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Sandrine Parsons
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Ashley Jowell
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Erika Veidis
- Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michele Barry
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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13
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Miller MR, Landrigan PJ, Arora M, Newby DE, Münzel T, Kovacic JC. Environmentally Not So Friendly: Global Warming, Air Pollution, and Wildfires: JACC Focus Seminar, Part 1. J Am Coll Cardiol 2024; 83:2291-2307. [PMID: 38839204 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2024.03.424] [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: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Environmental stresses are increasingly recognized as significant risk factors for adverse health outcomes. In particular, various forms of pollution and climate change are playing a growing role in promoting noncommunicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Given recent trends, global warming and air pollution are now associated with substantial cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. As a vicious cycle, global warming increases the occurrence, size, and severity of wildfires, which are significant sources of airborne particulate matter. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with cardiovascular disease, and these effects are underpinned by mechanisms that include oxidative stress, inflammation, impaired cardiac function, and proatherosclerotic effects in the circulation. In the first part of a 2-part series on pollution and cardiovascular disease, this review provides an overview of the impact of global warming and air pollution, and because of recent events and emerging trends specific attention is paid to air pollution caused by wildfires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Miller
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Philip J Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Scientific Center of Monaco, Monaco
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David E Newby
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Münzel
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jason C Kovacic
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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14
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Ma Y, Zang E, Liu Y, Wei J, Lu Y, Krumholz HM, Bell ML, Chen K. Long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM 2.5 and mortality in the contiguous United States. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.01.31.23285059. [PMID: 36778437 PMCID: PMC9915814 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.23285059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite the substantial evidence on the health effects of short-term exposure to ambient fine particles (PM2.5), including increasing studies focusing on those from wildland fire smoke, the impacts of long-term wildland fire smoke PM2.5 exposure remain unclear. We investigated the association between long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM2.5 and non-accidental mortality and mortality from a wide range of specific causes in all 3,108 counties in the contiguous U.S., 2007-2020. Controlling for non-smoke PM2.5, air temperature, and unmeasured spatial and temporal confounders, we found a non-linear association between 12-month moving average concentration of smoke PM2.5 and monthly non-accidental mortality rate. Relative to a month with the long-term smoke PM2.5 exposure below 0.1 μg/m3, non-accidental mortality increased by 0.16-0.63 and 2.11 deaths per 100,000 people per month when the 12-month moving average of PM2.5 concentration was of 0.1-5 and 5+ μg/m3, respectively. Cardiovascular, ischemic heart disease, digestive, endocrine, diabetes, mental, and chronic kidney disease mortality were all found to be associated with long-term wildland fire smoke PM2.5 exposure. Smoke PM2.5 contributed to approximately 11,415 non-accidental deaths/year (95% CI: 6,754, 16,075) in the contiguous U.S. Higher smoke PM2.5-related increases in mortality rates were found for people aged 65 above. Positive interaction effects with extreme heat (monthly number of days with daily mean air temperature higher than the county's 90th percentile warm season air temperature) were also observed. Our study identified the detrimental effects of long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM2.5 on a wide range of mortality outcomes, underscoring the need for public health actions and communications that span the health risks of both short- and long-term exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Ma
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emma Zang
- Department of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yuan Lu
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
- Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Harlan M. Krumholz
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
- Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Kai Chen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
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15
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Kress S, Lane TJ, Brown D, Smith CL, Gao CX, McCrabb T, Thomas M, Borg BM, Thompson BR, Abramson MJ. Association between PM 2.5 from a coal mine fire and FeNO concentration 7.5 years later. BMC Pulm Med 2024; 24:272. [PMID: 38844929 PMCID: PMC11157905 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-03075-w] [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: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM There are few long-term studies of respiratory health effects of landscape fires, despite increasing frequency and intensity due to climate change. We investigated the association between exposure to coal mine fire PM2.5 and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentration 7.5 years later. METHODS Adult residents of Morwell, who were exposed to the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire over 6 weeks, and unexposed residents of Sale, participated in the Hazelwood Health Study Respiratory Stream in 2021, including measurements of FeNO concentration, a marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Individual exposure to coal mine fire PM2.5 was modelled and mapped to time-location diaries. The effect of exposure to PM2.5 on log-transformed FeNO in exhaled breath was investigated using multivariate linear regression models in the entire sample and stratified by potentially vulnerable subgroups. RESULTS A total of 326 adults (mean age: 57 years) had FeNO measured. The median FeNO level (interquartile range [IQR]) was 17.5 [15.0] ppb, and individual daily exposure to coal mine fire PM2.5 was 7.2 [13.8] µg/m3. We did not identify evidence of association between coal mine fire PM2.5 exposure and FeNO in the general adult sample, nor in various potentially vulnerable subgroups. The point estimates were consistently close to zero in the total sample and subgroups. CONCLUSION Despite previous short-term impacts on FeNO and respiratory health outcomes in the medium term, we found no evidence that PM2.5 from the Hazelwood coal mine fire was associated with any long-term impact on eosinophilic airway inflammation measured by FeNO levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Kress
- IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tyler J Lane
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - David Brown
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Catherine L Smith
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- , Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas McCrabb
- Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Brigitte M Borg
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Respiratory Medicine, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Bruce R Thompson
- Melbourne School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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16
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Wang SP, Stefanovic N, Orfali RL, Aoki V, Brown SJ, Dhar S, Eichenfield LF, Flohr C, Ha A, Mora C, Murase JE, Rosenbach M, Srinivas SM, Thyssen JP, Wei ML, Irvine AD, Abuabara K. Impact of climate change on atopic dermatitis: A review by the International Eczema Council. Allergy 2024; 79:1455-1469. [PMID: 38265114 DOI: 10.1111/all.16007] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD), the most burdensome skin condition worldwide, is influenced by climatic factors and air pollution; however, the impact of increasing climatic hazards on AD remains poorly characterized. Leveraging an existing framework for 10 climatic hazards related to greenhouse gas emissions, we identified 18 studies with evidence for an impact on AD through a systematic search. Most climatic hazards had evidence for aggravation of AD the impact ranged from direct effects like particulate matter-induced AD exacerbations from wildfires to the potential for indirect effects like drought-induced food insecurity and migration. We then created maps comparing the past, present, and future projected burden of climatic hazards to global AD prevalence data. Data are lacking, especially from those regions most likely to experience more climatic hazards. We highlight gaps important for future research: understanding the synergistic impacts of climatic hazards on AD, long-term disease activity, the differential impact on vulnerable populations, and how basic mechanisms explain population-level trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Pei Wang
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Raquel L Orfali
- Department of Dermatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Valeria Aoki
- Department of Dermatology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sara J Brown
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sandipan Dhar
- Department of Pediatric Dermatology, Institute of Child Health, Kolkata, India
| | - Lawrence F Eichenfield
- Departments of Dermatology and Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Carsten Flohr
- Unit for Population-Based Dermatology Research, St John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alex Ha
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Camilo Mora
- Department of Geography and Environment, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
| | - Jenny E Murase
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Misha Rosenbach
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sahana M Srinivas
- Department of Dermatology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bengaluru, India
| | - Jacob P Thyssen
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria L Wei
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Dermatology Service, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alan D Irvine
- Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katrina Abuabara
- Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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17
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Borchers-Arriagada N, Schulz-Antipa P, Conte-Grand M. Future fire-smoke PM 2.5 health burden under climate change in Paraguay. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 924:171356. [PMID: 38447729 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171356] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Recent years have seen a rise in wildfire and extreme weather activity across the globe, which is projected to keep increasing with climate-induced conditions. Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration, is heavily affected by PM2.5 emissions from wildfire activity. Paraguay has been historically suffering from fires, with an average of 2.3 million hectares burnt per year during the 2003-2021 period. Annual PM2.5 concentration in Paraguay is 13.2 μg/m3, more than double the recommended by the WHO. We estimate that, historically, almost 40 % of fine air particulates can be attributed to fires. Using a random forest algorithm, we estimate future fire activity and fire related PM2.5 under different climate change scenarios. With global warming, we calculate that fire activity could increase by up to 120 % by 2100. Annual fire smoke PM2.5 from fires is expected to increase by 7.7 μg/m3 by 2100. Under these conditions, Paraguay is expected to suffer an increase in 3500 deaths per year attributable to fire smoke PM2.5 by 2100. We estimate the economic cost of fire smoke-related mortality by 2100 at US $ 5600 million, equivalent to 2.6 % of Paraguay's GDP, excluding other health- and productivity-related impacts on society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulina Schulz-Antipa
- Equity and Financial Institutions, Macro Trade and Investment, The World Bank Group, USA
| | - Mariana Conte-Grand
- Office of the Regional Director Sustainable Development Latin America and the Caribbean, The World Bank Group, USA; Universidad del CEMA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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18
