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Moshammer H, Mayer M, Rieder H, Schmidt C, Bednar-Friedl B, Wallner P, Hutter HP. Attributable deaths in Austria due to ozone under different climate scenarios. Eur J Public Health 2024:ckae126. [PMID: 39127464 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckae126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Tropospheric ozone is an air pollutant that poses a public health problem in Europe. Climate change could increase the formation of ozone. Applying past and predicted annual total (all-cause) mortality data and modeled daily ozone concentrations, we performed a nationwide health impact assessment estimating annual ozone-related (attributable) deaths in Austria. Different approaches were compared. Estimates were based on maximal 1-h averages of ozone. Until the decade from 2045 till 2055, more people will die in Austria because of the demographic trends. Therefore, more deaths will also be attributable to ozone. Higher greenhouse gas emission scenarios (e.g. Representative Concentration Pathway RCP8.5 compared to RCP2.6) will lead to more ozone-related deaths, mostly due to the national emission of ozone precursors (a difference of 250-340 cases per year, depending on the model), but to a lesser extent because of global climate change. Increases in attributable deaths will be affected mostly by national, not global mitigation measures. National emission reduction will certainly have a strong and beneficial effect on local atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanns Moshammer
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Hygiene, Medical University of Karakalpakstan, Nukus, Uzbekistan
| | - Monika Mayer
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere, and Environment (WAU), BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Rieder
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere, and Environment (WAU), BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Schmidt
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere, and Environment (WAU), BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Peter Wallner
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hans-Peter Hutter
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Zhao S, Cao W, Liao G, Guo Z, Xu L, Shen C, Chang C, Liang X, Wang K, He D, Sun S, Chen R, Dominici F. All cause and cause specific mortality associated with transition to daylight saving time in US: nationwide, time series, observational study. BMJ MEDICINE 2024; 3:e000771. [PMID: 38464392 PMCID: PMC10921520 DOI: 10.1136/bmjmed-2023-000771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Objectives To estimate the association between the transition to daylight saving time and the risks of all cause and cause specific mortality in the US. Design Nationwide time series observational study based on weekly data. Setting US state level mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, with death counts from 50 US states and the District of Columbia, from the start of 2015 to the end of 2019. Population 13 912 837 reported deaths in the US. Main outcome measures Weekly counts of mortality for any cause, and for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms, and respiratory diseases. Results During the study period, 13 912 837 deaths were reported. The analysis found no evidence of an association between the transition to spring daylight saving time (when clocks are set forward by one hour on the second Sunday of March) and the risk of all cause mortality during the first eight weeks after the transition (rate ratio 1.003, 95% confidence interval 0.987 to 1.020). Autumn daylight saving time is defined in this study as the time when the clocks are set back by one hour (ie, return to standard time) on the first Sunday of November. Evidence indicating a substantial decrease in the risk of all cause mortality during the first eight weeks after the transition to autumn daylight saving time (0.974, 0.958 to 0.990). Overall, when considering the transition to both spring and autumn daylight saving time, no evidence of any effect of daylight saving time on all cause mortality was found (0.988, 0.972 to 1.005). These patterns of changes in mortality rates associated with transition to daylight saving time were consistent for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, circulatory diseases, malignant neoplasms, and respiratory diseases. The protective effect of the transition to autumn daylight saving time on the risk of mortality was more pronounced in elderly people aged ≥75 years, in the non-Hispanic white population, and in those residing in the eastern time zone. Conclusions In this study, transition to daylight saving time was found to affect mortality patterns in the US, but an association with additional deaths overall was not found. These findings might inform the ongoing debate on the policy of shifting daylight saving time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Zhao
- School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environment, Nutrition and Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wangnan Cao
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Gengze Liao
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zihao Guo
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lufei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Human Resources, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Shen
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Chun Chang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Medical Engineering and Technology, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Daihai He
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shengzhi Sun
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Chen
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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3
