Integrating High-Resolution Datasets to Target Mitigation Efforts for Improving Air Quality and Public Health in Urban Neighborhoods

A scoping review of interventions targeting small-scale, individual-initiated burning practices

BACKGROUND

Ambient outdoor air pollution has been identified as a key risk factor for adverse health outcomes and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Small-scale, individual-initiated burning activities are significant contributors to local pollutant emissions but are not well studied. We identified articles that describe small-scale burning interventions in order to characterize current trends, implementation science perspectives, and gaps in the literature.

METHODS

We conducted a global search of interventions to reduce ambient air pollution, and then conducted a keyword search among these articles to identify literature regarding interventions to reduce individual-initiated burning. We categorized these articles based on whether burning was discussed as an explicit focus or incidental finding and conducted a full-text analysis. We conducted a supplementary review on anthropological aspects of burning behaviors and burning interventions not captured in our review to inform future recommendations.

RESULTS

Ten articles describing interventions for small-scale, individual-initiated burning were identified. Four articles examined burning as an explicit focus and six discussed burning as an incidental finding. China was the country most represented in our review. All but one of the articles discussed emissions-related outcomes, while only one article discussed health outcomes. Four articles explored factors affecting implementation of interventions and regulations, but none included implementation as a primary objective. The supplementary review revealed a large amount of literature about burning in the context of spiritual and agricultural practices. However, less is known about everyday burning behaviors, such as trash burning and household burning, as well as reasons why people burn.

CONCLUSION

There is a paucity of research that explicitly discusses interventions for small scale, individual-initiated burning practices. Gaps remain in interventions in LMICs most affected by individual-initiated burning, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the current literature does not analyze factors affecting effectiveness of interventions and regulations and does not clearly identify reasons why people choose to burn. More research is needed on how to effectively implement interventions to reduce individual-initiated burning, as well as to target key geographic regions and burning sources that continue to be neglected.

Structural Characteristics of Tree Cover and the Association with Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health in Tampa, FL

Urban tree cover can provide several ecological and public health benefits. Secondary datasets for Tampa, FL, including sociodemographic variables (e.g., race/ethnicity), health data, and interpolated values for features of tree cover (e.g., percent canopy and leaf area index) were analyzed using correlation and regression. Percent canopy cover and leaf area index were inversely correlated to respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes, yet only leaf area index displayed a significant association with respiratory conditions in the logistic regression model. Percent racial/ethnic minority residents at the block group level was significantly negatively correlated with median income and tree density. Leaf area index was also significantly lower in block groups with more African-American residents. The percentage of African Americans (p = 0.101) and Hispanics (p < 0.001) were positively associated with respiratory outcomes while population density (p < 0.001), percent canopy (p < 0.01), and leaf area index (p < 0.01) were negatively associated. In multivariate models, higher tree density, leaf area index, and median income were significantly negatively associated with respiratory cases. Block groups with a higher proportion of African Americans had a higher odds of displaying respiratory admissions above the median rate. Tree density and median income were also negatively associated with cardiovascular cases. Home ownership and tree condition were significantly positively associated with cardiovascular cases.

Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective

A growing body of empirical evidence is revealing the value of nature experience for mental health. With rapid urbanization and declines in human contact with nature globally, crucial decisions must be made about how to preserve and enhance opportunities for nature experience. Here, we first provide points of consensus across the natural, social, and health sciences on the impacts of nature experience on cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and other dimensions of mental health. We then show how ecosystem service assessments can be expanded to include mental health, and provide a heuristic, conceptual model for doing so.

Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective

A growing body of empirical evidence is revealing the value of nature experience for mental health. With rapid urbanization and declines in human contact with nature globally, crucial decisions must be made about how to preserve and enhance opportunities for nature experience. Here, we first provide points of consensus across the natural, social, and health sciences on the impacts of nature experience on cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and other dimensions of mental health. We then show how ecosystem service assessments can be expanded to include mental health, and provide a heuristic, conceptual model for doing so.

Modeling spatial distribution of population for environmental epidemiological studies: Comparing the exposure estimates using choropleth versus dasymetric mapping

Precise population information is critical for identifying more accurate environmental exposures for air pollution impacts analysis. Basically, there are two methods for estimating spatial distribution of population, choropleth and dasymetric mapping. While the choropleth approach accounts for linear distribution of population over area based on census tract units, the dasymetric model accounts for a more heterogeneous population density by quantifying the association between the area-class map data categories and values of the statistical surface as encoded in the census dataset. Environmental epidemiological studies have indicated the dasymetric mapping as a more accurate approach to estimate and characterize population densities in large urban areas. However, investigations that have attempted to compare the exposure estimates from choropleth versus dasymetric mapping in environmental health analysis are still missing. This paper addresses this gap and compares the impact of using choropleth and dasymetric mapping in different exposure metrics. We compare the impact of using choropleth and dasymetric mapping in three case studies, defined here as case study A (relationship between urban structure types and health), case study B (PM_2.5 emissions and human exposure), and case study C (distance-decays of mortality risk related to PM_2.5 emitted by traffic along major highways). These case studies represent previous investigations performed by our research group where spatial distribution of population was an essential input for analysis. Our findings indicate that the method used to estimate spatial distribution of population impacts significantly the exposure estimates. We observed that the choropleth mapping overestimated exposure for the case study A and B, while for the case study C the exposure was underestimated by the choropleth approach. Our findings show that the dasymetric model is a preferred method for creating spatially-explicit information about population distribution for health exposure studies. The results presented here can be useful for the environmental health community to more accurately assess the relationship between environmental factors and health risks.