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Buford M, Lacher S, Slattery M, Levings DC, Postma B, Holian A, Migliaccio C. A mouse model of wildfire smoke-induced health effects: sex differences in acute and sustained effects of inhalation exposures. Inhal Toxicol 2024; 36:367-377. [PMID: 38769076 PMCID: PMC11298299 DOI: 10.1080/08958378.2024.2354398] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Due to climate change, wildfires have increased in intensity and duration. While wildfires threaten lives directly, the smoke has more far-reaching adverse health impacts. During an extreme 2017 wildfire event, residents of Seeley Lake, Montana were exposed to unusually high levels of wood smoke (WS) causing sustained effects on lung function (decreased FEV1/FVC). Objective: The present study utilized an animal model of WS exposure to research cellular and molecular mechanisms of the resulting health effects. Methods: Mice were exposed to inhaled WS utilizing locally harvested wood to recapitulate community exposures. WS was generated at a rate resulting in a 5 mg/m3 PM2.5 exposure for five days. Results: This exposure resulted in a similar 0.28 mg/m2 particle deposition (lung surface area) in mice that was calculated for human exposure. As with the community observations, there was a significant effect on lung function, increased resistance, and decreased compliance, that was more pronounced in males at an extended (2 months) timepoint and males were more affected than females: ex vivo assays illustrated changes to alveolar macrophage functions (increased TNFα secretion and decreased efferocytosis). Female mice had significantly elevated IL-33 levels in lungs, however, pretreatment of male mice with IL-33 resulted in an abrogation of the observed WS effects, suggesting a dose-dependent role of IL-33. Additionally, there were greater immunotoxic effects in male mice. Discussion: These findings replicated the outcomes in humans and suggest that IL-33 is involved in a mechanism of the adverse effects of WS exposures that inform on potential sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Buford
- University of Montana, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Missoula, MT
| | - Sarah Lacher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN
| | - Matthew Slattery
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN
| | - Daniel C. Levings
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN
| | - Britten Postma
- University of Montana, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Missoula, MT
| | - Andrij Holian
- University of Montana, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Missoula, MT
| | - Chris Migliaccio
- University of Montana, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Missoula, MT
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2
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Connolly R, Marlier ME, Garcia-Gonzales DA, Wilkins J, Su J, Bekker C, Jung J, Bonilla E, Burnett RT, Zhu Y, Jerrett M. Mortality attributable to PM 2.5 from wildland fires in California from 2008 to 2018. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl1252. [PMID: 38848356 PMCID: PMC11160451 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
In California, wildfire risk and severity have grown substantially in the last several decades. Research has characterized extensive adverse health impacts from exposure to wildfire-attributable fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but few studies have quantified long-term outcomes, and none have used a wildfire-specific chronic dose-response mortality coefficient. Here, we quantified the mortality burden for PM2.5 exposure from California fires from 2008 to 2018 using Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system wildland fire PM2.5 estimates. We used a concentration-response function for PM2.5, applying ZIP code-level mortality data and an estimated wildfire-specific dose-response coefficient accounting for the likely toxicity of wildfire smoke. We estimate a total of 52,480 to 55,710 premature deaths are attributable to wildland fire PM2.5 over the 11-year period with respect to two exposure scenarios, equating to an economic impact of $432 to $456 billion. These findings extend evidence on climate-related health impacts, suggesting that wildfires account for a greater mortality and economic burden than indicated by earlier studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Connolly
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Luskin Center for Innovation, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Miriam E. Marlier
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diane A. Garcia-Gonzales
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Wilkins
- Department of Earth, Environment and Equity, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jason Su
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Claire Bekker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jihoon Jung
- Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Eimy Bonilla
- Department of Earth, Environment and Equity, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Richard T. Burnett
- Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Yifang Zhu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Jerrett
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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3
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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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4
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Blum OE, DeBlauw JA, Greaves LM, Shostak ES, Ives SJ. Environmental exposure to wildfire smoke may reduce microvascular oxygenation during graded handgrip exercise: A case series. Physiol Rep 2024; 12:e16120. [PMID: 39031617 PMCID: PMC11189769 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.16120] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildfire smoke (WFS) is an urgent and rapidly growing threat to global health. Aside from obvious threats to pulmonary function, increases in cardiac abnormalities or myocardial infarction have been documented during WF season, but little is known about the effects of WFS on cardiovascular health. We investigated the effect of nonoccupational WFS exposure on cardiovascular and pulmonary function at rest and during graded handgrip exercise through a case series of young, healthy adults (n = 4, 25 ± 6 years) assessed after ≥3 days of bad or good air quality. Peripheral and estimated central blood pressures, vascular stiffness, and microvascular function (Near infrared spectroscopy, NIRS) were assessed at rest, and during rhythmic handgrip exercise. WFS did not appear to alter resting peripheral, central BP, or vascular stiffness (all, p > 0.05). Slope 1 and slope 2 from the NIRS-vascular occlusion test (NIRS-VOT) were not different between conditions (p > 0.05). The change in SmO2 during exercise was lower (p = 0.02,η p 2 $$ {\eta}_{\mathrm{p}}^2 $$ = 0.62) with bad air quality. These preliminary findings suggest modest effects of environmental WFS exposure on muscle microvascular function during exercise in healthy adults. Future work is needed to elucidate the physiological changes with WFS exposure and the increased risk of cardiovascular events, perhaps exacerbated through physical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver E. Blum
- Department of Health and Human Physiological SciencesSkidmore CollegeSaratoga SpringsNew YorkUSA
| | - Justin A. DeBlauw
- Department of Health and Human Physiological SciencesSkidmore CollegeSaratoga SpringsNew YorkUSA
| | - Lauren M. Greaves
- Department of Health and Human Physiological SciencesSkidmore CollegeSaratoga SpringsNew YorkUSA
| | - Elena S. Shostak
- Department of Health and Human Physiological SciencesSkidmore CollegeSaratoga SpringsNew YorkUSA
| | - Stephen J. Ives
- Department of Health and Human Physiological SciencesSkidmore CollegeSaratoga SpringsNew YorkUSA
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5
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Jiang M, Hu CJ, Rowe CL, Kang H, Gong X, Dagucon CP, Wang J, Lin Y, Sood A, Guo Y, Zhu Y, Alexis NE, Gilliland FD, Belinsky SA, Yu X, Leng S. Application of artificial intelligence in quantifying lung deposition dose of black carbon in people with exposure to ambient combustion particles. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024; 34:529-537. [PMID: 37848612 PMCID: PMC11021374 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00607-0] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding lung deposition dose of black carbon is critical to fully reconcile epidemiological evidence of combustion particles induced health effects and inform the development of air quality metrics concerning black carbon. Macrophage carbon load (MaCL) is a novel cytology method that quantifies lung deposition dose of black carbon, however it has limited feasibility in large-scale epidemiological study due to the labor-intensive manual counting. OBJECTIVE To assess the association between MaCL and episodic elevation of combustion particles; to develop artificial intelligence based counting algorithm for MaCL assay. METHODS Sputum slides were collected during episodic elevation of ambient PM2.5 (n = 49, daily PM2.5 > 10 µg/m3 for over 2 weeks due to wildfire smoke intrusion in summer and local wood burning in winter) and low PM2.5 period (n = 39, 30-day average PM2.5 < 4 µg/m3) from the Lovelace Smokers cohort. RESULTS Over 98% individual carbon particles in macrophages had diameter <1 µm. MaCL levels scored manually were highly responsive to episodic elevation of ambient PM2.5 and also correlated with lung injury biomarker, plasma CC16. The association with CC16 became more robust when the assessment focused on macrophages with higher carbon load. A Machine-Learning algorithm for Engulfed cArbon Particles (MacLEAP) was developed based on the Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network. MacLEAP algorithm yielded excellent correlations with manual counting for number and area of the particles. The algorithm produced associations with ambient PM2.5 and plasma CC16 that were nearly identical in magnitude to those obtained through manual counting. IMPACT STATEMENT Understanding lung black carbon deposition is crucial for comprehending health effects of combustion particles. We developed "Machine-Learning algorithm for Engulfed cArbon Particles (MacLEAP)", the first artificial intelligence algorithm for quantifying airway macrophage black carbon. Our study bolstered the algorithm with more training images and its first use in air pollution epidemiology. We revealed macrophage carbon load as a sensitive biomarker for heightened ambient combustion particles due to wildfires and residential wood burning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghui Jiang