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Casais G, Guimarães NS, Cortes TR, Pescarini J, Rebouças de Magalhães P, Wells V, de Sousa Filho JF, Delgado Neves DJ, Shimonovich M, Olsen JR, de Carvalho Neto EM, Cooper P, Katikireddi SV, Emanuel L, Andrade RFS, Ferreira Dos Santos G, Barreto ML. Wildfire, deforestation and health in tropical rainforest areas: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e082381. [PMID: 38719283 PMCID: PMC11086528 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Wildfires and deforestation potentially have direct effects on multiple health outcomes as well as indirect consequences for climate change. Tropical rainforest areas are characterised by high rainfall, humidity and temperature, and they are predominantly found in low-income and middle-income countries. This study aims to synthesise the methods, data and health outcomes reported in scientific papers on wildfires and deforestation in these locations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will carry out a scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) manual for scoping reviews and the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, and Levac et al. The search for articles was performed on 18 August 2023, in 16 electronic databases using Medical Subject Headings terms and adaptations for each database from database inception. The search for local studies will be complemented by the manual search in the list of references of the studies selected to compose this review. We screened studies written in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. We included quantitative studies assessing any human disease outcome, hospitalisation and vital statistics in regions of tropical rainforest. We exclude qualitative studies and quantitative studies whose outcomes do not cover those of interest. The text screening was done by two independent reviewers. Subsequently, we will tabulate the data by the origin of the data source used, the methods and the main findings on health impacts of the extracted data. The results will provide descriptive statistics, along with visual representations in diagrams and tables, complemented by narrative summaries as detailed in the JBI guidelines. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study does not require an ethical review as it is meta-research and uses published, deidentified secondary data sources. The submission of results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at scientific and policymakers' conferences is expected. STUDY REGISTRATION Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/pnqc7/).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Casais
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz/BA, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | | | - Julia Pescarini
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Salvador, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Philip Cooper
- Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
- St George's, University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Lucas Emanuel
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz/BA, Salvador, Brazil
- Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Roberto F S Andrade
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz/BA, Salvador, Brazil
- Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Gervasio Ferreira Dos Santos
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz/BA, Salvador, Brazil
- Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Mauricio L Barreto
- Center of Data and Knowledge Integration for Health, Fiocruz/BA, Salvador, Brazil
- Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
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Hartinger SM, Palmeiro-Silva YK, Llerena-Cayo C, Blanco-Villafuerte L, Escobar LE, Diaz A, Sarmiento JH, Lescano AG, Melo O, Rojas-Rueda D, Takahashi B, Callaghan M, Chesini F, Dasgupta S, Posse CG, Gouveia N, Martins de Carvalho A, Miranda-Chacón Z, Mohajeri N, Pantoja C, Robinson EJ, Salas MF, Santiago R, Sauma E, Santos-Vega M, Scamman D, Sergeeva M, Souza de Camargo T, Sorensen C, Umaña JD, Yglesias-González M, Walawender M, Buss D, Romanello M. The 2023 Latin America report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for health-centred climate-resilient development. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2024; 33:100746. [PMID: 38800647 PMCID: PMC11117061 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100746] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
In 2023, a series of climatological and political events unfolded, partly driving forward the global climate and health agenda while simultaneously exposing important disparities and vulnerabilities to climate-related events. On the policy front, a significant step forward was marked by the inaugural Health Day at COP28, acknowledging the profound impacts of climate change on health. However, the first-ever Global Stocktake showed an important gap between the current progress and the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, underscoring the urgent need for further and decisive action. From a Latin American perspective, some questions arise: How do we achieve the change that is needed? How to address the vulnerabilities to climate change in a region with long-standing social inequities? How do we promote intersectoral collaboration to face a complex problem such as climate change? The debate is still ongoing, and in many instances, it is just starting. The renamed regional centre Lancet Countdown Latin America (previously named Lancet Countdown South America) expanded its geographical scope adding Mexico and five Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, as a response to the need for stronger collaboration in a region with significant social disparities, including research capacities and funding. The centre is an independent and multidisciplinary collaboration that tracks the links between health and climate change in Latin America, following the global Lancet Countdown's methodologies and five domains. The Lancet Countdown Latin America work hinges on the commitment of 23 regional academic institutions, United Nations agencies, and 34 researchers who generously contribute their time and expertise. Building from the first report, the 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown Latin America, presents 34 indicators that track the relationship between health and climate change up to 2022, aiming at providing evidence to public decision-making with the purpose of improving the health and wellbeing of Latin American populations and reducing social inequities through climate actions focusing on health. This report shows that Latin American populations continue to observe a growing exposure to changing climatic conditions. A warming trend has been observed across all countries in Latin America, with severe direct impacts. In 2022, people were exposed to ambient temperatures, on average, 0.38 °C higher than in 1986-2005, with Paraguay experiencing the highest anomaly (+1.9 °C), followed by Argentina (+1.2 °C) and Uruguay (+0.9 °C) (indicator 1.1.1). In 2013-2022, infants were exposed to 248% more heatwave days and people over 65 years old were exposed to 271% more heatwave days than in 1986-2005 (indicator 1.1.2). Also, compared to 1991-2000, in 2013-2022, there were 256 and 189 additional annual hours per person, during which ambient heat posed at least moderate and high risk of heat stress during light outdoor physical activity in Latin America, respectively (indicator 1.1.3). Finally, the region had a 140% increase in heat-related mortality from 2000-2009 to 2013-2022 (indicator 1.1.4). Changes in ecosystems have led to an increased risk of wildfires, exposing individuals to very or extremely high fire danger for more extended periods (indicator 1.2.1). Additionally, the transmission potential for dengue by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes has risen by 54% from 1951-1960 to 2013-2022 (indicator 1.3), which aligns with the recent outbreaks and increasing dengue cases observed across Latin America in recent months. Based on the 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown Latin America, there are three key messages that Latin America needs to further explore and advance for a health-centred climate-resilient development. Latin American countries require intersectoral public policies that simultaneously increase climate resilience, reduce social inequities, improve population health, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The findings show that adaptation policies in Latin America remain weak, with a pressing need for robust vulnerability and adaptation (V&A) assessments to address climate risks effectively. Unfortunately, such assessments are scarce. Up to 2021, Brazil is the only country that has completed and officially reported a V&A to the 2021 Global Survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Argentina, Guatemala, and Panama have also conducted them, but they have not been reported (indicator 2.1.1). Similarly, efforts in developing and implementing Health National Adaptation Plans (HNAPs) are varied and limited in scope. Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay are the only countries that have an HNAP (indicator 2.1.2). Moreover, self-reported city-level climate change risk assessments are very limited in the region (indicator 2.1.3). The collaboration between meteorological and health sectors remains insufficient, with only Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala self-reporting some level of integration (indicator 2.2.1), hindering comprehensive responses to climate-related health risks in the region. Additionally, despite the urgent need for action, there has been minimal progress in increasing urban greenspaces across the region since 2015, with only Colombia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela showing slight improvements (indicator 2.2.2). Compounding these challenges is the decrease in funding for climate change adaptation projects in Latin America, as evidenced by the 16% drop in funds allocated by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in 2022 compared to 2021. Alarmingly, none of the funds approved in 2022 were directed toward climate change and health projects, highlighting a critical gap in addressing health-related climate risks (indicator 2.2.3). From a vulnerability perspective, the Mosquito Risk Index (MoRI) indicates an overall decrease in severe mosquito-borne disease risk in the region due to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) (indicator 2.3.1). Brazil and Paraguay were the only countries that showed an increase in this indicator. It is worth noting that significant temporal variation within and between countries still persists, suggesting inadequate preparedness for climate-related changes. Overall, population health is not solely determined by the health sector, nor are climate policies a sole responsibility of the environmental sector. More and stronger intersectoral collaboration is needed to pave development pathways that consider solid adaptation to climate change, greater reductions of GHG emissions, and that increase social equity and population health. These policies involve sectors such as finance, transport, energy, housing, health, and agriculture, requiring institutional structures and policy instruments that allow long-term intersectoral collaboration. Latin American countries need to accelerate an energy transition that prioritises people's health and wellbeing, reduces energy poverty and air pollution, and maximises health and economic gains. In Latin America, there is a notable disparity in energy transition, with electricity generation from coal increasing by an average of 2.6% from 1991-2000 to 2011-2020, posing a challenge to efforts aimed at phasing out coal (indicator 3.1.1). However, this percentage increase is conservative as it may not include all the fossil fuels for thermoelectric electricity generation, especially during climate-related events and when hydropower is affected (Panel 4). Yet, renewable energy sources have been growing, increasing by an average of 5.7% during the same period. Access to clean fuels for cooking remains a concern, with 46.3% of the rural population in Central America and 23.3% in South America lacking access to clean fuels in 2022 (indicator 3.1.2). It is crucial to highlight the concerning overreliance on fossil fuels, particularly liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as a primary cooking fuel. A significant majority of Latin American populations, approximately 74.6%, rely on LPG for cooking. Transitioning to cleaner heating and cooking alternatives could also have a health benefit by reducing household air pollution-related mortality. Fossil fuels continue to dominate road transport energy in Latin America, accounting for 96%, although some South American countries are increasing the use of biofuels (indicator 3.1.3). Premature mortality attributable to fossil-fuel-derived PM2.5 has shown varied trends across countries, increasing by 3.9% from 2005 to 2020 across Latin America, which corresponds to 123.5 premature deaths per million people (indicator 3.2.1). The Latin American countries with the highest premature mortality rate attributable to PM2.5 in 2020 were Chile, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Paraguay. Of the total premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 in 2020, 19.1% was from transport, 12.3% from households, 11.6% from industry, and 11% from agriculture. From emission and capture of GHG perspective, commodity-driven deforestation and expansion of agricultural land remain major contributors to tree cover loss in the region, accounting for around 80% of the total loss (indicator 3.3). Additionally, animal-based food production in Latin America contributes 85% to agricultural CO2 equivalent emissions, with Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay ranking highest in per capita emissions (indicator 3.4.1). From a health perspective, in 2020, approximately 870,000 deaths were associated with imbalanced diets, of which 155,000 (18%) were linked to high intake of red and processed meat and dairy products (indicator 3.4.2). Energy transition in Latin America is still in its infancy, and as a result, millions of people are currently exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution and energy poverty (i.e., lack of access to essential energy sources or services). As shown in this report, the levels of air pollution, outdoors and indoors, are a significant problem in the whole region, with marked disparities between urban and rural areas. In 2022, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, Uruguay, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua were in the top 100 most polluted countries globally. Transitioning to cleaner