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Pouri N, Karimi B, Kolivand A, Mirhoseini SH. Ambient dust pollution with all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168945. [PMID: 38042201 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168945] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
A severe health crisis has been well-documented regarding dust particle exposure. We aimed to present the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality due to particulate matter (PM) exposure during non-dust and dust storm events by performing a meta-analysis. A systematic review of the literature was conducted by an online search of the databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed) with no restrictions according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines until December 2022. We performed a random-effects model to compute the pooled rate ratio (RR) of mortality with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) risk of bias rating tool was prepared to assess the quality of the individual study. The registration number in PROSPERO was CRD42023423212. We found a 16 % (95 % CI: 0.7 %, 24 %) increase in all-cause, 25 % (95 % CI: 14 %, 37 %) increase in cardiovascular, and 18 % (95 % CI: 13 %, 22 %) increase in respiratory mortality per 10 μg/m3 increment in dust exposure. Furthermore, the RRs per 10 μg/m3 increment in PM10-2.5 were 1.046 (95 % CI: 1.019, 1.072)¸ 1.085 (95 % CI: 1.045, 1.0124), and 1.089 (95 % CI: 0.939, 1.24) for all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. PM10 during dust days significantly increased the all-cause (1.013, 95 % CI: 1.007, 1.018) cardiovascular mortality risk (1.014, 95 % CI: 1.009, 1.02). We also found significant evidence for all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality among females and the elderly age group due to dust particle (PM10-2.5 and PM10) exposure. Our results provided significant evidence about high concentrations of PM10-2.5 and PM10 during dust storm events related to mortality risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasrin Pouri
- Students Research Committee, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Behrooz Karimi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
| | - Ali Kolivand
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Seyed Hamed Mirhoseini
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
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2
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Alonso-Pérez S, López-Solano J. Long-Term Analysis of Aerosol Concentrations Using a Low-Cost Sensor: Monitoring African Dust Outbreaks in a Suburban Environment in the Canary Islands. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7768. [PMID: 37765825 PMCID: PMC10535801 DOI: 10.3390/s23187768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the results of the long-term monitoring of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations using a low-cost particle sensor installed in a suburban environment in the Canary Islands. A laser-scattering Nova Fitness SDS011 sensor was operated continuously for approximately three and a half years, which is longer than most other studies using this type of sensor. The impact of African dust outbreaks on the aerosol concentrations was assessed, showing a significant increase in both PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations during the outbreaks. Additionally, a good correlation was found with a nearby reference instrument of the air quality network of the Canary Islands' government. The correlation between the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, the effect of relative humidity, and the stability of the sensor were also investigated. This study highlights the potential of this kind of sensor for long-term air quality monitoring with a view to developing extensive and dense low-cost air quality networks that are complementary to official air quality networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Alonso-Pérez
- Departamento. de Ingeniería Industrial, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier López-Solano
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center, AEMET, 38001 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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3
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Miranda S, Marchal S, Cumps L, Dierckx J, Krüger M, Grimm D, Baatout S, Tabury K, Baselet B. A Dusty Road for Astronauts. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1921. [PMID: 37509559 PMCID: PMC10377461 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071921] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The lunar dust problem was first formulated in 1969 with NASA's first successful mission to land a human being on the surface of the Moon. Subsequent Apollo missions failed to keep the dust at bay, so exposure to the dust was unavoidable. In 1972, Harrison Schmitt suffered a brief sneezing attack, red eyes, an itchy throat, and congested sinuses in response to lunar dust. Some additional Apollo astronauts also reported allergy-like symptoms after tracking dust into the lunar module. Immediately following the Apollo missions, research into the toxic effects of lunar dust on the respiratory system gained a lot of interest. Moreover, researchers believed other organ systems might be at risk, including the skin and cornea. Secondary effects could translocate to the cardiovascular system, the immune system, and the brain. With current intentions to return humans to the moon and establish a semi-permanent presence on or near the moon's surface, integrated, end-to-end dust mitigation strategies are needed to enable sustainable lunar presence and architecture. The characteristics and formation of Martian dust are different from lunar dust, but advances in the research of lunar dust toxicity, mitigation, and protection strategies can prove strategic for future operations on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Miranda
- Radiobiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Shannon Marchal
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lina Cumps
- Radiobiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jenne Dierckx
- Radiobiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marcus Krüger
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Research Group "Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen" (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Grimm
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Research Group "Magdeburger Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Forschung unter Raumfahrt- und Schwerelosigkeitsbedingungen" (MARS), Otto von Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sarah Baatout
- Radiobiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kevin Tabury
- Radiobiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Bjorn Baselet
- Radiobiology Unit, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK CEN, 2400 Mol, Belgium
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4
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González-Pérez R, Poza-Guedes P, Pineda F, Galán T, Mederos-Luis E, Abel-Fernández E, Martínez MJ, Sánchez-Machín I. Molecular Mapping of Allergen Exposome among Different Atopic Phenotypes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10467. [PMID: 37445644 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change and exposure to environmental pollutants play a key role in the onset and aggravation of allergic diseases. As different climate-dependent patterns of molecular immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity have been regionally described, we sought to investigate the evolving allergen exposome in distinctive allergic phenotypes and subtropical weather conditions through a Precision Allergy Molecular Diagnosis (PAMD@) model. Concurrent sensitization to several house dust mites (HDM) and storage mite molecules were broadly dominant in the investigated cohort, followed by the major cat allergen Fel d 1, and regardless of the basal allergic disease. Although a complex repertoire of allergens was recognized, a steadily increasing number of IgE binding molecules was associated with the complexity of the underlying atopic disease. Besides the highly prevalent IgE responses to major HDM allergens, Der p 21, Der p 5, and Der p 7 also showed up as serodominant molecules, especially in subjects bothered by asthma and atopic dermatitis. The accurate characterization of the external exposome at the molecular level and their putative role as clinically relevant allergens is essential to elucidate the phenotypic diversity of atopic disease in terms of personalized diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruperto González-Pérez
- Allergy Department, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
- Severe Asthma Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
| | - Paloma Poza-Guedes
- Allergy Department, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
- Severe Asthma Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Tania Galán
- Inmunotek SL Laboratories, 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Mederos-Luis
- Allergy Department, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
| | | | | | - Inmaculada Sánchez-Machín
- Allergy Department, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
- Allergen Immunotherapy Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Tenerife, Spain
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5
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Milford C, Torres C, Vilches J, Gossman AK, Weis F, Suárez-Molina D, García OE, Prats N, Barreto Á, García RD, Bustos JJ, Marrero CL, Ramos R, Chinea N, Boulesteix T, Taquet N, Rodríguez S, López-Darias J, Sicard M, Córdoba-Jabonero C, Cuevas E. Impact of the 2021 La Palma volcanic eruption on air quality: Insights from a multidisciplinary approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161652. [PMID: 36693573 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The La Palma 2021 volcanic eruption was the first subaerial eruption in a 50-year period in the Canary Islands (Spain), emitting ~1.8 Tg of sulphur dioxide (SO2) into the troposphere over nearly 3 months (19 September-13 December 2021), exceeding the total anthropogenic SO2 emitted from the 27 European Union countries in 2019. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of the 2021 volcanic eruption on air quality (SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations) utilising a multidisciplinary approach, combining ground and satellite-based measurements with height-resolved aerosol and meteorological information. High concentrations of SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were observed in La Palma (hourly mean SO2 up to ~2600 μg m-3 and also sporadically at ~140 km distance on the island of Tenerife (> 7700 μg m-3) in the free troposphere. PM10 and PM2.5 daily mean concentrations in La Palma peaked at ~380 and 60 μg m-3. Volcanic aerosols and desert dust both impacted the lower troposphere in a similar height range (~ 0-6 km) during the eruption, providing a unique opportunity to study the combined effect of both natural phenomena. The impact of the 2021 volcanic eruption on SO2 and PM concentrations was strongly influenced by the magnitude of the volcanic emissions, the injection height, the vertical stratification of the atmosphere and its seasonal dynamics. Mean daily SO2 concentrations increased during the eruption, from 38 μg m-3 (Phase I) to 92 μg m-3 (Phase II), showing an opposite temporal trend to mean daily SO2 emissions, which decreased from 34 kt (Phase I) to 7 kt (Phase II). The results of this study are relevant for emergency preparedness in all international areas at risk of volcanic eruptions; a multidisciplinary approach is key to understand the processes by which volcanic eruptions affect air quality and to mitigate and minimise impacts on the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Milford
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Carlos Torres
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Jon Vilches
- Department of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning, Canary Islands Government, Spain
| | | | | | - David Suárez-Molina
- Delegation of AEMET in the Canary Islands (DTCAN), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Spain
| | - Omaira E García
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Natalia Prats
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - África Barreto
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Rosa D García
- TRAGSATEC, Madrid, Spain; Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Juan J Bustos
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carlos L Marrero
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ramón Ramos
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Thomas Boulesteix
- Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Noémie Taquet
- Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Sergio Rodríguez
- Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Jessica López-Darias
- Analytical Chemistry Department, La Laguna University, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Department of Life and Earth Sciences, Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Michaël Sicard
- CommSensLab, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain; CTE-CRAE/IEEC, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain; Laboratoire de l'Atmosphère et des Cyclones (LACy), Université de La Réunion, Saint Denis, France
| | | | - Emilio Cuevas
- Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), Tenerife, Spain.