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Chelin Jamie Hu
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico College of Nursing, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Cassie L Rowe
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Huining Kang
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Xi Gong
- Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Jialiang Wang
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Yan Lin
- Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Akshay Sood
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Miners Colfax Medical Center, Raton, NM, USA
| | - Yan Guo
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Yiliang Zhu
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Neil E Alexis
- Center for Environmental Medicine Asthma and Lung Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Frank D Gilliland
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven A Belinsky
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Lung Cancer Program, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Xiaozhong Yu
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico College of Nursing, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Shuguang Leng
- School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
- Lung Cancer Program, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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Johnston FH, Williamson G, Borchers-Arriagada N, Henderson SB, Bowman DMJS. Climate Change, Landscape Fires, and Human Health: A Global Perspective. Annu Rev Public Health 2024; 45:295-314. [PMID: 38166500 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060222-034131] [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] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Landscape fires are an integral component of the Earth system and a feature of prehistoric, subsistence, and industrial economies. Specific spatiotemporal patterns of landscape fire occur in different locations around the world, shaped by the interactions between environmental and human drivers of fire activity. Seven distinct types of landscape fire emerge from these interactions: remote area fires, wildfire disasters, savanna fires, Indigenous burning, prescribed burning, agricultural burning, and deforestation fires. All can have substantial impacts on human health and well-being directly and indirectly through (a) exposure to heat flux (e.g., injuries and destructive impacts), (b) emissions (e.g., smoke-related health impacts), and (c) altered ecosystem functioning (e.g., biodiversity, amenity, water quality, and climate impacts). Minimizing the adverse effects of landscape fires on population health requires understanding how human and environmental influences on fire impacts can be modified through interventions targeted at individual, community, and regional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia;
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre for Safe Air, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Grant Williamson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre for Safe Air, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Sarah B Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David M J S Bowman
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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Landguth EL, Knudson J, Graham J, Orr A, Coyle EA, Smith P, Semmens EO, Noonan C. Seasonal extreme temperatures and short-term fine particulate matter increases pediatric respiratory healthcare encounters in a sparsely populated region of the intermountain western United States. Environ Health 2024; 23:40. [PMID: 38622704 PMCID: PMC11017546 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01082-2] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Western Montana, USA, experiences complex air pollution patterns with predominant exposure sources from summer wildfire smoke and winter wood smoke. In addition, climate change related temperatures events are becoming more extreme and expected to contribute to increases in hospital admissions for a range of health outcomes. Evaluating while accounting for these exposures (air pollution and temperature) that often occur simultaneously and may act synergistically on health is becoming more important. METHODS We explored short-term exposure to air pollution on children's respiratory health outcomes and how extreme temperature or seasonal period modify the risk of air pollution-associated healthcare events. The main outcome measure included individual-based address located respiratory-related healthcare visits for three categories: asthma, lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) across western Montana for ages 0-17 from 2017-2020. We used a time-stratified, case-crossover analysis with distributed lag models to identify sensitive exposure windows of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) lagged from 0 (same-day) to 14 prior-days modified by temperature or season. RESULTS For asthma, increases of 1 µg/m3 in PM2.5 exposure 7-13 days prior a healthcare visit date was associated with increased odds that were magnified during median to colder temperatures and winter periods. For LRTIs, 1 µg/m3 increases during 12 days of cumulative PM2.5 with peak exposure periods between 6-12 days before healthcare visit date was associated with elevated LRTI events, also heightened in median to colder temperatures but no seasonal effect was observed. For URTIs, 1 unit increases during 13 days of cumulative PM2.5 with peak exposure periods between 4-10 days prior event date was associated with greater risk for URTIs visits that were intensified during median to hotter temperatures and spring to summer periods. CONCLUSIONS Delayed, short-term exposure increases of PM2.5 were associated with elevated odds of all three pediatric respiratory healthcare visit categories in a sparsely population area of the inter-Rocky Mountains, USA. PM2.5 in colder temperatures tended to increase instances of asthma and LRTIs, while PM2.5 during hotter periods increased URTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Landguth
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
| | - Jonathon Knudson
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Jon Graham
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
- Mathematical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, USA
| | - Ava Orr
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Emily A Coyle
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Paul Smith
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
- Pediatric Pulmonology, Community Medical Center, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Erin O Semmens
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Curtis Noonan
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
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Bowman WS, Schmidt RJ, Sanghar GK, Thompson Iii GR, Ji H, Zeki AA, Haczku A. "Air That Once Was Breath" Part 2: Wildfire Smoke and Airway Disease - "Climate Change, Allergy and Immunology" Special IAAI Article Collection: Collegium Internationale Allergologicum Update 2023. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2024; 185:617-630. [PMID: 38527432 DOI: 10.1159/000536576] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Population growth and climate change have led to more frequent and larger wildfires, increasing the exposure of individuals to wildfire smoke. Notably, asthma exacerbations and allergic airway sensitization are prominent outcomes of such exposure. SUMMARY Key research questions relate to determining the precise impact on individuals with asthma, including the severity, duration, and long-term consequences of exacerbations. Identifying specific risk factors contributing to vulnerability, such as age, genetics, comorbidities, or environmental factors, is crucial. Additionally, reliable biomarkers for predicting severe exacerbations need exploration. Understanding the long-term health effects of repeated wildfire smoke exposures in individuals with asthma and addressing healthcare disparities are important research areas. KEY MESSAGES This review discusses the need for comprehensive research efforts to better grasp wildfire smoke-induced respiratory health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as farmworkers, firefighters, pregnant women, children, the elderly, and marginalized communities. Effective mitigation would require addressing the current limitations we face by supporting research aimed at a better understanding of wildfire smoke-induced airway disease.