sources of energy, phasing out fossil fuels, and promoting better energy efficiency in the industrial and housing sectors are not only climate mitigation measures but also huge health and economic opportunities for more prosperous and healthy societies. Latin American countries need to increase climate finance through permanent fiscal commitments and multilateral development banks to pave climate-resilient development pathways. Climate change poses significant economic costs, with investments in mitigation and adaptation measures progressing slowly. In 2022, economic losses due to weather-related extreme events in Latin America were US$15.6 billion -an amount mainly driven by floods and landslides in Brazil-representing 0.28% of Latin America's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (indicator 4.1.1). In contrast to high-income countries, most of these losses lack insurance coverage, imposing a substantial financial strain on affected families and governments. Heat-related mortality among individuals aged 65 and older in Latin America reached alarming levels, with losses exceeding the equivalent of the average income of 451,000 people annually (indicator 4.1.2). Moreover, the total potential income loss due to heat-related labour capacity reduction amounted to 1.34% of regional GDP, disproportionately affecting the agriculture and construction sectors (indicator 4.1.3). Additionally, the economic toll of premature mortality from air pollution was substantial, equivalent to a significant portion of regional GDP (0.61%) (indicator 4.1.4). On a positive note, clean energy investments in the region increased in 2022, surpassing fossil fuel investments. However, in 2020, all countries reviewed continued to offer net-negative carbon prices, revealing fossil fuel subsidies totalling US$23 billion. Venezuela had the highest net subsidies relative to current health expenditure (123%), followed by Argentina (10.5%), Bolivia (10.3%), Ecuador (8.3%), and Chile (5.6%) (indicator 4.2.1). Fossil fuel-based energy is today more expensive than renewable energy. Fossil fuel burning drives climate change and damages the environment on which people depend, and air pollution derived from the burning of fossil fuels causes seven million premature deaths each year worldwide, along with a substantial burden of disease. Transitioning to sustainable, zero-emission energy sources, fostering healthier food systems, and expediting adaptation efforts promise not only environmental benefits but also significant economic gains. However, to implement mitigation and adaptation policies that also improve social wellbeing and prosperity, stronger and solid financial systems are needed. Climate finance in Latin American countries is scarce and strongly depends on political cycles, which threatens adequate responses to the current and future challenges. Progress on the climate agenda is lagging behind the urgent pace required. While engagement with the intersection of health and climate change is increasing, government involvement remains inadequate. Newspaper coverage of health and climate change has been on the rise, peaking in 2022, yet the proportion of climate change articles discussing health has declined over time (indicator 5.1). Although there has been significant growth in the number of scientific papers focusing on Latin America, it still represents less than 4% of global publications on the subject (indicator 5.3). And, while health was mentioned by most Latin American countries at the UN General Debate in 2022, only a few addressed the intersection of health and climate change, indicating a lack of awareness at the governmental level (indicator 5.4). The 2023 Lancet Countdown Latin America report underscores the cascading and compounding health impacts of anthropogenic climate change, marked by increased exposure to heatwaves, wildfires, and vector-borne diseases. Specifically, for Latin America, the report emphasises three critical messages: the urgent action to implement intersectoral public policies that enhance climate resilience across the region; the pressing need to prioritise an energy transition that focuses on health co-benefits and wellbeing, and lastly, that need for increasing climate finance by committing to sustained fiscal efforts and engaging with multilateral development banks. By understanding the problems, addressing the gaps, and taking decisive action, Latin America can navigate the challenges of climate change, fostering a more sustainable and resilient future for its population. Spanish and Portuguese translated versions of this Summary can be found in Appendix B and C, respectively. The full translated report in Spanish is available in Appendix D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella M. Hartinger
- Centro Latino Americano de Excelencia en Cambio Climático y Salud, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Yasna K. Palmeiro-Silva
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
- Centro de Políticas Públicas UC, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Camila Llerena-Cayo
- Centro Latino Americano de Excelencia en Cambio Climático y Salud, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Luciana Blanco-Villafuerte
- Centro Latino Americano de Excelencia en Cambio Climático y Salud, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Avriel Diaz
- Columbia University, International Research Institute for Climate and Society New York, USA
| | | | - Andres G. Lescano
- Centro Latino Americano de Excelencia en Cambio Climático y Salud, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Oscar Melo
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Cambio Global, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Rojas-Rueda
- Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, CO, USA
- Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, CO, USA
| | - Bruno Takahashi
- Departament of Communication, Michigan State University, MI, USA
| | - Max Callaghan
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Francisco Chesini
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Shouro Dasgupta
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Venice, Italy
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK
| | - Carolina Gil Posse
- Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nelson Gouveia
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Nahid Mohajeri
- Institute of Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chrissie Pantoja
- Nicholas School of the Environment and Sanford School of Policy Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Departamento Académico de Economía, Universidad del Pacífico, Lima, Peru
| | - Elizabeth J.Z. Robinson
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, UK
| | | | - Raquel Santiago
- Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Enzo Sauma
- Engineering Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Santos-Vega
- Grupo de Biología y Matemática Computacional (BIOMAC), Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Departamento Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Daniel Scamman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Cecilia Sorensen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia Irving Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Juan D. Umaña
- Grupo de Biología y Matemática Computacional (BIOMAC), Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marisol Yglesias-González
- Centro Latino Americano de Excelencia en Cambio Climático y Salud, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maria Walawender
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Buss
- Pan American Health Organization, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Marina Romanello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
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Canaday FT, Georas SN, Croft DP. Examining the impact of air pollution, climate change, and social determinants of health on asthma and environmental justice. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2024; 30:276-280. [PMID: 38411188 PMCID: PMC10959677 DOI: 10.1097/mcp.0000000000001065] [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] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In this review, we discuss the current literature examining the impact air pollution and climate change has on asthma onset, control, and exacerbation. This review also addresses the risk of exposure to specific disproportionately affected communities, highlighting health disparities in exposure and asthma outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies have shifted from highlighting the associations between asthma exacerbations and indoor and outdoor air pollution. Studies are now focused on confirming the association of asthma incidence from these same exposures. Many studies have linked particulate matter to adverse asthma outcomes, however, the pollutant exposures that pose the greatest risk and the effect of natural disasters fueled by climate change are under current study. Some studies have observed that the true burden that pollutant exposures have on asthma outcomes occurs at the intersection of exposure and vulnerability. Future studies in this area will address social determinants of health, societal factors such as redlining and other systemic racism practices. SUMMARY Although decades of research support the causal link between gaseous and particulate air pollution and the exacerbation of preexisting asthma, recent studies suggest air pollution can cause incident (new onset) asthma. Studies have started to focus on the underlying drivers of poor outcomes in asthma. Many of the structural impediments to high quality asthma care at the society level (e.g. poverty, redlining, systemic racism) also are risk factors for worsened climate events and air pollution exposure. The individuals in these disproportionately affected groups are doubly affected by worsened exposure and worsened access to care for the resultant asthma exacerbations or incident asthma. More research is needed to understand the specific climate and air pollution mitigation efforts where disproportionately affected communities would derive the most benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia T Canaday
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
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Skevaki C, Nadeau KC, Rothenberg ME, Alahmad B, Mmbaga BT, Masenga GG, Sampath V, Christiani DC, Haahtela T, Renz H. Impact of climate change on immune responses and barrier defense. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:1194-1205. [PMID: 38309598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.01.016] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is not just jeopardizing the health of our planet but is also increasingly affecting our immune health. There is an expanding body of evidence that climate-related exposures such as air pollution, heat, wildfires, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss significantly disrupt the functioning of the human immune system. These exposures manifest in a broad range of stimuli, including antigens, allergens, heat stress, pollutants, microbiota changes, and other toxic substances. Such exposures pose a direct and indirect threat to our body's primary line of defense, the epithelial barrier, affecting its physical integrity and functional efficacy. Furthermore, these climate-related environmental stressors can hyperstimulate the innate immune system and influence adaptive immunity-notably, in terms of developing and preserving immune tolerance. The loss or failure of immune tolerance can instigate a wide spectrum of noncommunicable diseases such as autoimmune conditions, allergy, respiratory illnesses, metabolic diseases, obesity, and others. As new evidence unfolds, there is a need for additional research in climate change and immunology that covers diverse environments in different global settings and uses modern biologic and epidemiologic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysanthi Skevaki
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research and the Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kari C Nadeau
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Mass
| | - Marc E Rothenberg
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Barrak Alahmad
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Mass; Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Blandina T Mmbaga
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Gileard G Masenga
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Vanitha Sampath
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Mass
| | - David C Christiani
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Mass; Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Tari Haahtela
- Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Harald Renz
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research and the Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania; Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Laboratory of Immunopathology, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia.
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Thery G, Juillot F, Calmels D, Bollaert Q, Meyer M, Quiniou T, David M, Jourand P, Ducousso M, Fritsch E, Landrot G, Morin G, Quantin C. Heating effect on chromium speciation and mobility in Cr-rich soils: A snapshot from New Caledonia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171037. [PMID: 38373451 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Thery
- Géosciences Paris-Saclay, GEOPS, UMR CNRS 8148, Université Paris Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, IRD, ERL 206 IMPMC, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Farid Juillot
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, IRD, ERL 206 IMPMC, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia; Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, UMR 7590 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, IRD, 75005 Paris Cedex 05, France.