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6
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Rodríguez-Arias RM, Rojo J, Fernández-González F, Pérez-Badia R. Desert dust intrusions and their incidence on airborne biological content. Review and case study in the Iberian Peninsula. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 316:120464. [PMID: 36273688 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120464] [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: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Desert dust intrusions cause the transport of airborne particulate matter from natural sources, with important consequences for climate regulation, biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and dynamics, human health, and socio-economic activities. Some effects of desert intrusions are reinforced or aggravated by the bioaerosol content of the air during these episodes. The influence of desert intrusions on airborne bioaerosol content has been very little studied from a scientific point of view. In this study, a systematic review of scientific literature during 1970-2021 was carried out following the standard protocol Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). After this literature review, only 6% of the articles on airborne transport from desert areas published in the last 50 years are in some way associated with airborne pollen, and of these, only a small proportion focus on the study of pollen-related parameters. The Iberian Peninsula is affected by Saharan intrusions due to its proximity to the African continent and is seeing an increasing trend the number of intrusion events. There is a close relationship among the conditions favouring the occurrence of intrusion episodes, the transport of particulate matter, and the transport of bioaerosols such as pollen grains, spores, or bacteria. The lack of linearity in this relationship and the different seasonal patterns in the occurrence of intrusion events and the pollen season of most plants hinders the study of the correspondence between both phenomena. It is therefore important to analyse the proportion of pollen that comes from regional sources and the proportion that travels over long distances, and the atmospheric conditions that cause greater pollen emission during dust episodes. Current advances in aerobiological techniques make it possible to identify bioaerosols such as pollen and spores that serve as indicators of long-distance transport from remote areas belonging to other bioclimatic and biogeographical units. A greater incidence of desert intrusion episodes may pose a challenge for both traditional systems and for the calibration and correct validation of automatic aerobiological monitoring methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Rodríguez-Arias
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany), Toledo, Spain
| | - J Rojo
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Fernández-González
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany), Toledo, Spain
| | - R Pérez-Badia
- University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Environmental Sciences (Botany), Toledo, Spain.
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7
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Dione C, Talib J, Bwaka AM, Kamga AF, Bita Fouda AA, Hirons L, Latt A, Thompson E, Lingani C, Savatia Indasi V, Adefisan EA, Woolnough SJ. Improved sub-seasonal forecasts to support preparedness action for meningitis outbreak in Africa. CLIMATE SERVICES 2022; 28:100326. [PMID: 36504524 PMCID: PMC9729499 DOI: 10.1016/j.cliser.2022.100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
West African countries are hit annually by meningitis outbreaks which occur during the dry season and are linked to atmospheric variability. This paper describes an innovative co-production process between the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD; forecast producer) and the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO; forecast user) to support awareness, preparedness and response actions for meningitis outbreaks. Using sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) forecasts, this co-production enables ACMAD and WHO AFRO to build initiative that increases the production of useful climate services in the health sector. Temperature and relative humidity forecasts are combined with dust forecasts to operationalize a meningitis early warning system (MEWS) across the African meningitis belt with a two-week lead time. To prevent and control meningitis, the MEWS is produced from week 1 to 26 of the year. This study demonstrates that S2S forecasts have good skill at predicting dry and warm atmospheric conditions precede meningitis outbreaks. Vigilance levels objectively defined within the MEWS are consistent with reported cases of meningitis. Alongside developing a MEWS, the co-production process provided a framework for analysis of climate and environmental risks based on reanalysis data, meningitis burden, and health service assessment, to support the development of a qualitative roadmap of country prioritization for defeating meningitis by 2030 across the WHO African region. The roadmap has enabled the identification of countries most vulnerable to meningitis epidemics, and in the context of climate change, supports plans for preventing, preparing, and responding to meningitis outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheikh Dione
- African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niamey, Niger
| | - Joshua Talib
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Wallingford, United Kingdom
| | - Ado M. Bwaka
- World Health Organization, Intercountry Support Team, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - André F. Kamga
- African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niamey, Niger
| | | | - Linda Hirons
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), University of Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Anderson Latt
- World Health Organization, Emergencies hub Dakar, Senegal
| | - Elisabeth Thompson
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), University of Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Clement Lingani
- World Health Organization, Intercountry Support Team, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Victor Savatia Indasi
- African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niamey, Niger
| | - Elijah A. Adefisan
- African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niamey, Niger
| | - Steve J. Woolnough
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), University of Reading, United Kingdom
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8