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Casey JA, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Padula A, González DJX, Elser H, Aguilera R, Northrop AJ, Tartof SY, Mayeda ER, Braun D, Dominici F, Eisen EA, Morello-Frosch R, Benmarhnia T. Measuring long-term exposure to wildfire PM 2.5 in California: Time-varying inequities in environmental burden. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2306729121. [PMID: 38349877 PMCID: PMC10895344 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306729121] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildfires have become more frequent and intense due to climate change and outdoor wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations differ from relatively smoothly varying total PM2.5. Thus, we introduced a conceptual model for computing long-term wildfire PM2.5 and assessed disproportionate exposures among marginalized communities. We used monitoring data and statistical techniques to characterize annual wildfire PM2.5 exposure based on intermittent and extreme daily wildfire PM2.5 concentrations in California census tracts (2006 to 2020). Metrics included: 1) weeks with wildfire PM2.5 < 5 μg/m3; 2) days with non-zero wildfire PM2.5; 3) mean wildfire PM2.5 during peak exposure week; 4) smoke waves (≥2 consecutive days with <15 μg/m3 wildfire PM2.5); and 5) mean annual wildfire PM2.5 concentration. We classified tracts by their racial/ethnic composition and CalEnviroScreen (CES) score, an environmental and social vulnerability composite measure. We examined associations of CES and racial/ethnic composition with the wildfire PM2.5 metrics using mixed-effects models. Averaged 2006 to 2020, we detected little difference in exposure by CES score or racial/ethnic composition, except for non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native populations, where a 1-SD increase was associated with higher exposure for 4/5 metrics. CES or racial/ethnic × year interaction term models revealed exposure disparities in some years. Compared to their California-wide representation, the exposed populations of non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (1.68×, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.81), white (1.13×, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.32), and multiracial (1.06×, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.23) people were over-represented from 2006 to 2020. In conclusion, during our study period in California, we detected disproportionate long-term wildfire PM2.5 exposure for several racial/ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan A. Casey
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY10032
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA98195
| | | | - Amy Padula
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - David J. X. González
- Department of Environmental Policy, Science, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA94704
| | - Holly Elser
- Department of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Rosana Aguilera
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92037
| | | | - Sara Y. Tartof
- Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA91101
| | - Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Danielle Braun
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA02215
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Ellen A. Eisen
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA94704
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Policy, Science, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA94704
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92037
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10
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Landguth EL, Knudson J, Graham J, Orr A, Coyle EA, Smith P, Semmens EO, Noonan C. Seasonal extreme temperatures and short-term fine particulate matter increases child respiratory hospitalizations in a sparsely populated region of the intermountain western United States. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3438033. [PMID: 37886498 PMCID: PMC10602161 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3438033/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Background Western Montana, USA, experiences complex air pollution patterns with predominant exposure sources from summer wildfire smoke and winter wood smoke. In addition, climate change related temperatures events are becoming more extreme and expected to contribute to increases in hospital admissions for a range of health outcomes. Few studies have evaluated these exposures (air pollution and temperature) that often occur simultaneously and may act synergistically on health. Methods We explored short-term exposure to air pollution on childhood respiratory health outcomes and how extreme temperature or seasonal period modify the risk of air pollution-associated hospitalizations. The main outcome measure included all respiratory-related hospital admissions for three categories: asthma, lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) across western Montana for all individuals aged 0-17 from 2017-2020. We used a time-stratified, case-crossover analysis and distributed lag models to identify sensitive exposure windows of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) lagged from 0 (same-day) to 15 prior-days modified by temperature or season. Results Short-term exposure increases of 1 μg/m3 in PM2.5 were associated with elevated odds of all three respiratory hospital admission categories. PM2.5 was associated with the largest increased odds of hospitalizations for asthma at lag 7-13 days [1.87(1.17-2.97)], for LRTI at lag 6-12 days [2.18(1.20-3.97)], and for URTI at a cumulative lag of 13 days [1.29(1.07-1.57)]. The impact of PM2.5 varied by temperature and season for each respiratory outcome scenario. For asthma, PM2.5 was associated most strongly during colder temperatures [3.11(1.40-6.89)] and the winter season [3.26(1.07-9.95)]. Also in colder temperatures, PM2.5 was associated with increased odds of LRTI hospitalization [2.61(1.15-5.94)], but no seasonal effect was observed. Finally, 13 days of cumulative PM2.5 prior to admissions date was associated with the greatest increased odds of URTI hospitalization during summer days [3.35(1.85-6.04)] and hotter temperatures [1.71(1.31-2.22)]. Conclusions Children's respiratory-related hospital admissions were associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5. PM2.5 associations with asthma and LRTI hospitalizations were strongest during cold periods, whereas associations with URTI were largest during hot periods. Classification environmental public health, fine particulate matter air pollution, respiratory infections.