| | - Damien Calmels
- Géosciences Paris-Saclay, GEOPS, UMR CNRS 8148, Université Paris Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Quentin Bollaert
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, UMR 7590 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, IRD, 75005 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Michael Meyer
- Institut des Sciences Exactes et Appliquées, ISEA, EA, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Thomas Quiniou
- Institut des Sciences Exactes et Appliquées, ISEA, EA, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Magali David
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, IRD, ERL 206 IMPMC, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Philippe Jourand
- Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Mediterranéennes (LSTM), Université Montpellier, UMR IRD 040, UMR CIRAD 082, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - Marc Ducousso
- Laboratoire des Symbioses Tropicales et Mediterranéennes (LSTM), Université Montpellier, UMR IRD 040, UMR CIRAD 082, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Fritsch
- Géosciences Paris-Saclay, GEOPS, UMR CNRS 8148, Université Paris Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France; Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, IRD, ERL 206 IMPMC, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Gautier Landrot
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l'Orme les Merisiers, Saint Aubin, France
| | - Guillaume Morin
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, UMR 7590 CNRS, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, IRD, 75005 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Cécile Quantin
- Géosciences Paris-Saclay, GEOPS, UMR CNRS 8148, Université Paris Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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Qin B, Yu K, Fu Y, Zhou Y, Wu Y, Zhang W, Chen X. Responses in reef-building corals to wildfire emissions: Heterotrophic plasticity and calcification. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171271. [PMID: 38428592 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171271] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Extreme wildfire events are on the rise globally, and although substantial wildfire emissions may find their way into the ocean, their impact on coral reefs remains uncertain. In a five-week laboratory experiment, we observed a significant reduction in photosynthesis in coral symbionts (Porites lutea) when exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfires. At low PM2.5 level (2 mg L-1), the changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the host and symbiotic algae suggest reduced autotrophy and the utilization of wildfire particulates as a source of heterotrophic nutrients. This adaptive strategy, characterized by an increase in heterotrophy, sustained some aspects of coral growth (total biomass, proteins and lipids) under wildfire stress. Nevertheless, at high PM2.5 level (5 mg L-1), both autotrophy and heterotrophy significantly decreased, resulting in an imbalanced coral-algal nutritional relationship. These changes were related to light attenuation in seawater and particulate accumulation on the coral surface during PM2.5 deposition, ultimately rendering the coral growth unsustainable. Further, the calcification rates decreased by 1.5 to 1.85 times under both low and high levels of PM2.5, primarily affected by photosynthetic autotrophy rather than heterotrophy. Our study highlights a constrained heterotrophic plasticity of corals under wildfire stress. This limitation may restrict wildfire emissions as an alternative nutrient source to support coral growth and calcification, especially when oceanic food availability or autotrophy declines, as seen during bleaching induced by the warming ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Qin
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Yichen Fu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Yanliu Wu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Wenqian Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Xiaoyan Chen
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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Gao Y, Huang W, Yu P, Xu R, Gasevic D, Yue X, Coêlho MDSZS, Saldiva PHN, Guo Y, Li S. Wildfire-related PM 2.5 and cardiovascular mortality: A difference-in-differences analysis in Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 347:123810. [PMID: 38493867 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123810] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Brazil has experienced unprecedented wildfires recently. We aimed to investigate the association of wildfire-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) with cause-specific cardiovascular mortality, and to estimate the attributable mortality burden. Exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 was defined as exposure to annual mean wildfire-related PM2.5 concentrations in the 1-year prior to death. The variant difference-in-differences method was employed to explore the wildfire-related PM2.5-cardiovascular mortality association. We found that, in Brazil, compared with the population in the first quartile (Q1: ≤1.82 μg/m3) of wildfire-related PM2.5 exposure, those in the fourth quartile (Q4: 4.22-17.12 μg/m3) of wildfire-related PM2.5 exposure had a 2.2% (RR: 1.022, 95% CI: 1.013-1.032) higher risk for total cardiovascular mortality, 3.1% (RR: 1.031, 95% CI: 1.014-1.048) for ischaemic heart disease mortality, and 2.0% (RR: 1.020, 95% CI: 1.002-1.038) for stroke mortality. From 2010 to 2018, an estimation of 35,847 (95% CI: 22,424-49,177) cardiovascular deaths, representing 17.77 (95% CI: 11.12-24.38) per 100,000 population, were attributable to wildfire-related PM2.5 exposure. Targeted health promotion strategies should be developed for local governments to protect the public from the risk of wildfire-related cardiovascular premature deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Wenzhong Huang
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Danijela Gasevic
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia; Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xu Yue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | - Yuming Guo
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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25
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García YE, Villa-Pérez ME, Li K, Tai XH, Trejo LA, Daza-Torres ML, Montesinos-López JC, Nuño M. Wildfires and social media discourse: exploring mental health and emotional wellbeing through Twitter. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1349609. [PMID: 38680934 PMCID: PMC11046489 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1349609] [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: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The rise in global temperatures due to climate change has escalated the frequency and intensity of wildfires worldwide. Beyond their direct impact on physical health, these wildfires can significantly impact mental health. Conventional mental health studies predominantly rely on surveys, often constrained by limited sample sizes, high costs, and time constraints. As a result, there is an increasing interest in accessing social media data to study the effects of wildfires on mental health. Methods In this study, we focused on Twitter users affected by the California Tubbs Fire in 2017 to extract data signals related to emotional well-being and mental health. Our analysis aimed to investigate tweets posted during the Tubbs Fire disaster to gain deeper insights into their impact on individuals. Data were collected from October 8 to October 31, 2017, encompassing the peak activity period. Various analytical methods were employed to explore word usage, sentiment, temporal patterns of word occurrence, and emerging topics associated with the unfolding crisis. Results The findings show increased user engagement on wildfire-related Tweets, particularly during nighttime and early morning, especially at the onset of wildfire incidents. Subsequent exploration of emotional categories using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) revealed a substantial presence of negative emotions at 43.0%, juxtaposed with simultaneous positivity in 23.1% of tweets. This dual emotional expression suggests a nuanced and complex landscape, unveiling concerns and community support within conversations. Stress concerns were notably expressed in 36.3% of the tweets. The main discussion topics were air quality, emotional exhaustion, and criticism of the president's response to the wildfire emergency. Discussion Social media data, particularly the data collected from Twitter during wildfires, provides an opportunity to evaluate the psychological impact on affected communities immediately. This data can be used by public health authorities to launch targeted media campaigns in areas and hours where users are more active. Such campaigns can raise awareness about mental health during disasters and connect individuals with relevant resources. The effectiveness of these campaigns can be enhanced by tailoring outreach efforts based on prevalent issues highlighted by users. This ensures that individuals receive prompt support and mitigates the psychological impacts of wildfire disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury E. García
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Kuang Li
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Xiao Hui Tai
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Luis A. Trejo
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico
| | - Maria L. Daza-Torres
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Miriam Nuño
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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26
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Vecellio DJ, Lagoa CM, Conroy DE. Physical Activity Dependence on Relative Temperature and Humidity Characteristics in a Young, Insufficiently Active Population: A Weather Typing Analysis. J Phys Act Health 2024; 21:357-364. [PMID: 38290496 DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2023-0438] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) is an important contributor to one's physical and mental health both acutely and across the lifespan. Much research has done on the ambient environment's impact on PA; however, these studies have used absolute values of atmospheric measures such as temperature and humidity, which vary spatiotemporally and make comparisons between studies which differ in location or time of year difficult to square with one another. METHODS Here, we employ the Global Weather Type Classification, Version 2, to determine the combined impact of temperature and humidity on PA in a sample of insufficiently active young adults. We conducted secondary analyses of data from a single-group behavioral intervention trial that varied the number of digital messages sent daily. Young adults (n = 81) wore Fitbit Versa smartwatches for a 6-month period sometime between April 2019 and July 2020, and location was tracked using a custom smartphone application. RESULTS Mixed linear models indicated that, across 8179 person-days, PA was significantly lower on days with humid conditions and significantly higher on warm dry days, though the latter relationship was no longer significant when controlling for timing in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Demographic factors did not affect the relationship between weather and PA. CONCLUSIONS Results are a first step in providing additional guidance for encouraging PA in insufficiently active individuals given forecasted daily weather conditions. Future work should examine seasonal variability in the weather type-PA relationship without the influence of a world-altering event influencing results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Vecellio
- Center for Healthy Aging, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Constantino M Lagoa
- School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - David E Conroy
- Center for Healthy Aging, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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27
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Kreider MR, Higuera PE, Parks SA, Rice WL, White N, Larson AJ. Fire suppression makes wildfires more severe and accentuates impacts of climate change and fuel accumulation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2412. [PMID: 38528012 PMCID: PMC10963776 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46702-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Fire suppression is the primary management response to wildfires in many areas globally. By removing less-extreme wildfires, this approach ensures that remaining wildfires burn under more extreme conditions. Here, we term this the "suppression bias" and use a simulation model to highlight how this bias fundamentally impacts wildfire activity, independent of fuel accumulation and climate change. We illustrate how attempting to suppress all wildfires necessarily means that fires will burn with more severe and less diverse ecological impacts, with burned area increasing at faster rates than expected from fuel accumulation or climate change. Over a human lifespan, the modeled impacts of the suppression bias exceed those from fuel accumulation or climate change alone, suggesting that suppression may exert a significant and underappreciated influence on patterns of fire globally. Managing wildfires to safely burn under low and moderate conditions is thus a critical tool to address the growing wildfire crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Kreider
- Department of Forest Management, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
| | - Philip E Higuera
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Sean A Parks
- Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Missoula, MT, 59801, USA
| | - William L Rice
- Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Nadia White
- Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Andrew J Larson
- Department of Forest Management, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
- Wilderness Institute, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
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28
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Barkoski J, Van Fleet E, Liu A, Ramsey S, Kwok RK, Miller AK. Data Linkages for Wildfire Exposures and Human Health Studies: A Scoping Review. GEOHEALTH 2024; 8:e2023GH000991. [PMID: 38487553 PMCID: PMC10937504 DOI: 10.1029/2023gh000991] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity, with significant consequences that impact human health. A scoping review was conducted to: (a) understand wildfire-related health effects, (b) identify and describe environmental exposure and health outcome data sources used to research the impacts of wildfire exposures on health, and (c) identify gaps and opportunities to leverage exposure and health data to advance research. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and a sample of 83 articles met inclusion criteria. A majority of studies focused on respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes. Hospital administrative data was the most common health data source, followed by government data sources and health surveys. Wildfire smoke, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5), was the most common exposure measure and was predominantly estimated from monitoring networks and satellite data. Health data were not available in real-time, and they lacked spatial and temporal coverage to study health outcomes with longer latency periods. Exposure data were often available in real-time and provided better temporal and spatial coverage but did not capture the complex mixture of hazardous wildfire smoke pollutants nor exposures associated with non-air pathways such as soil, household dust, food, and water. This scoping review of the specific health and exposure data sources used to underpin these studies provides a framework for the research community to understand: (a) the use and value of various environmental and health data sources, and (b) the opportunities for improving data collection, integration, and accessibility to help inform our understanding of wildfires and other environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Barkoski
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.a DLH Holdings CompanyDurhamNCUSA
| | - E. Van Fleet
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.a DLH Holdings CompanyDurhamNCUSA
| | - A. Liu
- Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNational Institutes of HealthDurhamNCUSA
- Kelly Government SolutionsRockvilleMDUSA
| | - S. Ramsey
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.a DLH Holdings CompanyDurhamNCUSA
| | - R. K. Kwok
- Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institute on AgingNational Institutes of HealthBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - A. K. Miller