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Monteiro A, Basart S, Kazadzis S, Votsis A, Gkikas A, Vandenbussche S, Tobias A, Gama C, García-Pando CP, Terradellas E, Notas G, Middleton N, Kushta J, Amiridis V, Lagouvardos K, Kosmopoulos P, Kotroni V, Kanakidou M, Mihalopoulos N, Kalivitis N, Dagsson-Waldhauserová P, El-Askary H, Sievers K, Giannaros T, Mona L, Hirtl M, Skomorowski P, Virtanen TH, Christoudias T, Di Mauro B, Trippetta S, Kutuzov S, Meinander O, Nickovic S. Multi-sectoral impact assessment of an extreme African dust episode in the Eastern Mediterranean in March 2018. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:156861. [PMID: 35750162 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In late March 2018, a large part of the Eastern Mediterranean experienced an extraordinary episode of African dust, one of the most intense in recent years, here referred to as the "Minoan Red" event. The episode mainly affected the Greek island of Crete, where the highest aerosol concentrations over the past 15 yeas were recorded, although impacts were also felt well beyond this core area. Our study fills a gap in dust research by assessing the multi-sectoral impacts of sand and dust storms and their socioeconomic implications. Specifically, we provide a multi-sectoral impact assessment of Crete during the occurrence of this exceptional African dust event. During the day of the occurrence of the maximum dust concentration in Crete, i.e. March 22nd, 2018, we identified impacts on meteorological conditions, agriculture, transport, energy, society (including closing of schools and cancellation of social events), and emergency response systems. As a result, the event led to a 3-fold increase in daily emergency responses compare to previous days associated with urban emergencies and wildfires, a 3.5-fold increase in hospital visits and admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations and dyspnoea, a reduction of visibility causing aircraft traffic disruptions (eleven cancellations and seven delays), and a reduction of solar energy production. We estimate the cost of direct and indirect effects of the dust episode, considering the most affected socio-economic sectors (e.g. civil protection, aviation, health and solar energy production), to be between 3.4 and 3.8 million EUR for Crete. Since such desert dust transport episodes are natural, meteorology-driven and thus to a large extent unavoidable, we argue that the efficiency of actions to mitigate dust impacts depends on the accuracy of operational dust forecasting and the implementation of relevant early warning systems for social awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Monteiro
- CESAM & Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Sara Basart
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stelios Kazadzis
- Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Switzerland
| | - Athanasios Votsis
- Dept. of Governance and Technology for Sustainability, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands; Climate Change and Society, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antonis Gkikas
- IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Aurelio Tobias
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Carla Gama
- CESAM & Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Carlos Pérez García-Pando
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - George Notas
- School of Medicine and University Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nick Middleton
- St Anne's College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HS, United Kingdom
| | - Jonilda Kushta
- Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | | | - Kostas Lagouvardos
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Panagiotis Kosmopoulos
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Vasiliki Kotroni
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Maria Kanakidou
- Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikos Mihalopoulos
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece; Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikos Kalivitis
- IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Athens, Greece; Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Chemistry Department, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Pavla Dagsson-Waldhauserová
- Agricultural University of Iceland, Keldnaholt, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 165 21, Czech Republic
| | - Hesham El-Askary
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21522, Egypt
| | - Klaus Sievers
- ZAMG - Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, Austria
| | - T Giannaros
- Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens (IERSD/NOA), Greece
| | - Lucia Mona
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA), Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy
| | - Marcus Hirtl
- ZAMG - Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, Austria
| | - Paul Skomorowski
- ZAMG - Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Wien, Austria
| | - Timo H Virtanen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Climate Research, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Theodoros Christoudias
- Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C), The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Biagio Di Mauro
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Italy, Milano, Italy
| | - Serena Trippetta
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA), Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy
| | - Stanislav Kutuzov
- Dept. of Glaciology, Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia; Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russia
| | - Outi Meinander
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Climate Research, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
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9
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Morawska L, Zhu T, Liu N, Amouei Torkmahalleh M, de Fatima Andrade M, Barratt B, Broomandi P, Buonanno G, Carlos Belalcazar Ceron L, Chen J, Cheng Y, Evans G, Gavidia M, Guo H, Hanigan I, Hu M, Jeong CH, Kelly F, Gallardo L, Kumar P, Lyu X, Mullins BJ, Nordstrøm C, Pereira G, Querol X, Yezid Rojas Roa N, Russell A, Thompson H, Wang H, Wang L, Wang T, Wierzbicka A, Xue T, Ye C. The state of science on severe air pollution episodes: Quantitative and qualitative analysis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 156:106732. [PMID: 34197974 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Severe episodic air pollution blankets entire cities and regions and have a profound impact on humans and their activities. We compiled daily fine particle (PM2.5) data from 100 cities in five continents, investigated the trends of number, frequency, and duration of pollution episodes, and compared these with the baseline trend in air pollution. We showed that the factors contributing to these events are complex; however, long-term measures to abate emissions from all anthropogenic sources at all times is also the most efficient way to reduce the occurrence of severe air pollution events. In the short term, accurate forecasting systems of such events based on the meteorological conditions favouring their occurrence, together with effective emergency mitigation of anthropogenic sources, may lessen their magnitude and/or duration. However, there is no clear way of preventing events caused by natural sources affected by climate change, such as wildfires and desert dust outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; Global Centre for Clean Air Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | - Tong Zhu