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11
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Barros B, Oliveira M, Morais S. Continent-based systematic review of the short-term health impacts of wildfire emissions. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2023; 26:387-415. [PMID: 37469022 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2023.2236548] [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: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
This review systematically gathers and provides an analysis of pollutants levels emitted from wildfire (WF) and their impact on short-term health effects of affected populations. The available literature was searched according to Population, Exposure, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design (PECOS) database defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a meta-analysis was conducted whenever possible. Data obtained through PECOS characterized information from the USA, Europe, Australia, and some Asian countries; South American countries were seldom characterized, and no data were available for Africa and Russia. Extremely high levels of pollutants, mostly of fine fraction of particulate matter (PM) and ozone, were associated with intense WF emissions in North America, Oceania, and Asia and reported to exceed several-fold the WHO guidelines. Adverse health outcomes include emergency department visits and hospital admissions for cardiorespiratory diseases as well as mortality. Despite the heterogeneity among exposure and health assessment methods, all-cause mortality, and specific-cause mortality were significantly associated with WF emissions in most of the reports. Globally, a significant association was found for all-cause respiratory outcomes including asthma, but mixed results were noted for cardiovascular-related effects. For the latter, estimates were only significant several days after WF emissions, suggesting a more delayed impact on the heart. Different research gaps are presented, including the need for the application of standardized protocols for assessment of both exposure and adverse health risks. Mitigation actions also need to be strengthened, including dedicated efforts to communicate with the affected populations, to engage them for adoption of protective behaviors and measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bela Barros
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia Do Porto, Instituto Politécnico Do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta Oliveira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia Do Porto, Instituto Politécnico Do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Simone Morais
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia Do Porto, Instituto Politécnico Do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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12
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Erb WM, Barrow EJ, Hofner AN, Lecorchick JL, Mitra Setia T, Vogel ER. Wildfire smoke linked to vocal changes in wild Bornean orangutans. iScience 2023; 26:107088. [PMID: 37456857 PMCID: PMC10339020 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical peatlands are the sites of Earth's largest fire events, with outsized contributions to greenhouse gases, toxic smoke, and haze rich with particulate matter. The human health risks from wildfire smoke are well known, but its effects on wildlife inhabiting these ecosystems are poorly understood. In 2015, peatland fires on Borneo created a thick haze of smoke that blanketed the region. We studied its effects on the long call vocalizations of four adult male Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) in a peat swamp forest. During the period of heavy smoke, orangutans called less often and showed reduced vocal quality-lower pitch, increased harshness and perturbations, and more nonlinear phenomena-similar to changes in human smokers. Most of these changes persisted for two months after the smoke had cleared and likely signal changes in health. Our work contributes valuable information to support non-invasive acoustic monitoring of this Critically Endangered primate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy M. Erb
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Barrow
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, West Kalimantan, Ketapang 78811, Indonesia
| | - Alexandra N. Hofner
- Department of Integrative Conservation, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jessica L. Lecorchick
- K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Tatang Mitra Setia
- Fakultas Biologi, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta 12520, Indonesia
- Primate Research Center, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta 12520, Indonesia
| | - Erin R. Vogel
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Center for Human Evolutionary Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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13
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Willis L, Hart J, Nagisetty R, Comstock C, Gilkey D, Autenrieth D. The application of portable air cleaners in spaces occupied by vulnerable people during wildfire events. WORLD SAFETY JOURNAL (DONIPHAN, MO.) 2023; 32:1-26. [PMID: 38370148 PMCID: PMC10873862 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8105756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
In this study, PM2.5 concentrations were collected and documented during wildfire smoke impacted days using PurpleAir PA-II sensors at three different locations in a community located in the northwestern United States. Each location was comprised of three co-located sensors with one sensor positioned outdoors, one sensor indoors, and one sensor indoors with an air cleaner in the room. The relationship between both indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations provided evidence on the effectiveness of sheltering indoors from wildfire smoke events with and without an air purification system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layne Willis
- Department of Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT 59701
| | - Julie Hart
- Department of Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT 59701
| | - Raja Nagisetty
- Environmental Engineering Department, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT 59701
| | - Clay Comstock
- Life Sciences Department, Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, MT 59855
| | - David Gilkey
- Department of Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT 59701
| | - Daniel Autenrieth
- Department of Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT 59701
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14
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Gao Y, Huang W, Yu P, Xu R, Yang Z, Gasevic D, Ye T, Guo Y, Li S. Long-term impacts of non-occupational wildfire exposure on human health: A systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 320:121041. [PMID: 36639044 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The intensity and frequency of wildfires is increasing globally. The systematic review of the current evidence on long-term impacts of non-occupational wildfire exposure on human health has not been performed yet. To provide a systematic review and identify potential knowledge gaps in the current evidence of long-term impacts of non-occupational exposure to wildfire smoke and/or wildfire impacts on human health. We conducted a systematic search of the literature via MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus from the database inception to July 05, 2022. References from the included studies and relevant reviews were also considered. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and a validated quality assessment framework were used to evaluate the quality of observational studies. Study results were synthesized descriptively. A total of 36 studies were included in our systematic review. Most studies were from developed countries (11 in Australia, 9 in Canada, 7 in the United States). Studies predominantly focused on mental health (21 studies, 58.33%), while evidence on long-term impacts of wildfire exposure on health outcomes other than mental health is limited. Current evidence indicated that long-term impacts of non-occupational wildfire exposure were associated with mortality (COVID-19 mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality and acute myocardial disease mortality), morbidity (mainly respiratory diseases), mental health disorders (mainly posttraumatic stress disorder), shorter height of children, reduced lung function and poorer general health status. However, no significant associations were observed for long-term impacts of wildfire exposure on child mortality and respiratory hospitalizations. The population-based high-quality evidence with quantitative analysis on this topic is still limited. Future well-designed studies considering extensive wildfire smoke air pollutants (e.g., particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides) and estimating risk coefficient values for extensive health outcomes (e.g., mortality, morbidity) are warranted to fill current knowledge gaps.