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Gudziunaite S, Shabani Z, Weitensfelder L, Moshammer H. Time series analysis in environmental epidemiology: challenges and considerations. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2023; 36:704-716. [PMID: 37782034 PMCID: PMC10743348 DOI: 10.13075/ijomeh.1896.02237] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In environmental epidemiology, time series analyses represent a widely used statistical tool. However, though being commonly used, there is soften confusion regarding the specific requirements, such as which link function might be most appropriate, when or how to control for seasonality or how to account for lags. The present overview draws from experiences in other disciplines and discusses the proper execution of time series analyses based on considerations that are relevant in environmental epidemiology. Time series analysis in environmental epidemiology focuses on acute events caused by short-term changes in exposure. These exposures should be fairly wide-spread affecting a large number of persons, usually all inhabitants of a political entity. Pollutants in air or drinking water as well as meteorological factors serve as typical examples. Despite the many time series analyses performed world-wide, some health effects that would lend themselves to that approach are still under-explored. This would include also some neurological and psychiatric endpoints. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(6):704-16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Gudziunaite
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zana Shabani
- University of Hasan Pristina, Medical Faculty, Pristina, Kosovo
| | - Lisbeth Weitensfelder
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanns Moshammer
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Winnebeck EC. Chronobiology: Is daylight saving time a deer-saving time? Curr Biol 2022; 32:R1283-R1286. [PMID: 36327978 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Earlier human activity relative to sunrise and sunset, the very essence of daylight saving time, is linked with health and safety detriments in humans. A new study predicts that deer, at least, may benefit from earlier human activity through reduced deer-vehicle collisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Winnebeck
- Section of Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK; Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Institute of Neurogenetics, Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany.
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5
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Lévy L, Robine JM, Rey G, Méndez Turrubiates RF, Quijal-Zamorano M, Achebak H, Ballester J, Rodó X, Herrmann FR. Daylight saving time affects European mortality patterns. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6906. [PMID: 36372798 PMCID: PMC9659560 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34704-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Daylight saving time (DST) consists in a one-hour advancement of legal time in spring offset by a backward transition of the same magnitude in fall. It creates a minimal circadian misalignment that could disrupt sleep and homoeostasis in susceptible individuals and lead to an increased incidence of pathologies and accidents during the weeks immediately following both transitions. How this shift affects mortality dynamics on a large population scale remains, however, unknown. This study examines the impact of DST on all-cause mortality in 16 European countries for the period 1998-2012. It shows that mortality decreases in spring and increases in fall during the first two weeks following each DST transition. Moreover, the alignment of time data around DST transition dates revealed a septadian mortality pattern (lowest on Sundays, highest on Mondays) that persists all-year round, irrespective of seasonal variations, in men and women aged above 40.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Lévy
- Medical School of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marie Robine
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Montpellier, France
- École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xavier Rodó
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - François R Herrmann
- Medical School of the University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Thônex, Switzerland.
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Phase Response Curve to Light under Ambulatory Conditions: A Pilot Study for Potential Application to Daylight Saving Time Transitions. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11111584. [PMID: 36358285 PMCID: PMC9687529 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have investigated the relationship between daylight saving time (DST) and sleep alterations, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular events and traffic accidents. However, very few have monitored participants while maintaining their usual lifestyle before and after DST. Considering that DST transitions modify human behavior and, therefore, people's light exposure patterns, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of DST on circadian variables, considering sleep and, for the first time, the human phase response curve to light. To accomplish this, eight healthy adults (33 ± 11 years old, mean ± SD) were recruited to monitor multivariable circadian markers and light exposure by means of a wearable ambulatory monitoring device: Kronowise®. The following night phase markers were calculated: midpoints of the five consecutive hours of maximum wrist temperature (TM5) and the five consecutive hours of minimum time in movement (TL5), sleep onset and offset, as well as sleep duration and light intensity. TM5 for wrist temperature was set as circadian time 0 h, and the balance between advances and delays considering the phase response curve to light was calculated individually before and after both DST transitions. To assess internal desynchronization, the possible shift in TM5 for wrist temperature and TL5 for time in movement were compared. Our results indicate that the transition to DST seems to force the circadian system to produce a phase advance to adapt to the new time. However, the synchronizing signals provided by natural and personal light exposure are not in line with such an advance, which results in internal desynchronization and the need for longer synchronization times. On the contrary, the transition back to ST, which implies a phase delay, is characterized by a faster adaptation and maintenance of internal synchronization, despite the fact that exposure to natural light would favor a phase advance. Considering the pilot nature of this study, further research is needed with higher sample sizes.