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Nairui Liu
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh
- Chemical and Aerosol Research Team, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; The Environment and Resource Efficiency Cluster, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Maria de Fatima Andrade
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG), University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Benjamin Barratt
- Department of Environmental Health, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Parya Broomandi
- Chemical and Aerosol Research Team, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; School of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Masjed Soleiman Branch, Iran
| | - Giorgio Buonanno
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, Queensland University Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy
| | | | - Jianmin Chen
- Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
| | - Greg Evans
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Mario Gavidia
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG), University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Hai Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ivan Hanigan
- The University of Sydney, University Centre for Rural Health, School of Public Health, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheol H Jeong
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Frank Kelly
- Department of Environmental Health, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Gallardo
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2) and Departamento de Geofísica, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Chile
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaopu Lyu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Benjamin J Mullins
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Claus Nordstrøm
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Gavin Pereira
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nestor Yezid Rojas Roa
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
| | - Armistead Russell
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Helen Thompson
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Hao Wang
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Aneta Wierzbicka
- Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tao Xue
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Celine Ye
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Peking University, Beijing, China
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10
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Abstract
In this study, we performed a diagnostic and evolutive analysis of the bioclimatology of the Canary Islands, an Atlantic archipelago where the climate itself is a main feature promoting tourism. Among all the tourist-climate indices described in the literature, we evaluated the most widely used, which is the Tourism Climate Index (TCI) proposed by Mieczkowski (1985). Monthly mean TCI time series were calculated using meteorological data from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency database and the European Climate Assessment and Dataset. Our results show TCI values greater than 50 during almost every month in the period 1950–2018, with mean values over the entire time series between 70 and 80. According to the TCI classification scheme, these values correspond to a very good thermal comfort along all of the period. Our results also point to spring as the season with the best TCI, with maximum values around 80 for this index in April—excellent according to the TCI classification. However, we did not find a correlation between inbound arrivals and the TCI index, which might point to a lack of information available to tourists. This opens an opportunity for policymakers and tour operators to better publicize the best seasons for holidays in the islands.
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11
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Ebrahimi-Khusfi Z, Nafarzadegan AR, Khosroshahi M. Using multivariate adaptive regression splines and extremely randomized trees algorithms to predict dust events frequency around an international wetland and prioritize its drivers. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:437. [PMID: 34159451 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09198-5] [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: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and extremely randomized trees (ERT) models for predicting the internal and external dust events frequencies (DEF) across the northeastern and southwestern regions of the Gavkhouni International Wetland. These models were also evaluated to model the internal DEF (IDEF) across the northwestern, southeastern, northern, and western regions around the wetland. Furthermore, the main factors controlling DEF and IDEF were identified based on the importance value (IV) of predictors in the best model. The results showed that the ERT model increased the prediction accuracies by an average of 40%, compared to the MARS model. According to the IV obtained from the ERT model, aerosol optical depth (IV = 0.28), wetland discharge (IV = 0.25), near-surface wind speed (IV = 0.08), and erosive winds frequency (IV = 0.07) were identified as the most important factors controlling DEF across the northeastern and southwestern regions of the wetland. However, the erosive wind speed was detected as the major factor affecting the IDEF in the northern (IV = 0.16), western (IV = 0.18), and southeastern (IV = 0.65) regions of study wetland. It was also found that vapor pressure with IV of 0.32 had the greatest effect on IDEF variations across the northwestern region of the wetland. Overall, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the ERT model in modeling the factors affecting DEF and IDEF, and the results may be used to mitigate dust events hazards around the Gavkhouni Wetland, in central Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohre Ebrahimi-Khusfi
- Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran.
| | - Ali Reza Nafarzadegan
- Department of Natural Resources Engineering, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Khosroshahi
- Desert Research Division, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran
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