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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
| | - Zhengyu Yang
- 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
| | - Tingting Ye
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - 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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15
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Swanson A, Holden ZA, Graham J, Warren DA, Noonan C, Landguth E. Daily 1 km terrain resolving maps of surface fine particulate matter for the western United States 2003-2021. Sci Data 2022; 9:466. [PMID: 35918383 PMCID: PMC9345996 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01488-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed daily maps of surface fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the western United States. We used geographically weighted regression fit to air quality station observations with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, and meteorological data to produce daily 1-kilometer resolution PM2.5 concentration estimates from 2003-2020. To account for impacts of stagnant air and inversions, we included estimates of inversion strength based on meteorological conditions, and inversion potential based on human activities and local topography. Model accuracy based on cross-validation was R2 = 0.66. AOD data improve the model in summer and fall during periods of high wildfire activity while the stagnation terms capture the spatial and temporal dynamics of PM2.5 in mountain valleys, particularly during winter. These data can be used to explore exposure and health outcome impacts of PM2.5 across spatiotemporal domains particularly in the intermountain western United States where measurements from monitoring station data are sparse. Furthermore, these data may facilitate analyses of inversion impacts and local topography on exposure and health outcome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Swanson
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | | | - Jon Graham
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
- Mathematical Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - D Allen Warren
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Curtis Noonan
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Erin Landguth
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
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16
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Haymond R, Jesrani L. Wildfires: Implications for nurses. Nursing 2022; 52:17-21. [PMID: 35866853 DOI: 10.1097/01.nurse.0000839804.04081.c0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles from its source, resulting in poor air quality. Exposure to poor air quality has been associated with health risks. Nurses should be knowledgeable about such risks to provide appropriate care and education in affected communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reena Haymond
- Reena Haymond is an assistant professor at California State University, Sacramento. Lena Jesrani is a family nurse practitioner at Dignity Health Foundation-Lassen Medical in Redding, Ca
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17
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Schuller A, Walker ES, Goodrich JM, Lundgren M, Montrose L. Indoor Air Quality Considerations for Laboratory Animals in Wildfire-Impacted Regions-A Pilot Study. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10070387. [PMID: 35878291 PMCID: PMC9315628 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070387] [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: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire events are increasing across the globe. The smoke generated as a result of this changing fire landscape is potentially more toxic than air pollution from other ambient sources, according to recent studies. This is especially concerning for populations of humans or animals that live downwind of areas that burn frequently, given that ambient exposure to wildfire smoke cannot be easily eliminated. We hypothesized that a significant indoor air pollution risk existed for laboratory animal facilities located proximal to fire-prone areas. Here, we measured real time continuous outdoor and indoor air quality for 28 days at a laboratory animal facility located in the Rocky Mountain region. We demonstrated that during a wildfire event, the indoor air quality of this animal facility is influenced by ambient smoke events. The daily average indoor fine particulate matter value in an animal room exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's ambient annual standard 14% of the time and exceeded the World Health Organization's ambient annual guideline 71% of the time. We further show that specialized cage filtration systems are capable of mitigating air pollution penetrance and could improve an animal's microenvironment. The potential effects for laboratory animal physiology that occur in response to the exposure levels and durations measured in this study remain to be determined; yet, even acute wildfire exposure events have been previously correlated with significant differences in gene regulatory and metabolic processes in vivo. We believe these findings warrant consideration for indoor laboratory animal facility air quality monitoring and development of smoke exposure prevention and response protocols, especially among facilities located downwind of fire-prone landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Schuller
- Biomolecular Sciences Graduate Program, Boise State University, 1910 W University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA;
| | - Ethan S. Walker
- Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA;
| | - Jaclyn M. Goodrich
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Matthew Lundgren
- Office of Research Compliance, Boise State University, 1910 W University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA;
| | - Luke Montrose
- Department of Public Health and Population Science, Boise State University, 1910 W University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(208)-426-3979
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18
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Beaupied BL, Martinez H, Martenies S, McConnel CS, Pollack IB, Giardina D, Fischer EV, Jathar S, Duncan CG, Magzamen S. Cows as canaries: The effects of ambient air pollution exposure on milk production and somatic cell count in dairy cows. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 207:112197. [PMID: 34699758 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to air pollution, including criteria pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3), has been associated with morbidity and mortality in mammals. As a genetically homogenous population that is closely monitored for health, dairy cattle present a unique opportunity to assess the association between changes in air pollution and mammalian health. Milk yield decreases in the summer if temperature and humidity, measured by the Temperature Humidity Index (THI). As O3 levels increase with warmer temperatures, and summer PM2.5 may increase with wildfire smoke, dairy cows may serve as a useful sentinel species to evaluate subacute markers of inflammation and metabolic output and ambient pollution. Over two years, we assessed summertime O3 and PM2.5 concentrations from local US EPA air quality monitors into an auto-regressive mixed model of the association between THI and daily milk production data and bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC). In unadjusted models, a 10 unit increase THI was associated with 28,700 cells/mL (95% CI: 17,700, 39,690) increase in SCC. After controlling for ambient air pollutants, THI was associated with a 14,500 SCC increase (95% CI: 3,400, 25,680), a 48% decrease in effect compared to the crude model. Further, in fully adjusted models, PM2.5 was associated with a 105,500 cells/mL (95% CI: 90,030, 121,050) increase in SCC. Similar results were found for milk production. Results were amplified when high PM2.5 days (95th percentile of observed values) associated with wildfire smoke were removed from the analyses. Our results support the hypothesis that PM2.5 confounds the relationships between THI and milk yield and somatic cell count. The results of this study can be used to inform strategies for intervention to mitigate these impacts at the dairy level and potentially contribute to a model where production animals can act as air quality sentinels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonni L Beaupied
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Heather Martinez
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sheena Martenies
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Craig S McConnel
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Ilana B Pollack
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Dylan Giardina
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Emily V Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Shantanu Jathar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Colleen G Duncan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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19
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Observations of Delayed Changes in Respiratory Function among Allergy Clinic Patients Exposed to Wildfire Smoke. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031241. [PMID: 35162264 PMCID: PMC8835059 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Wildfires have increased in frequency and magnitude and pose a significant public health challenge. The principal objective of this study was to assess the impact of wildfire smoke on respiratory peak flow performance of patients exposed to two different wildfire events. This longitudinal study utilized an observational approach and a cohort study design with a patient-level clinical dataset from a local outpatient allergy clinic (n = 842). Meteorological data from a local weather station served as a proxy for smoke exposure because air quality measurements were not available. This study found that there were decreases in respiratory peak flow among allergy clinic patients one year after each wildfire event. For every one percent increase in wind blowing from the fire towards the community, there was, on average, a 2.21 L per minute decrease in respiratory peak flow. This study observed an effect on respiratory peak flow performance among patients at a local allergy clinic one year after suspected exposure to wildfire smoke. There are likely multiple reasons for the observation of this relationship, including the possibility that wildfire smoke may enhance allergic sensitization to other allergens or that wildfire smoke itself may elicit a delayed immune response.