- Department of Health and Human ServicesNational Institute of Environmental Health SciencesNational Institutes of HealthDurhamNCUSA
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29
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Zhang Y, Tingting Y, Huang W, Yu P, Chen G, Xu R, Song J, Guo Y, Li S. Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Curr Environ Health Rep 2024; 11:46-60. [PMID: 38038861 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00420-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Wildfire smoke is associated with human health, becoming an increasing public health concern. However, a comprehensive synthesis of the current evidence on the health impacts of ambient wildfire smoke on children and adolescents, an exceptionally vulnerable population, is lacking. We conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed epidemiological studies on the association between wildfire smoke and health of children and adolescents. RECENT FINDINGS We searched for studies available in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus from database inception up to October 11, 2022. Of 4926 studies initially identified, 59 studies from 14 countries were ultimately eligible. Over 33.3% of the studies were conducted in the USA, and two focused on multi-countries. The exposure assessment of wildfire smoke was heterogenous, with wildfire-specific particulate matters with diameters ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5, 22.0%) and all-source (22.0%) PM2.5 during wildfire period most frequently used. Over half of studies (50.6%) focused on respiratory-related morbidities/mortalities. Wildfire smoke exposure was consistently associated with enhanced risks of adverse health outcomes in children/adolescents. Meta-analysis results presented a pooled relative risk (RR) of 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-1.12) for all-cause respiratory morbidity, 1.11 (95% Ci: 0.93-1.32) for asthma, 0.93 (95% CI, 0.85-1.03) for bronchitis, and 1.13 (95% CI, 1.05-1.23) for upper respiratory infection, whilst - 21.71 g for birth weight (95% CI, - 32.92 to - 10.50) per 10 µg/m3 increment in wildfire-specific PM2.5/all-source PM2.5 during wildfire event. The majority of studies found that wildfire smoke was associated with multiple adverse health outcomes among children and adolescents, with respiratory morbidities of significant concern. In-utero exposure to wildfire smoke may increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes and have long-term impacts on height. Higher maternal baseline exposure to wildfire smoke and poor family-level baseline birthweight respectively elevated risks in preterm birth and low birth weight associated with wildfire smoke. More studies in low- and middle-income countries and focusing on extremely young children are needed. Despite technological progress, wildfire smoke exposure measurements remain uncertain, demanding improved methodologies to have more precise assessment of wildfire smoke levels and thus quantify the corresponding health impacts and guide public mitigation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Ye Tingting
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Wenzhong Huang
- Climate, Air Quality Research 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 Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Climate, Air Quality Research 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 Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Jiangning Song
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research 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 Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Level 2, 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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30
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Yu W, Xu R, Ye T, Abramson MJ, Morawska L, Jalaludin B, Johnston FH, Henderson SB, Knibbs LD, Morgan GG, Lavigne E, Heyworth J, Hales S, Marks GB, Woodward A, Bell ML, Samet JM, Song J, Li S, Guo Y. Estimates of global mortality burden associated with short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2·5). Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e146-e155. [PMID: 38453380 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00003-2] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The acute health effects of short-term (hours to days) exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2·5) have been well documented; however, the global mortality burden attributable to this exposure has not been estimated. We aimed to estimate the global, regional, and urban mortality burden associated with short-term exposure to PM2·5 and the spatiotemporal variations in this burden from 2000 to 2019. METHODS We combined estimated global daily PM2·5 concentrations, annual population counts, country-level mortality rates, and epidemiologically derived exposure-response functions to estimate the mortality attributable to short-term PM2·5 exposure from 2000 to 2019, in the continental regions and in 13 189 urban centres worldwide at a spatial resolution of 0·1° × 0·1°. We tested the robustness of our mortality estimates with different theoretical minimum risk exposure levels, lag effects, and exposure-response functions. FINDINGS Approximately 1 million (95% CI 690 000-1·3 million) premature deaths per year from 2000 to 2019 were attributable to short-term PM2·5 exposure, representing 2·08% (1·41-2·75) of total global deaths or 17 (11-22) premature deaths per 100 000 population. Annually, 0·23 million (0·15 million-0·30 million) deaths attributable to short-term PM2·5 exposure were in urban areas, constituting 22·74% of the total global deaths attributable to this cause and accounting for 2·30% (1·56-3·05) of total global deaths in urban areas. The sensitivity analyses showed that our worldwide estimates of mortality attributed to short-term PM2·5 exposure were robust. INTERPRETATION Short-term exposure to PM2·5 contributes a substantial global mortality burden, particularly in Asia and Africa, as well as in global urban areas. Our results highlight the importance of mitigation strategies to reduce short-term exposure to air pollution and its adverse effects on human health. FUNDING Australian Research Council and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tingting Ye
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Sarah B Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Public Health Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Geoffrey G Morgan
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; University Centre for Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eric Lavigne
- Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jane Heyworth
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Simon Hales
- Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington South, New Zealand
| | - Guy B Marks
- Medicine & Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alistair Woodward
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Jiangning Song
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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31
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Lichter KE, Baniel CC, Do I, Medhat Y, Avula V, Nogueira LM, Bates JE, Paulsson A, Malik N, Hiatt RA, Yom SS, Mohamad O. Effects of Wildfire Events on California Radiation Oncology Clinics and Patients. Adv Radiat Oncol 2024; 9:101395. [PMID: 38304108 PMCID: PMC10831805 DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2023.101395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose The effect of climate-driven events, such as wildfires, on health care delivery and cancer care is a growing concern. Patients with cancer undergoing radiation therapy are particularly vulnerable to treatment interruptions, which have a direct effect on survival. We report the results of a study characterizing the effect of wildfires on radiation oncology clinics and their patients. Methods and Materials A survey of California radiation oncologists was used to evaluate emergency preparedness and the effect of wildfires on the delivery of radiation therapy services between 2017 and 2022. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's χ2 tests were performed to investigate potential relationships between provider characteristics, practice settings, and perceptions of the effect of wildfire events. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection data were employed to map the geographic distribution of wildfires to clinic locations. Results Response rate was 12.3% (51/415 radiation oncologists), representing 25% of clinics (43/176) in 41% (24/58) of California counties. Sixty-one percent (31/51) of respondents reported being affected by a wildfire, 2 of which are rural clinics (100%, 2/2) and 29 are (59%, 29/49) metropolitan practices. Of these, 18% (9/51) reported a clinic closure, and 29% (15/51) reported staffing shortages. Respondents reported effects on patients, including having to evacuate (55%, 28/51), cancel/reschedule treatments (53%, 27/51), and experiencing physical, mental, or financial hardship due to wildfires (45%, 23/51). Respondents described effects on clinical operations, including being forced to transfer patients (24%, 12/51), transportation interruptions (37%, 19/51), regional/community evacuations (35%, 18/51), and physical/mental health effects (27%, 14/51) on clinic personnel. Less than half of the respondents (47%, 24/51) reported their workplace had a wildfire emergency preparedness plan. Additionally, geographic analysis revealed that 100% (176/176) of clinics were located within 25 miles of a wildfire. Conclusions This study highlights the effects of wildfires on radiation oncology clinics and patients and underscores the need for emergency preparedness planning to minimize the consequences of such disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E. Lichter
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Claire C. Baniel
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Isabelle Do
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Yasmeen Medhat
- University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Vennela Avula
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - James E. Bates
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Nauman Malik
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Robert A. Hiatt
- The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Sue S. Yom
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Osama Mohamad
- Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Zhang Y, Xiao Q, Zhu Y, Wang N, Wu M, Li Y, Li J, Chen D, Huang X, Wang S, Cao P, Jin Y, Xu F, Wang C. Char and soot records of the Holocene fire history and its implications for climate-vegetation change and human activities within the Guanzhong Basin, southern Loess Plateau, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168564. [PMID: 37981130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168564] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Black carbon in sediments has been widely used as a proxy for biomass burning/fire activity to reconstruct fire history and its evolution. Wildfire studies have revealed that different types of black carbon (char and soot) are formed due to changes in combustion efficiency. In this study, we obtained black carbon and its two subtypes, char and soot, from a typical Holocene aeolian loess-paleosol section in the Chilanqiao Ruins within the Guanzhong Basin, southern Loess Plateau, China. Combined with environmental proxies such as magnetic susceptibility, loss on ignition, and geochemical elements, along with AMS14C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates, we reconstructed the Holocene fire history and its evolution on the southern Loess Plateau at local and regional scales. The findings indicate that the limited vegetation during the relatively dry and cold early Holocene may have inhibited the spread of fires. In the warmer and wetter middle Holocene, there was higher local smoldering fire activity, likely influenced by both wet climatic conditions and an increase in the proportion of woody plants. Additionally, the fire history in relation to human activities at Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) including land reclamation, house construction, and bronze casting has also been identified. There has been a significant increase in regional flaming fire activity in the late Holocene as a result of drier climate and increased human activity. Notably, the significant increase in regional flaming fire activity since ~1.00 ka can be primarily linked to human-set fires with the usage of gunpowder in frequent wars. This research holds great importance in enhancing our understanding of the long-term interactions among fire activities, climate change and human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhu Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Qili Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Yan Zhu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ninglian Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Menglei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cultural Heritage Research and Conservation, Ministry of Education, School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanfeng Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Archaeological Conservation, Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, China
| | - Jianxi Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Archaeological Conservation, Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, China
| | - Dou Chen
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoling Huang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Sikai Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Pengpeng Cao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yao Jin
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fanjun Xu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chenyu Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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Slavik CE, Chapman DA, Cohen AS, Bendefaa N, Peters E. Clearing the air: evaluating institutions' social media health messaging on wildfire and smoke risks in the US Pacific Northwest. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:379. [PMID: 38317121 PMCID: PMC10840270 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17907-1] [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: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildfire smoke contributes substantially to the global disease burden and is a major cause of air pollution in the US states of Oregon and Washington. Climate change is expected to bring more wildfires to this region. Social media is a popular platform for health promotion and a need exists for effective communication about smoke risks and mitigation measures to educate citizens and safeguard public health. METHODS Using a sample of 1,287 Tweets from 2022, we aimed to analyze temporal Tweeting patterns in relation to potential smoke exposure and evaluate and compare institutions' use of social media communication best practices which include (i) encouraging adoption of smoke-protective actions; (ii) leveraging numeric, verbal, and Air Quality Index risk information; and (iii) promoting community-building. Tweets were characterized using keyword searches and the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out. RESULTS 44% of Tweets in our sample were authored between January-August 2022, prior to peak wildfire smoke levels, whereas 54% of Tweets were authored during the two-month peak in smoke (September-October). Institutional accounts used Twitter (or X) to encourage the adoption of smoke-related protective actions (82% of Tweets), more than they used it to disseminate wildfire smoke risk information (25%) or promote community-building (47%). Only 10% of Tweets discussed populations vulnerable to wildfire smoke health effects, and 14% mentioned smoke mitigation measures. Tweets from Washington-based accounts used significantly more verbal and numeric risk information to discuss wildfire smoke than Oregon-based accounts (p = 0.042 and p = 0.003, respectively); however, Tweets from Oregon-based accounts on average contained a higher percentage of words associated with community-building language (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This research provides practical recommendations for public health practitioners and researchers communicating wildfire smoke risks on social media. As exposures to wildfire smoke rise due to climate change, reducing the environmental disease burden requires health officials to leverage popular communication platforms, distribute necessary health-related messaging rapidly, and get the message right. Timely, evidence-based, and theory-driven messaging is critical for educating and empowering individuals to make informed decisions about protecting themselves from harmful exposures. Thus, proactive and sustained communications about wildfire smoke should be prioritized even during wildfire "off-seasons."