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Heacock RM, Capodilupo ER, Czeisler MÉ, Weaver MD, Czeisler CA, Howard ME, Rajaratnam SMW. Sleep and Alcohol Use Patterns During Federal Holidays and Daylight Saving Time Transitions in the United States. Front Physiol 2022; 13:884154. [PMID: 35899022 PMCID: PMC9309397 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.884154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a retrospective observational study using remote wearable and mobile application data to evaluate whether US public holidays or Daylight Saving Time transitions were associated with significant changes in sleep behaviors, including sleep duration, sleep onset and offset, and the consistency of sleep timing, as well as changes in the point prevalence of alcohol use. These metrics were analyzed using objective, high resolution sleep-wake data (10,350,760 sleep episodes) and 5,777,008 survey responses of 24,250 US subscribers (74.5% male; mean age of 37.6 ± 9.8 years) to the wrist-worn biometric device platform, WHOOP (Boston, Massachusetts, United States), who were active users during 1 May 2020, through 1 May 2021. Compared to baseline, statistically significant differences in sleep and alcohol measures were found on most DST transitions, US public holidays, and their eves. For example, New Year's Eve corresponded with a sleep consistency decrease of 13.8 ± 0.3%, a sleep onset delay of 88.9 ± 3.2 min (00:01 vs. 22:33 baseline) later, a sleep offset delay of 78.1 ± 3.1 min (07:56 vs. 06:39), and an increase in the prevalence of alcohol consumption, with more than twice as many participants having reported alcohol consumption [+138.0% ± 6.7 (74.2% vs. 31.2%)] compared to baseline. In this analysis of a non-random sample of mostly male subscribers conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of US public holidays and holiday eves were associated with sample-level increases in sleep duration, decreases in sleep consistency, later sleep onset and offset, and increases in the prevalence of alcohol consumption. Future work would be warranted to explore the generalizability of these findings and their public health implications, including in more representative samples and over longer time intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark É. Czeisler
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia,Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States,Francis Weld Peabody Society, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Matthew D. Weaver
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Charles A. Czeisler
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark E. Howard
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia,Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia,Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States,Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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8
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Orsini F, Zarantonello L, Costa R, Rossi R, Montagnese S. Driving simulator performance worsens after the Spring transition to Daylight Saving Time. iScience 2022; 25:104666. [PMID: 35811844 PMCID: PMC9263509 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian desynchrony and sleep deprivation related to the Spring transition to Daylight Saving Time (DST) have been associated with several unfavorable outcomes, including an increase in road traffic accidents. As previous work has mainly focused on analyzing historical crash/hospitalization data, there is virtually no literature investigating the effects of DST on specific driving performance indicators. Here, the effect of the Spring transition to DST on driving performance was investigated by means of a driving simulator experiment, in which participants completed two trials (one week distance, same time and day of the week) on exactly the same simulated route, the second trial taking place in the week after the transition to DST. Results were compared to those of a control group (who also underwent two trials, both before the DST transition), and documented significant worsening of driving performance after DST, as measured by a comprehensive set of simulator-derived indices. A simulator was used to study the effects of DST transition on driving behavior Several driving variables were negatively affected by DST transition These included reaction times, situation awareness and risk behavior DST-related circadian desynchrony is likely to result in driving impairment
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Hook J, Smith K, Andrew E, Ball J, Nehme Z. Daylight savings time transitions and risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: An interrupted time series analysis. Resuscitation 2021; 168:84-90. [PMID: 34571135 DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many studies have reported increases in the risk of acute cardiovascular events following daylight savings time (DST) transitions. We sought to investigate the effect of DST transition on the incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS Between January 2000 and December 2020, we performed an interrupted time series analysis of the daily number of OHCA cases of medical aetiology from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry. The effect of DST transition on OHCA incidence was estimated using negative binomial models, adjusted for temporal trends, population growth, and public holidays. RESULTS A total of 89,409 adult OHCA of medical aetiology were included. Following the spring DST transition (i.e. shorter day), there was an immediate 13% (IRR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.25; p = 0.02) increased risk of OHCA on the day of transition (Sunday) and the cumulative risk of OHCA remained higher over the first 2 days (IRR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.34; p = 0.03) compared to non-transitional days. Following the autumn DST transition (i.e. longer day), there was a significant lagged effect on the Tuesday with a 12% (IRR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99; p = 0.04) reduced risk of OHCA. The cumulative effect following the autumn DST transition was also significant, with a 30% (IRR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.96; p = 0.03) reduction in the incidence of OHCA by the end of the transitional week. CONCLUSION We observed both harmful and protective effects from DST transitions on the risk of OHCA. Strategies to reduce this risk in vulnerable populations should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Hook
- Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Blackburn North, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paramedicine, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karen Smith
- Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Blackburn North, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paramedicine, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily Andrew
- Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Blackburn North, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jocasta Ball
- Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Blackburn North, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia; Pre-Clinical Disease and Prevention, Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ziad Nehme
- Centre for Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, Blackburn North, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paramedicine, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.