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20
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Xu R, Gao CX, Dimitriadis C, Smith CL, Carroll MTC, Ikin JF, Johnston FH, Sim MR, Abramson MJ, Guo Y. Long-term impacts of coal mine fire-emitted PM2.5 on hospitalisation: a longitudinal analysis of the Hazelwood Health Study. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 51:179-190. [PMID: 34871381 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the long-term health impacts of exposures to landscape fire smoke. We aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to coal mine fire-related particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) and hospitalisation in the 5 years following the 6-week Hazelwood coal mine fire in Australia in 2014. METHODS We surveyed 2725 residents (mean age: 58.3 years; 54.3% female) from an exposed and a comparison town. Individual PM2.5 exposures during the event were estimated using modelled PM2.5 concentrations related to the coal mine fire and self-reported location data. The individual exposure and survey data were linked with hospitalisation records between January 2009 and February 2019. Recurrent event survival analysis was used to evaluate relationships between PM2.5 exposure and hospitalisation following mine fire, adjusting for important covariates. RESULTS Each 10-µg/m3 increase in mine fire-related PM2.5 was associated with a 9% increased hazard [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.17] of respiratory hospitalisation over the next 5 years, with stronger associations observed for females (HR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.27) than males (HR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.11). In particular, increased hazards were observed for hospitalisations for asthma (HR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.19, 1.73) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.28). No such association was found for hospitalisations for cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, injuries, type 2 diabetes, renal diseases or neoplasms. CONCLUSIONS A 6-week exposure to coal mine fire-related PM2.5 was associated with increased hazard of respiratory hospitalisations over the following 5 years, particularly for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Caroline X Gao
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkview, VIC, Australia
| | - Christina Dimitriadis
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Catherine L Smith
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Jillian F Ikin
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute of Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- 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
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21
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Krug J, Long R, Colón M, Habel A, Urbanski S, Landis MS. Evaluation of small form factor, filter-based PM 2.5 samplers for temporary non-regulatory monitoring during wildland fire smoke events. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (OXFORD, ENGLAND : 1994) 2021; 265:1-8. [PMID: 35153533 PMCID: PMC8832362 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Wildland fire activity and associated emission of particulate matter air pollution is increasing in the United States over the last two decades due primarily to a combination of increased temperature, drought, and historically high forest fuel loading. The regulatory monitoring networks in the Unites States are mostly concentrated in larger population centers where anthropogenic air pollution sources are concentrated. Smaller population centers in areas more likely to be impacted by wildland fire smoke in many instances lack adequate observational air quality data. Several commercially available small form factor filter-based PM2.5 samplers (SFFFS) were evaluated under typical ambient and simulated near-to mid-field wildland fire smoke conditions to evaluate their accuracy for use in temporary deployments during prescribed and wildfire events. The performance of all the SFFFS tested versus the designated federal reference methods (FRM) was acceptable in determining PM2.5 concentration in both ambient (2.7-14.0 μg m-3) and chamber smoke environments (24.6-3044.6 μg m-3) with accuracies ranging from ~92 to 98%. However, only the ARA Instruments model N-FRM Sampler was found to provide PM2.5 mass measurement accuracies that meet FRM guideline performance specifications under both typical ambient (97.3 ± 1.9%) and simulated wildland fire conditions (98.2 ± 1.4%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Krug
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Russell Long
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Maribel Colón
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Habel
- Jacobs Technology Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Shawn Urbanski
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Matthew S. Landis
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Rodney RM, Swaminathan A, Calear AL, Christensen BK, Lal A, Lane J, Leviston Z, Reynolds J, Trevenar S, Vardoulakis S, Walker I. Physical and Mental Health Effects of Bushfire and Smoke in the Australian Capital Territory 2019-20. Front Public Health 2021; 9:682402. [PMID: 34722432 PMCID: PMC8551801 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.682402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2019-20 bushfire season in south-eastern Australia was one of the most severe in recorded history. Bushfire smoke-related air pollution reached hazardous levels in major metropolitan areas, including the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), for prolonged periods of time. Bushfire smoke directly challenges human health through effects on respiratory and cardiac function, but can also indirectly affect health, wellbeing and quality of life. Few studies have examined the specific health effects of bushfire smoke, separate from direct effects of fire, and looked beyond physical health symptoms to consider effects on mental health and lifestyle in Australian communities. This paper describes an assessment of the health impacts of this prolonged exposure to hazardous levels of bushfire smoke in the ACT and surrounding area during the 2019-20 bushfire season. An online survey captured information on demographics, health (physical and mental health, sleep) and medical advice seeking from 2,084 adult participants (40% male, median age 45 years). Almost all participants (97%) experienced at least one physical health symptom that they attributed to smoke, most commonly eye or throat irritation, and cough. Over half of responders self-reported symptoms of anxiety and/or feeling depressed and approximately half reported poorer sleep. Women reported all symptoms more frequently than men. Participants with existing medical conditions or poorer self-rated health, parents and those directly affected by fire (in either the current or previous fire seasons) also experienced poorer physical, mental health and/or sleep symptoms. Approximately 17% of people sought advice from a medical health practitioner, most commonly a general practitioner, to manage their symptoms. This study demonstrated that prolonged exposure to bushfire smoke can have substantial effects on health. Holistic approaches to understanding, preventing and mitigating the effects of smoke, not just on physical health but on mental health, and the intersection of these, is important. Improved public health messaging is needed to address uncertainty about how individuals can protect their and their families health for future events. This should be informed by identifying subgroups of the population, such as those with existing health conditions, parents, or those directly exposed to fire who may be at a greater risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael M. Rodney
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ashwin Swaminathan
- Departments of General Medicine and Infectious Diseases, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Alison L. Calear
- Centre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Bruce K. Christensen
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Aparna Lal
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jo Lane
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Zoe Leviston
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Julia Reynolds
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Susan Trevenar
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Iain Walker
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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23
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Malig BJ, Fairley D, Pearson D, Wu X, Ebisu K, Basu R. Examining fine particulate matter and cause-specific morbidity during the 2017 North San Francisco Bay wildfires. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 787:147507. [PMID: 35142610 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent increases in wildfire frequency and severity necessitate better understanding of health effects of wildfire smoke to protect affected populations. OBJECTIVES We examined relationships between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and morbidity during wildfires in California, and whether those relationships differed during the fire compared to a similar non-fire period. METHODS For nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, daily county-level diagnosis-specific counts of emergency department visits (EDVs) and hospitalizations were linked with county-level estimates of daily mean PM2.5 during the October 2017 Northern California wildfires and similar October days in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Associations were estimated using Poisson regression. RESULTS The median difference between county PM2.5 during the fire versus the non-fire period was 23.4 μg/m3, with days exceeding 80 μg/m3 in some counties. Over the entire study period, PM2.5 was most consistently linked to EDVs for respiratory disease (RREDV(lag0) per 23.4 μg/m3 increase: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.30), asthma, chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD; RREDV(lag0): 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.27), and acute myocardial infarction (RREDV(lag0): 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.25). Increases in acute upper respiratory infections and decreases in mental/behavioral EDVs were observed but were sensitive to model specification, specifically the inclusion of time-related covariates. Comparing fire and non-fire period EDV associations, we observed indications that PM2.5 during the fire was more strongly associated with asthma (RRlag0: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.38, 1.55) compared to non-fire period PM2.5 (RRlag0: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.08), and the opposite observed for dysrhythmia, with the asthma difference being particularly robust to model choice. For hospitalizations, the most robust PM2.5 relationships were positive associations with respiratory, CLRD, and diabetes, and inverse associations with pneumonia. Respiratory and CLRD effect estimates were generally similar or smaller than for EDVs. CONCLUSIONS Elevated short-term PM2.5 levels from wildfire smoke appears to impact respiratory and other health domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Malig
- Air and Climate Epidemiology Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA.