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Slavik
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
| | - Daniel A Chapman
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Alex Segrè Cohen
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Nahla Bendefaa
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Ellen Peters
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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Abstract
We review current knowledge on the trends and drivers of global wildfire activity, advances in the measurement of wildfire smoke exposure, and evidence on the health effects of this exposure. We describe methodological issues in estimating the causal effects of wildfire smoke exposures on health and quantify their importance, emphasizing the role of nonlinear and lagged effects. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure, finding positive impacts on all-cause mortality and respiratory hospitalizations but less consistent evidence on cardiovascular morbidity. We conclude by highlighting priority areas for future research, including leveraging recently developed spatially and temporally resolved wildfire-specific ambient air pollution data to improve estimates of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos F Gould
- Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; ,
| | - Sam Heft-Neal
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA;
| | - Mary Johnson
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
| | - Juan Aguilera
- Center for Community Health Impact, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, El Paso, Texas, USA;
| | - Marshall Burke
- Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; ,
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA;
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kari Nadeau
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
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Lakhoo DP, Chersich MF, Jack C, Maimela G, Cissé G, Solarin I, Ebi KL, Chande KS, Dumbura C, Makanga PT, van Aardenne L, Joubert BR, McAllister KA, Ilias M, Makhanya S, Luchters S. Protocol of an individual participant data meta-analysis to quantify the impact of high ambient temperatures on maternal and child health in Africa (HE 2AT IPD). BMJ Open 2024; 14:e077768. [PMID: 38262654 PMCID: PMC10824032 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Globally, recognition is growing of the harmful impacts of high ambient temperatures (heat) on health in pregnant women and children. There remain, however, major evidence gaps on the extent to which heat increases the risks for adverse health outcomes, and how this varies between settings. Evidence gaps are especially large in Africa. We will conduct an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis to quantify the impacts of heat on maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa. A detailed understanding and quantification of linkages between heat, and maternal and child health is essential for developing solutions to this critical research and policy area. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will use IPD from existing, large, longitudinal trial and cohort studies, on pregnant women and children from sub-Saharan Africa. We will systematically identify eligible studies through a mapping review, searching data repositories, and suggestions from experts. IPD will be acquired from data repositories, or through collaboration with data providers. Existing satellite imagery, climate reanalysis data, and station-based weather observations will be used to quantify weather and environmental exposures. IPD will be recoded and harmonised before being linked with climate, environmental, and socioeconomic data by location and time. Adopting a one-stage and two-stage meta-analysis method, analytical models such as time-to-event analysis, generalised additive models, and machine learning approaches will be employed to quantify associations between exposure to heat and adverse maternal and child health outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study has been approved by ethics committees. There is minimal risk to study participants. Participant privacy is protected through the anonymisation of data for analysis, secure data transfer and restricted access. Findings will be disseminated through conferences, journal publications, related policy and research fora, and data may be shared in accordance with data sharing policies of the National Institutes of Health. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022346068.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darshnika Pemi Lakhoo
- Wits RHI, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Chris Jack
- Climate System Analysis Group, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Gloria Maimela
- Wits RHI, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Guéladio Cissé
- University Peleforo Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Ijeoma Solarin
- Wits RHI, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Kshama S Chande
- Wits RHI, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Cherlynn Dumbura
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Prestige Tatenda Makanga
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Place Alert Labs, Department of Surveying and Geomatics, Faculty of the Built Environment, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Lisa van Aardenne
- Climate System Analysis Group, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Bonnie R Joubert
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kimberly A McAllister
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maliha Ilias
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Stanley Luchters
- Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent Unviersity, Ghent, Belgium
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36
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Sprague NL, Uong SP, Zonnevylle H, Chatterjee T, Hernández D, Rundle AG, Ekenga CC. The CHANGE (Climate Health ANalysis Grading Evaluation) tool for weight of evidence reviews on climate change and health research. Environ Health 2024; 23:7. [PMID: 38243236 PMCID: PMC10797793 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01040-4] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change has been identified as one of the biggest threats to human health. Despite this claim, there are no standardized tools that assess the rigor of published literature for use in weight of evidence (WOE) reviews. Standardized assessment tools are essential for creating clear and comparable WOE reviews. As such, we developed a standardized tool for evaluating the quality of climate change and health studies focused on evaluating studies that quantify exposure-response relationships and studies that implement and/or evaluate adaptation interventions. METHODS The authors explored systematic-review methodology to enhance transparency and increase efficiency in summarizing and synthesizing findings from studies on climate change and health research. The authors adapted and extended existing WOE methods to develop the CHANGE (Climate Health ANalysis Grading Evaluation) tool. The resulting assessment tool has been refined through application and subsequent team input. RESULTS The CHANGE tool is a two-step standardized tool for systematic review of climate change and health studies of exposure-response relationships and adaptation intervention studies. Step one of the CHANGE tool aims to classify studies included in weight-of-evidence reviews and step two assesses the quality and presence of bias in the climate change and health studies. CONCLUSION The application of the CHANGE tool in WOE reviews of climate change and health will lead to increased comparability, objectivity, and transparency within this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav L Sprague
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Stephen P Uong
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hannah Zonnevylle
- Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Trinish Chatterjee
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diana Hernández
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew G Rundle
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Christine C Ekenga
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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37
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Jersmann HPA. This time the canary is the coal mine. Respirology 2024; 29:11-13. [PMID: 37920936 DOI: 10.1111/resp.14622] [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: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
See related article
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubertus P A Jersmann
- Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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38
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Lane TJ, Carroll M, Borg BM, McCaffrey TA, Smith CL, Gao CX, Brown D, Poland D, Allgood S, Ikin J, Abramson MJ. Long-term effects of extreme smoke exposure on COVID-19: A cohort study. Respirology 2024; 29:56-62. [PMID: 37681548 DOI: 10.1111/resp.14591] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2014, the Hazelwood coalmine fire shrouded the regional Australian town of Morwell in smoke and ash for 6 weeks. One of the fire's by-products, PM2.5 , is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 and severe disease. However, it is unclear whether the effect persisted for years after exposure. In this study, we surveyed a cohort established prior to the pandemic to determine whether PM2.5 from the coalmine fire increased long-term vulnerability to COVID-19 and severe disease. METHODS From August to December 2022, 612 members of the Hazelwood Health Study's adult cohort, established in 2016/17, participated in a follow-up survey that included standardized items to capture COVID-19 cases, as well as questions about hospitalization and vaccinations. Associations were evaluated in crude and adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS A total of 268 (44%) participants self-reported or met symptom criteria for having had COVID-19 at least once. All models found a positive association, with odds of COVID-19 increasing by between 4% and 30% for a 10 μg/m3 increase in coalmine fire-related PM2.5 exposure. However, the association was significant in only 2 of the 18 models. There were insufficient hospitalizations to examine severity (n = 7; 1%). CONCLUSION The findings are inconclusive on the effect of coalmine fire-related PM2.5 exposure on long-term vulnerability to COVID-19. Given the positive association that was robust to modelling variations as well as evidence for a causal mechanism, it would be prudent to treat PM2.5 from fire events as a long-term risk factor until more evidence accumulates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Lane
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew Carroll
- Monash Rural Health Churchill, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brigitte M Borg
- Respiratory Medicine, The Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tracy A McCaffrey
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine L Smith
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Brown
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Poland
- Monash Rural Health Churchill, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shantelle Allgood
- Monash Rural Health Churchill, Monash University, Churchill, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jillian Ikin
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Chitre SD, Crews CM, Tessema MT, Plėštytė-Būtienė I, Coffee M, Richardson ET. The impact of anthropogenic climate change on pediatric viral diseases. Pediatr Res 2024; 95:496-507. [PMID: 38057578 PMCID: PMC10872406 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-023-02929-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The adverse effects of climate change on human health are unfolding in real time. Environmental fragmentation is amplifying spillover of viruses from wildlife to humans. Increasing temperatures are expanding mosquito and tick habitats, introducing vector-borne viruses into immunologically susceptible populations. More frequent flooding is spreading water-borne viral pathogens, while prolonged droughts reduce regional capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks with adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene resources. Worsening air quality and altered transmission seasons due to an increasingly volatile climate may exacerbate the impacts of respiratory viruses. Furthermore, both extreme weather events and long-term climate variation are causing the destruction of health systems and large-scale migrations, reshaping health care delivery in the face of an evolving global burden of viral disease. Because of their immunological immaturity, differences in physiology (e.g., size), dependence on caregivers, and behavioral traits, children are particularly vulnerable to climate change. This investigation into the unique pediatric viral threats posed by an increasingly inhospitable world elucidates potential avenues of targeted programming and uncovers future research questions to effect equitable, actionable change. IMPACT: A review of the effects of climate change on viral threats to pediatric health, including zoonotic, vector-borne, water-borne, and respiratory viruses, as well as distal threats related to climate-induced migration and health systems. A unique focus on viruses offers a more in-depth look at the effect of climate change on vector competence, viral particle survival, co-morbidities, and host behavior. An examination of children as a particularly vulnerable population provokes programming tailored to their unique set of vulnerabilities and encourages reflection on equitable climate adaptation frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smit D Chitre
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cecilia M Crews
- Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mesfin Teklu Tessema
- Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
- International Rescue Committee, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Megan Coffee
- Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
- International Rescue Committee, New York, NY, USA
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eugene T Richardson
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Rice RB, Boaggio K, Olson NE, Foley KM, Weaver CP, Sacks JD, McDow SR, Holder AL, LeDuc SD. Wildfires Increase Concentrations of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Downwind Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:21235-21248. [PMID: 38051783 PMCID: PMC10862657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04153] [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] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Due in part to climate change, wildfire activity is increasing, with the potential for greater public health impact from smoke in downwind communities. Studies examining the health effects of wildfire smoke have focused primarily on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but there is a need to better characterize other constituents, such as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). HAPs are chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects that are regulated by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency. Here, we analyzed concentrations of 21 HAPs in wildfire smoke from 2006 to 2020 at 309 monitors across the western US. Additionally, we examined HAP concentrations measured in a major population center (San Jose, CA) affected by multiple fires from 2017 to 2020. We found that concentrations of select HAPs, namely acetaldehyde, acrolein, chloroform, formaldehyde, manganese, and tetrachloroethylene, were all significantly elevated on smoke-impacted versus nonsmoke days (P < 0.05). The largest median increase on smoke-impacted days was observed for formaldehyde, 1.3 μg/m3 (43%) higher than that on nonsmoke days. Acetaldehyde increased 0.73 μg/m3 (36%), and acrolein increased 0.14 μg/m3 (34%). By better characterizing these chemicals in wildfire smoke, we anticipate that this research will aid efforts to reduce exposures in downwind communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Byron Rice
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Katie Boaggio
- US EPA, Office of Air and Radiation, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Nicole E Olson
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kristen M Foley
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Christopher P Weaver
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Jason D Sacks
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Stephen R McDow
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Amara L Holder
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Stephen D LeDuc
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