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Abstract
The long-term impact of seasonal regulation of clocks (Daylight Saving Time) is analyzed showing that it helped to mitigate the advance of the phase of human activity during the twentieth century and the exposure to the hours of the dawn in winter. The increased risks induced by circadian misalignment around transition dates are balanced by a better alignment of social clocks to the natural day in summer and in winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Martín-Olalla
- Facultad de Física, Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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Abstract
The original rationale for the adoption of daylight saving time (DST) was to conserve energy; however, the effects of DST on energy consumption are questionable or negligible. Conversely, there is substantial evidence that DST transitions have the cumulative effect on sleep deprivation with its adverse health effects. In light of current evidence, the European Commission in 2018 decided that biannual clock change in Europe would be abolished. Current indirect evidence supports the adoption of perennial standard time, which aligns best with the human circadian system and has the potential to produce benefits for public health and safety.
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Allada
- From the Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston (R.A.), and the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago (J.B.) - both in Illinois
| | - Joseph Bass
- From the Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston (R.A.), and the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago (J.B.) - both in Illinois
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Moshammer H, Poteser M, Kundi M, Lemmerer K, Weitensfelder L, Wallner P, Hutter HP. Nitrogen-Dioxide Remains a Valid Air Quality Indicator. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17103733. [PMID: 32466201 PMCID: PMC7277805 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In epidemiological studies, both spatial and temporal variations in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are a robust predictor of health risks. Compared to particulate matter, the experimental evidence for harmful effects at typical ambient concentrations is less extensive and not as clear for NO2. In the wake of the “Diesel emission scandal—Dieselgate”, the scientific basis of current limit values for ambient NO2 concentrations was attacked by industry lobbyists. It was argued that associations between NO2 levels and medical endpoints were not causal, as NO2 in older studies served as a proxy for aggressive particulate matter from incineration processes. With the introduction of particle filters in diesel cars, NO2 would have lost its meaning as a health indicator. Austria has a high percentage of diesel-powered cars (56%). If, indeed, associations between NO2 concentrations and health risks in previous studies were only due to older engines without a particle filter, we should expect a reduction in effect estimates over time as an increasing number of diesel cars on the roads were outfitted with particle filters. In previous time series studies from Vienna over shorter time intervals, we have demonstrated distributed lag effects over days up to two weeks and previous day effects of NO2 on total mortality. In a simplified model, we now assess the effect estimates for moving 5-year periods from the beginning of NO2 monitoring in Vienna (1987) until the year 2018 of same and previous day NO2 on total daily mortality. Contrary to industry claims of a spurious, no longer valid indicator function of NO2, effect estimates remained fairly stable, indicating an increase in total mortality of previous day NO2 by 0.52% (95% CI: 0.35–0.7%) per 10 µg/m3 change in NO2 concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanns Moshammer
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
- Department of Hygiene, Medical University of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, Nukus 230100, Uzbekistan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-1-40160-34935
| | - Michael Poteser
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
| | - Michael Kundi
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
| | - Kathrin Lemmerer
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
| | - Lisbeth Weitensfelder
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
| | - Peter Wallner
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
| | - Hans-Peter Hutter
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.P.); (M.K.); (K.L.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.-P.H.)
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