| | - David Fairley
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dharshani Pearson
- Air and Climate Epidemiology Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Xiangmei Wu
- Air and Climate Epidemiology Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Keita Ebisu
- Air and Climate Epidemiology Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Rupa Basu
- Air and Climate Epidemiology Section, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA
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24
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Adults Exposed to Fine Particles from a Coal Mine Fire. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2021; 19:186-195. [PMID: 34491155 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202012-1544oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE In 2014 the Hazelwood open cut coal mine in south eastern Australia burned for six weeks, exposing nearby residents to high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The long-term health consequences are unknown, and are being evaluated as part of the Hazelwood Health Study. OBJECTIVES To explore the association between PM2.5 exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS A sample of 346 exposed, and 173 unexposed, adults participated in the longitudinal Respiratory Stream of the Hazelwood Health Study. Participants underwent spirometry and gas transfer measurements, and answered validated respiratory questionnaires 3.5-4 years after the fire. Individual-level mine fire-related PM2.5 exposure was modelled. Multivariate linear regression and logistic models were fitted to analyse associations between mean and peak PM2.5 exposure and clinical outcomes, stratified by smoking status. RESULTS A 10 μg/m3 increase in mean PM2.5 exposure was associated with a 69% (95%CI: 11% to 158%) increase in odds of spirometry consistent with COPD amongst non-smokers and increased odds of chest tightness (odds ratio; OR 1.30, 95%CI 1.03 to 1.64) and chronic cough (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.51) in the previous 12 months in all participants. For current smokers, increments in mean PM2.5 exposure were associated with higher odds of chronic cough in the preceding 12 months (OR 2.13, 95%CI 1.24 to 3.65). CONCLUSIONS Almost four years after a six-week period of coal fire PM2.5 exposure, we identified a dose-response association between exposure and COPD in non-smokers. With climate change a likely contributor to increased risk of landscape fires, the findings will inform policy decisions during future sustained smoke events.
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Chen G, Guo Y, Yue X, Tong S, Gasparrini A, Bell ML, Armstrong B, Schwartz J, Jaakkola JJK, Zanobetti A, Lavigne E, Nascimento Saldiva PH, Kan H, Royé D, Milojevic A, Overcenco A, Urban A, Schneider A, Entezari A, Vicedo-Cabrera AM, Zeka A, Tobias A, Nunes B, Alahmad B, Forsberg B, Pan SC, Íñiguez C, Ameling C, De la Cruz Valencia C, Åström C, Houthuijs D, Van Dung D, Samoli E, Mayvaneh F, Sera F, Carrasco-Escobar G, Lei Y, Orru H, Kim H, Holobaca IH, Kyselý J, Teixeira JP, Madureira J, Katsouyanni K, Hurtado-Díaz M, Maasikmets M, Ragettli MS, Hashizume M, Stafoggia M, Pascal M, Scortichini M, de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coêlho M, Valdés Ortega N, Ryti NRI, Scovronick N, Matus P, Goodman P, Garland RM, Abrutzky R, Garcia SO, Rao S, Fratianni S, Dang TN, Colistro V, Huber V, Lee W, Seposo X, Honda Y, Guo YL, Ye T, Yu W, Abramson MJ, Samet JM, Li S. Mortality risk attributable to wildfire-related PM 2·5 pollution: a global time series study in 749 locations. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e579-e587. [PMID: 34508679 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00200-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many regions of the world are now facing more frequent and unprecedentedly large wildfires. However, the association between wildfire-related PM2·5 and mortality has not been well characterised. We aimed to comprehensively assess the association between short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 and mortality across various regions of the world. METHODS For this time series study, data on daily counts of deaths for all causes, cardiovascular causes, and respiratory causes were collected from 749 cities in 43 countries and regions during 2000-16. Daily concentrations of wildfire-related PM2·5 were estimated using the three-dimensional chemical transport model GEOS-Chem at a 0·25° × 0·25° resolution. The association between wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure and mortality was examined using a quasi-Poisson time series model in each city considering both the current-day and lag effects, and the effect estimates were then pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. Based on these pooled effect estimates, the population attributable fraction and relative risk (RR) of annual mortality due to acute wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure was calculated. FINDINGS 65·6 million all-cause deaths, 15·1 million cardiovascular deaths, and 6·8 million respiratory deaths were included in our analyses. The pooled RRs of mortality associated with each 10 μg/m3 increase in the 3-day moving average (lag 0-2 days) of wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure were 1·019 (95% CI 1·016-1·022) for all-cause mortality, 1·017 (1·012-1·021) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1·019 (1·013-1·025) for respiratory mortality. Overall, 0·62% (95% CI 0·48-0·75) of all-cause deaths, 0·55% (0·43-0·67) of cardiovascular deaths, and 0·64% (0·50-0·78) of respiratory deaths were annually attributable to the acute impacts of wildfire-related PM2·5 exposure during the study period. INTERPRETATION Short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 was associated with increased risk of mortality. Urgent action is needed to reduce health risks from the increasing wildfires. FUNDING Australian Research Council, Australian National Health & Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongbo Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuming Guo
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, 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 & Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Shilu Tong
- Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Public Health, Institute of Environment and Human Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 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; Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - 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
| | - Antonella Zanobetti
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric Lavigne
- School of Epidemiology & Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Air Health Science Division, 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, CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Ai Milojevic
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ala Overcenco
- National Agency for Public Health of the Ministry of Health, Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Aleš Urban
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandra Schneider
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Alireza Entezari
- Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, Iran
| | - Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ariana Zeka
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, London, UK
| | - 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
| | - Baltazar Nunes
- Department of Epidemiology, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Barrak Alahmad
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bertil Forsberg
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Shih-Chun Pan
- National Institute of Environmental Health Science, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Carmen Íñiguez
- Department of Statistics and Computational Research. Universitat de València, Valencia, CIBERESP, Spain
| | - Caroline Ameling
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Centre for Sustainability and Environmental Health, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - César De la Cruz Valencia
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Christofer Åström
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Danny Houthuijs
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Centre for Sustainability and Environmental Health, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Do Van Dung
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Evangelia Samoli
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Fatemeh Mayvaneh
- Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, Iran
| | - Francesco Sera
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications "G Parenti", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar
- Institute of Tropical Medicine "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Yadong Lei
- Climate Change Research Center, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hans Orru
- Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ho Kim
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Jan Kyselý
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - João Paulo Teixeira
- Department of Environmental Health, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Madureira
- Department of Environmental Health, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal; EPIUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Klea Katsouyanni
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Magali Hurtado-Díaz
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | | | - Martina S Ragettli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Masahiro Hashizume
- Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Massimo Stafoggia
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Mathilde Pascal
- Santé Publique France, Department of Environmental and occupational Health, French National Public Health Agency, Saint Maurice, France
| | | | | | | | - Niilo R I Ryti
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Noah Scovronick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patricia Matus