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Romanello M, Napoli CD, Green C, Kennard H, Lampard P, Scamman D, Walawender M, Ali Z, Ameli N, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Beggs PJ, Belesova K, Berrang Ford L, Bowen K, Cai W, Callaghan M, Campbell-Lendrum D, Chambers J, Cross TJ, van Daalen KR, Dalin C, Dasandi N, Dasgupta S, Davies M, Dominguez-Salas P, Dubrow R, Ebi KL, Eckelman M, Ekins P, Freyberg C, Gasparyan O, Gordon-Strachan G, Graham H, Gunther SH, Hamilton I, Hang Y, Hänninen R, Hartinger S, He K, Heidecke J, Hess JJ, Hsu SC, Jamart L, Jankin S, Jay O, Kelman I, Kiesewetter G, Kinney P, Kniveton D, Kouznetsov R, Larosa F, Lee JKW, Lemke B, Liu Y, Liu Z, Lott M, Lotto Batista M, Lowe R, Odhiambo Sewe M, Martinez-Urtaza J, Maslin M, McAllister L, McMichael C, Mi Z, Milner J, Minor K, Minx JC, Mohajeri N, Momen NC, Moradi-Lakeh M, Morrissey K, Munzert S, Murray KA, Neville T, Nilsson M, Obradovich N, O'Hare MB, Oliveira C, Oreszczyn T, Otto M, Owfi F, Pearman O, Pega F, Pershing A, Rabbaniha M, Rickman J, Robinson EJZ, Rocklöv J, Salas RN, Semenza JC, Sherman JD, Shumake-Guillemot J, Silbert G, Sofiev M, Springmann M, Stowell JD, Tabatabaei M, Taylor J, Thompson R, Tonne C, Treskova M, Trinanes JA, Wagner F, Warnecke L, Whitcombe H, Winning M, Wyns A, Yglesias-González M, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Zhu Q, Gong P, Montgomery H, Costello A. The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for a health-centred response in a world facing irreversible harms. Lancet 2023; 402:2346-2394. [PMID: 37977174 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01859-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 99.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Romanello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Claudia di Napoli
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Carole Green
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Harry Kennard
- Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pete Lampard
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Daniel Scamman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Walawender
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zakari Ali
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Nadia Ameli
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul J Beggs
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Kathryn Bowen
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenjia Cai
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Max Callaghan
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Chambers
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Troy J Cross
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Carole Dalin
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Niheer Dasandi
- International Development Department, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Shouro Dasgupta
- Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Foundation, Lecce, Italy
| | - Michael Davies
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Robert Dubrow
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristie L Ebi
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew Eckelman
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Ekins
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chris Freyberg
- Department of Information Systems, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Olga Gasparyan
- Department of Political Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Hilary Graham
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Samuel H Gunther
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ian Hamilton
- Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yun Hang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Stella Hartinger
- Carlos Vidal Layseca School of Public Health and Management, Cayetano Heredia Pervuvian University, Lima, Peru
| | - Kehan He
- Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
| | - Julian Heidecke
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jeremy J Hess
- Centre for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shih-Che Hsu
- Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Louis Jamart
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Slava Jankin
- Centre for AI in Government, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ollie Jay
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ilan Kelman
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gregor Kiesewetter
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Patrick Kinney
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dominic Kniveton
- School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton and Hove, UK
| | | | - Francesca Larosa
- Engineering Mechanics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jason K W Lee
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Lemke
- School of Health, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Yang Liu
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Zhao Liu
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Melissa Lott
- Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Rachel Lowe
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jaime Martinez-Urtaza
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Mark Maslin
- Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy McAllister
- Environmental Studies Program, Denison University, Granville, OH, USA
| | - Celia McMichael
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Zhifu Mi
- Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
| | - James Milner
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kelton Minor
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan C Minx
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nahid Mohajeri
- Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
| | - Natalie C Momen
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maziar Moradi-Lakeh
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Karyn Morrissey
- Department of Technology Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Kris A Murray
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tara Neville
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Department for Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Megan B O'Hare
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Camile Oliveira
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Matthias Otto
- School of Health, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Fereidoon Owfi
- Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Olivia Pearman
- Center for Science and Technology Policy, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Frank Pega
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Jamie Rickman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Z Robinson
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Renee N Salas
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan C Semenza
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jodi D Sherman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Grant Silbert
- Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Marco Springmann
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Meisam Tabatabaei
- Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Jonathon Taylor
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Cathryn Tonne
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Treskova
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joaquin A Trinanes
- Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Fabian Wagner
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Laura Warnecke
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Hannah Whitcombe
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Winning
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Arthur Wyns
- Melbourne Climate Futures, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marisol Yglesias-González
- Centro Latinoamericano de Excelencia en Cambio Climatico y Salud, Cayetano Heredia Pervuvian University, Lima, Peru
| | - Shihui Zhang
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Qiao Zhu
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Peng Gong
- Department of Geography, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hugh Montgomery
- Department of Experimental and Translational Medicine and Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Costello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
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42
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Lopez AM, Pacheco JL, Fendorf S. Metal toxin threat in wildland fires determined by geology and fire severity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8007. [PMID: 38086795 PMCID: PMC10716285 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43101-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Accentuated by climate change, catastrophic wildfires are a growing, distributed global public health risk from inhalation of smoke and dust. Underrecognized, however, are the health threats arising from fire-altered toxic metals natural to soils and plants. Here, we demonstrate that high temperatures during California wildfires catalyzed widespread transformation of chromium to its carcinogenic form in soil and ash, as hexavalent chromium, particularly in areas with metal-rich geologies (e.g., serpentinite). In wildfire ash, we observed dangerous levels (327-13,100 µg kg-1) of reactive hexavalent chromium in wind-dispersible particulates. Relatively dry post-fire weather contributed to the persistence of elevated hexavalent chromium in surficial soil layers for up to ten months post-fire. The geographic distribution of metal-rich soils and fire incidents illustrate the broad global threat of wildfire smoke- and dust-born metals to populations. Our findings provide new insights into why wildfire smoke exposure appears to be more hazardous to humans than pollution from other sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alandra Marie Lopez
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Juan Lezama Pacheco
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Scott Fendorf
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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43
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de Oliveira G, Mataveli G, Stark SC, Jones MW, Carmenta R, Brunsell NA, Santos CAG, da Silva Junior CA, Cunha HFA, da Cunha AC, Dos Santos CAC, Stewart H, Boanada Fuchs V, Hellenkamp S, Artaxo P, Alencar AAC, Moutinho P, Shimabukuro YE. Increasing wildfires threaten progress on halting deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1945-1946. [PMID: 37845292 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02233-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Guilherme Mataveli
- Earth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, Brazil
- School of Environmental Sciences, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Scott C Stark
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Matthew W Jones
- School of Environmental Sciences, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Rachel Carmenta
- School of Global Development, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Norwich Research Park, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Nathaniel A Brunsell
- Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Celso A G Santos
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | | | - Helenilza F A Cunha
- Department of Environment Sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Alan C da Cunha
- Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Carlos A C Dos Santos
- Academic Unit of Atmospheric Sciences, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Brazil
| | - Hannah Stewart
- National Academy of Sciences, Board on Environmental Change and Society, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vanessa Boanada Fuchs
- School of Economics and Political Science, Institute of Management in Latin America, University of St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Skye Hellenkamp
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paulo Artaxo
- Physics Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ane A C Alencar
- Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Paulo Moutinho
- Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Yosio E Shimabukuro
- Earth Observation and Geoinformatics Division, National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos, Brazil
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44
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Weismann D, Möckel M, Paeth H, Slagman A. Modelling variations of emergency attendances using data on community mobility, climate and air pollution. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20595. [PMID: 37996460 PMCID: PMC10667222 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47857-4] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is associated with morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated the impact of improved air quality during the economic lockdown during the SARS-Cov2 pandemic on emergency room (ER) admissions in Germany. Weekly aggregated clinical data from 33 hospitals were collected in 2019 and 2020. Hourly concentrations of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide (NO2, SO2), carbon and nitrogen monoxide (CO, NO), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) measured by ground stations and meteorological data (ERA5) were selected from a 30 km radius around the corresponding ED. Mobility was assessed using aggregated cell phone data. A linear stepwise multiple regression model was used to predict ER admissions. The average weekly emergency numbers vary from 200 to over 1600 cases (total n = 2,216,217). The mean maximum decrease in caseload was 5 standard deviations. With the enforcement of the shutdown in March, the mobility index dropped by almost 40%. Of all air pollutants, NO2 has the strongest correlation with ER visits when averaged across all departments. Using a linear stepwise multiple regression model, 63% of the variation in ER visits is explained by the mobility index, but still 6% of the variation is explained by air quality and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Weismann
- Intensive Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, University of Wuerzburg, Oberdürrbacherstr. 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Martin Möckel
- Departments of Emergency and Acute Medicine, Campus Mitte and Virchow-Klinikum, Charite-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Paeth
- Geographical Institute, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Anna Slagman
- Departments of Emergency and Acute Medicine, Campus Mitte and Virchow-Klinikum, Charite-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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45
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Stingone JA, Geller AM, Hood DB, Makris KC, Mouton CP, States JC, Sumner SJ, Wu KL, Rajasekar AK. Community-level exposomics: a population-centered approach to address public health concerns. EXPOSOME 2023; 3:osad009. [PMID: 38550543 PMCID: PMC10976977 DOI: 10.1093/exposome/osad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Environmental factors affecting health and vulnerability far outweigh genetics in accounting for disparities in health status and longevity in US communities. The concept of the exposome, the totality of exposure from conception onwards, provides a paradigm for researchers to investigate the complex role of the environment on the health of individuals. We propose a complementary framework, community-level exposomics, for population-level exposome assessment. The goal is to bring the exposome paradigm to research and practice on the health of populations, defined by various axes including geographic, social, and occupational. This framework includes the integration of community-level measures of the built, natural and social environments, environmental pollution-derived from conventional and community science approaches, internal markers of exposure that can be measured at the population-level and early responses associated with health status that can be tracked using population-based monitoring. Primary challenges to the implementation of the proposed framework include needed advancements in population-level measurement, lack of existing models with the capability to produce interpretable and actionable evidence and the ethical considerations of labeling geographically-bound populations by exposomic profiles. To address these challenges, we propose a set of recommendations that begin with greater engagement with and empowerment of affected communities and targeted investment in community-based solutions. Applications to urban settings and disaster epidemiology are discussed as examples for implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette A. Stingone
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew M. Geller
- Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC, USA
| | - Darryl B. Hood
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Konstantinos C. Makris
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Charles P. Mouton
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX, USA
| | - J. Christopher States
- Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Susan J. Sumner
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - K. Lily Wu
- California Environmental Protection Agency—Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Arcot K Rajasekar
- School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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46
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Xu R, Yu P, Liu Y, Chen G, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Beggs PJ, Zhang Y, Boocock J, Ji F, Hanigan I, Jay O, Bi P, Vargas N, Leder K, Green D, Quail K, Huxley R, Jalaludin B, Hu W, Dennekamp M, Vardoulakis S, Bone A, Abrahams J, Johnston FH, Broome R, Capon T, Li S, Guo Y. Climate change, environmental extremes, and human health in Australia: challenges, adaptation strategies, and policy gaps. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 40:100936. [PMID: 38116505 PMCID: PMC10730315 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100936] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Climate change presents a major public health concern in Australia, marked by unprecedented wildfires, heatwaves, floods, droughts, and the spread of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Despite these challenges, Australia's response to the climate crisis has been inadequate and subject to change by politics, public sentiment, and global developments. This study illustrates the spatiotemporal patterns of selected climate-related environmental extremes (heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and droughts) across Australia during the past two decades, and summarizes climate adaptation measures and actions that have been taken by the national, state/territory, and local governments. Our findings reveal significant impacts of climate-related environmental extremes on the health and well-being of Australians. While governments have implemented various adaptation strategies, these plans must be further developed to yield concrete actions. Moreover, Indigenous Australians should not be left out in these adaptation efforts. A collaborative, comprehensive approach involving all levels of government is urgently needed to prevent, mitigate, and adapt to the health impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yanming Liu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Zhengyu Yang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yao Wu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Paul J. Beggs
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ying Zhang
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jennifer Boocock
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Fei Ji
- NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Sydney, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Ivan Hanigan
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Ollie Jay
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peng Bi
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Nicole Vargas
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health & Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Karin Leder
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Donna Green
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Katie Quail
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rachel Huxley
- Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- School of Population Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health & Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Martine Dennekamp
- Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia
| | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Angie Bone
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Jonathan Abrahams
- Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Fay H. Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Richard Broome
- The New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Tony Capon
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
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47
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Yazici D, Ogulur I, Pat Y, Babayev H, Barletta E, Ardicli S, Bel Imam M, Huang M, Koch J, Li M, Maurer D, Radzikowska U, Satitsuksanoa P, Schneider SR, Sun N, Traidl S, Wallimann A, Wawrocki S, Zhakparov D, Fehr D, Ziadlou R, Mitamura Y, Brüggen MC, van de Veen W, Sokolowska M, Baerenfaller K, Nadeau K, Akdis M, Akdis CA. The epithelial barrier: The gateway to allergic, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases and chronic neuropsychiatric conditions. Semin Immunol 2023; 70:101846. [PMID: 37801907 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101846] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Since the 1960 s, our health has been compromised by exposure to over 350,000 newly introduced toxic substances, contributing to the current pandemic in allergic, autoimmune and metabolic diseases. The "Epithelial Barrier Theory" postulates that these diseases are exacerbated by persistent periepithelial inflammation (epithelitis) triggered by exposure to a wide range of epithelial barrier-damaging substances as well as genetic susceptibility. The epithelial barrier serves as the body's primary physical, chemical, and immunological barrier against external stimuli. A leaky epithelial barrier facilitates the translocation of the microbiome from the surface of the afflicted tissues to interepithelial and even deeper subepithelial locations. In turn, opportunistic bacterial colonization, microbiota dysbiosis, local inflammation and impaired tissue regeneration and remodelling follow. Migration of inflammatory cells to susceptible tissues contributes to damage and inflammation, initiating and aggravating many chronic inflammatory diseases. The objective of this review is to highlight and evaluate recent studies on epithelial physiology and its role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases in light of the epithelial barrier theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duygu Yazici
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Ismail Ogulur
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Yagiz Pat
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Huseyn Babayev
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Elena Barletta
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Sena Ardicli
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Manal Bel Imam
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Mengting Huang
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Jana Koch
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Manru Li
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Debbie Maurer
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Urszula Radzikowska
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephan R Schneider
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Na Sun
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, PR China
| | - Stephan Traidl
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Division of Immunodermatology and Allergy Research, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexandra Wallimann
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Wawrocki
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Damir Zhakparov
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Danielle Fehr
- Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reihane Ziadlou
- Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yasutaka Mitamura
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Charlotte Brüggen
- Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Willem van de Veen
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Milena Sokolowska
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Katja Baerenfaller
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Kari Nadeau
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mubeccel Akdis
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland
| | - Cezmi A Akdis
- Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland.
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McDonald VM, Archbold G, Beyene T, Brew BK, Franklin P, Gibson PG, Harrington J, Hansbro PM, Johnston FH, Robinson PD, Sutherland M, Yates D, Zosky GR, Abramson MJ. Asthma and landscape fire smoke: A Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand position statement. Respirology 2023; 28:1023-1035. [PMID: 37712340 PMCID: PMC10946536 DOI: 10.1111/resp.14593] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Landscape fires are increasing in frequency and severity globally. In Australia, extreme bushfires cause a large and increasing health and socioeconomic burden for communities and governments. People with asthma are particularly vulnerable to the effects of landscape fire smoke (LFS) exposure. Here, we present a position statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. Within this statement we provide a review of the impact of LFS on adults and children with asthma, highlighting the greater impact of LFS on vulnerable groups, particularly older people, pregnant women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also highlight the development of asthma on the background of risk factors (smoking, occupation and atopy). Within this document we present advice for asthma management, smoke mitigation strategies and access to air quality information, that should be implemented during periods of LFS. We promote clinician awareness, and the implementation of public health messaging and preparation, especially for people with asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M. McDonald
- College of Health, Medicine and WellbeingUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
- Asthma and Breathing Research ProgramThe Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)New LambtonNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Sleep and Respiratory MedicineHunter New England Local Health DistrictNewcastleNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Gregory Archbold
- Asthma and Breathing Research ProgramThe Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)New LambtonNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Tesfalidet Beyene
- College of Health, Medicine and WellbeingUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
- Asthma and Breathing Research ProgramThe Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)New LambtonNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Bronwyn K. Brew
- National Perinatal Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, Discipline of Women's Health, Faculty of MedicineUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Peter Franklin
- School of Population and Global HealthThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Peter G. Gibson
- College of Health, Medicine and WellbeingUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
- Asthma and Breathing Research ProgramThe Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)New LambtonNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Sleep and Respiratory MedicineHunter New England Local Health DistrictNewcastleNew South WalesAustralia
| | - John Harrington
- Asthma and Breathing Research ProgramThe Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)New LambtonNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Sleep and Respiratory MedicineHunter New England Local Health DistrictNewcastleNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Philip M. Hansbro
- Centre for InflammationCentenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of ScienceSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Immune HealthHunter Medical Research Institute and The University of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Fay H. Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Paul D. Robinson
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep MedicineQueensland Children's HospitalBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research CentreUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | | | - Deborah Yates
- Department of Thoracic MedicineSt Vincent's HospitalDarlinghurstNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Clinical MedicineUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Graeme R. Zosky
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- Tasmanian School of MedicineUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Michael J. Abramson
- School of Public Health & Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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Palmer LE, Pagoto SL, Workman D, Lewis KA, Rudin LR, De Luna N, Herrera V, Brown N, Bibeau J, Arcangel K, Waring ME. Health and education concerns about returning to campus and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic among US undergraduate STEM majors. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023; 71:2604-2611. [PMID: 34666630 PMCID: PMC9125396 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1979009] [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: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined undergraduates' concerns about returning to campus and online learning from home. PARTICIPANTS Undergraduates majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at US universities/colleges. METHODS Participants completed an online survey in July 2020. We content-analyzed responses to open-ended questions about concerns about fall 2020. RESULTS Students (N = 64) were 52% women, 47% low socioeconomic status (SES), and 27% non-Hispanic white. Concerns about returning to campus included student noncompliance with university COVID-19 prevention guidelines (28%), infection risk (28%), poor instructional quality (26%), inadequate university plans for preventing/handling outbreaks (25%), negative impacts on social interactions (11%), and transportation/commuting (11%). Concerns about learning from home included difficulty focusing on schoolwork (58%), lack of hands-on/experiential learning (24%), negative impacts on social interactions (19%), family/home environment (15%), concerns that online learning wastes time/money (10%), and inadequate technology/Internet access (5%). CONCLUSIONS Universities should address student concerns and provide resources to overcome barriers to effective learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay E. Palmer
- Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Sherry L. Pagoto
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Deja Workman
- Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Kathrine A. Lewis
- Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Lauren R. Rudin
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Nina De Luna
- Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Valeria Herrera
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Nathanial Brown
- Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Jessica Bibeau
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Kaylei Arcangel
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Molly E. Waring
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
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50
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Adu MK, Agyapong B, Agyapong VIO. Children's Psychological Reactions to Wildfires: a Review of Recent Literature. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2023; 25:603-616. [PMID: 37851204 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to synthesize currently available literature regarding the impact of wildfire on mental health, specifically the psychological reactions of children to wildfires. The information gathered from this review will help health experts understand and address the mental health needs of children during wildfire disasters and may serve as a base for future studies to evaluate evidence-based public health responses to mitigate adverse outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS The results identified post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, stress, alcohol/substance misuse, hopelessness, low resilience, reduced quality of life, and self-esteem as the psychological conditions manifesting in children and adolescent post-wildfire disaster. PTSD was the most evaluated psychological reaction in the participants (7 out of eight studies). This review highlights that deleterious mental health effects, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidality, can persist in children for years post-wildfire disaster. Factors such as gender, direct exposure to the wildfire, re-traumatization, and resilience informed or ameliorated the severity of the impact of wildfire on children and adolescents. Our findings further emphasize the need for multi-year funding and programs to support children and adolescents' mental health, including children with disabilities in the communities that have experienced wildfire disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Medard K Adu
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building, Dalhousie University, QEII Health Sciences Centre, 5909 Veterans Memorial Lane, 8Th Floor, Halifax, NS, B3H 2E2, Canada
| | - Belinda Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Vincent I O Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building, Dalhousie University, QEII Health Sciences Centre, 5909 Veterans Memorial Lane, 8Th Floor, Halifax, NS, B3H 2E2, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
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