- Department of Public Health, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Rebecca M Garland
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University, South Africa
| | - Rosana Abrutzky
- Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Shilpa Rao
- Norwegian institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Simona Fratianni
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Tran Ngoc Dang
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Valentina Colistro
- Department of Quantitative Methods, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Veronika Huber
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany; Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Whanhee Lee
- School of Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xerxes Seposo
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yasushi Honda
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yue Leon Guo
- National Institute of Environmental Health Science, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan; Environmental and Occupational Medicine, and Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tingting Ye
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenhua Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Abramson
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan M Samet
- The Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Ye T, Guo Y, Chen G, Yue X, Xu R, Coêlho MDSZS, Saldiva PHN, Zhao Q, Li S. Risk and burden of hospital admissions associated with wildfire-related PM 2·5 in Brazil, 2000-15: a nationwide time-series study. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e599-e607. [PMID: 34508681 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the context of climate change and deforestation, Brazil is facing more frequent and unprecedented wildfires. Wildfire-related PM2·5 is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes; however, the magnitude of these associations in the Brazilian context is unclear. We aimed to estimate the association between daily exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 and cause-specific hospital admission and attributable health burden in the Brazilian population using a nationwide dataset from 2000 to 2015. METHODS In this nationwide time-series analysis, data for daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory hospital admissions were collected through the Brazilian Unified Health System from 1814 municipalities in Brazil between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2015. Daily concentrations of wildfire-related PM2·5 were estimated using the 3D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem at a 2·0° latitude by 2·5° longitude resolution. A time-series analysis was fitted using quasi-Poisson regression to quantify municipality-specific effect estimates, which were then pooled at the regional and national levels using random-effects meta-analyses. Analyses were stratified by sex and ten age groups. The attributable fraction and attributable cases of hospital admissions due to wildfire-related PM2·5 were also calculated. FINDINGS At the national level, a 10 μg/m3 increase in wildfire-related PM2·5 was associated with a 1·65% (95% CI 1·51-1·80) increase in all-cause hospital admissions, a 5·09% (4·73-5·44) increase in respiratory hospital admissions, and a 1·10% (0·78-1·42) increase in cardiovascular hospital admissions, over 0-1 days after the exposure. The effect estimates for all-cause hospital admission did not vary by sex, but were particularly high in children aged 4 years or younger (4·88% [95% CI 4·47-5·28]), children aged 5-9 years (2·33% [1·77-2·90]), and people aged 80 years and older (3·70% [3·20-4·20]) compared with other age groups. We estimated that 0·53% (95% CI 0·48-0·58) of all-cause hospital admissions were attributable to wildfire-related PM2·5, corresponding to 35 cases (95% CI 32-38) per 100 000 residents annually. The attributable rate was greatest for municipalities in the north, south, and central-west regions, and lowest in the northeast region. Results were consistent for all-cause and respiratory diseases across regions, but remained inconsistent for cardiovascular diseases. INTERPRETATION Short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2·5 was associated with increased risks of all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular hospital admissions, particularly among children (0-9 years) and older people (≥80 years). Greater attention should be paid to reducing exposure to wildfire smoke, particularly for the most susceptible populations. FUNDING Australian Research Council and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Ye
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - 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
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | - Qi Zhao
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Migliaccio CAL, Ballou S, Buford M, Orr A, Migliaccio C. Providing APPE pharmacy students rural health assessment experience following wildfire event in western Montana. CURRENTS IN PHARMACY TEACHING & LEARNING 2021; 13:560-565. [PMID: 33795111 PMCID: PMC8024614 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2021.01.008] [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: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We describe a novel, interprofessional, experiential training involving pharmacy students in response to a health emergency in rural Montana (MT). EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING Fourth-year pharmacy students on clinical rotations were recruited to participate in screening events assessing effects of wildfire smoke in Seeley Lake, MT. Students were required to fulfill at least two hours of supplementary training in addition to education on human research guidelines. Students assisted with patient surveys (demographics, health, and respiratory), physiological testing with biomedical researchers, blood pressure and medication counseling, and spirometry specialists. FINDINGS At least 20 pharmacy students have participated in this project in addition to nursing (n = 8), public health (n = 1), and social work (n = 1) students. In initial and subsequent screenings, students worked alongside a team of biomedical researchers and faculty from the University of Montana. An initial cohort of 95 patients was recruited. SUMMARY This unique experiential training opportunity has afforded pharmacy students access to rural community patient interaction and exposure to and performance of a variety of tests in response to an environmental health emergency. Furthermore, it enabled health professionals and researchers to assess individual and overall community health following an extreme wildfire smoke event, providing the groundwork for utilization of pharmacy students in healthcare responses to public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristi A L Migliaccio
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Sarah Ballou
- The Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Mary Buford
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Ava Orr
- Center for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Christopher Migliaccio
- The Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, University of Montana, MT 59812, 32 Campus Drive, Skaggs 062D, Missoula, MT 59812, United States.
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28
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Disproportionate Impacts of Wildfires among Elderly and Low-Income Communities in California from 2000-2020. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18083921. [PMID: 33917945 PMCID: PMC8068328 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18083921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires can be detrimental to urban and rural communities, causing impacts in the form of psychological stress, direct physical injury, and smoke-related morbidity and mortality. This study examined the area burned by wildfires over the entire state of California from the years 2000 to 2020 in order to quantify and identify whether burned area and fire frequency differed across Census tracts according to socioeconomic indicators over time. Wildfire data were obtained from the California Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) and National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), while demographic data were obtained from the American Community Survey. Results showed a doubling in the number of Census tracts that experienced major wildfires and a near doubling in the number of people residing in wildfire-impacted Census tracts, mostly due to an over 23,000 acre/year increase in the area burned by wildfires over the last two decades. Census tracts with a higher fire frequency and burned area had lower proportions of minority groups on average. However, when considering Native American populations, a greater proportion resided in highly impacted Census tracts. Such Census tracts also had higher proportions of older residents. In general, high-impact Census tracts tended to have higher proportions of low-income residents and lower proportions of high-income residents, as well as lower median household incomes and home values. These findings are important to policymakers and state agencies as it relates to environmental justice and the allocation of resources before, during, and after wildfires in the state of California.
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29
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Bui D, Davis S, Flynn A, Bell R, Dharmage S. Impact of recent catastrophic bushfires on people with asthma in Australia: Health, social and financial burdens. Respirology 2021; 26:296-297. [PMID: 33571375 DOI: 10.1111/resp.14013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dinh Bui
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sharon Davis
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Rose Bell
- Asthma Australia, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shyamali Dharmage
- Allergy and Lung Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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