Review
Environmental Sciences
Jana Sillmann, Kristin Aunan, Lisa Emberson, Patrick Bueker, Bob Van Oort, Connie O'Neill, Noelia Otero, Divya Pandey, Anouk Brisebois
Summary: Climate change and air pollution can interact to amplify risks to human health and crop production. Closer integration of climate change and air pollution is needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, along with improving methodologies and policy development. Challenges and opportunities in assessing the combined effects of climate change and air pollution on human health and crops are discussed.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shayak Sengupta, Thomas Spencer, Neshwin Rodrigues, Raghav Pachouri, Shubham Thakare, Peter J. Adams, Rahul Tongia, Ines M. L. Azevedo
Summary: Emission factors from Indian electricity generation show significant variability, influenced primarily by changes in demand. Coal generation is able to meet demand changes for the majority of the time, and future emission factors are expected to decrease but still vary across states. These estimates provide valuable insights for evaluating interventions such as electric vehicles, air conditioning, and energy efficiency.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vijendra Ingole, Asya Dimitrova, Jon Sampedro, Charfudin Sacoor, Sozinho Acacio, Sanjay Juvekar, Sudipto Roy, Paula Moraga, Xavier Basagana, Joan Ballester, Josep M. Anto, Cathryn Tonne
Summary: The study aimed to quantify the health impacts of PM2.5 under different greenhouse gas concentration scenarios in Mozambique, India, and Spain. Results showed significant differences in PM2.5 attributable burdens across SSP-RCP scenarios, with sensitivity of future burden dependent on assumptions about population changes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chunlei Han, Rongbin Xu, Yajuan Zhang, Wenhua Yu, Zhongwen Zhang, Lidia Morawska, Jane Heyworth, Bin Jalaludin, Geoffrey Morgan, Guy Marks, Michael Abramson, Liwei Sun, Shanshan Li, Yuming Guo
Summary: This study aimed to develop a novel indicator to assess air pollution control efficacy across countries, and found that the indicator was associated with important population health indicators, explaining international variations in life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and under-five year of age mortality rate.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
M. Omar Nawaz, Daven K. Henze, Nicolas J. Huneeus, Mauricio Osses, Nicolas Alamos, Mariel A. Opazo, Laura Gallardo
Summary: The population of Santiago, Chile, is facing air pollution issues primarily due to anthropogenic emissions and geographic and meteorological factors. Despite improvements in air quality in recent years, the future of air pollution in Santiago remains uncertain due to population growth and increased vehicle use. Mitigation efforts can be supported by studying the sources and impacts of air pollution. This study uses a chemical transport model and adjoint calculations to characterize the relationship between pollution exposure and health impacts, identifying anthropogenic emissions as the main contributors.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fan Tong, Alan Jenn, Derek Wolfson, Corinne D. Scown, Maximilian Auffhammer
Summary: The study found that electric trucks with an 80% renewable electricity grid would bring net health benefits to most regions, with the economic value of avoided climate and health damages exceeding $5 billion annually.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Johan Ekland, David Olsson, Bertil Forsberg, Camilla Andersson, Hans Orru
Summary: Recent studies have shown a link between maternal exposure to air pollution, particularly ozone, and an increased risk of preterm birth. About 7.1% of preterm births in 30 European countries in 2010 were estimated to be attributable to maternal ozone exposure, with a projected 30% decrease in ozone-related preterm births by 2050 due to decreased precursor emissions. Despite this decrease, climate change may still lead to a slight increase in ozone-related preterm births in Central and Southern Europe by 2050.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Eryn Campbell, Sri Saahitya Uppalapati, John Kotcher, Edward Maibach
Summary: Due to dependence on fossil fuels, climate change and air pollution have severely impacted human and planetary health. However, climate solutions offer an opportunity to create cleaner, healthier, and safer communities at both local and global levels. This review highlights the health risks of climate change, explores climate and health solutions, and provides a synthesis of social science research on climate and health communication. It demonstrates that messaging strategies emphasizing the health impacts of climate change and the benefits of climate solutions can effectively build public and political support. Additionally, health professionals are trusted sources of information and have expressed interest in engaging with the public and policymakers on the health implications of climate change and clean energy. This review suggests that health students and professionals have the potential to address climate change as a public health imperative by aligning message strategies with the interests of highly trusted messengers.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonathan E. Hickman, Susanne E. Bauer, Gregory S. Faluvegi, Kostas Tsigaridis
Summary: COVID-19 pandemic responses have impacted atmospheric composition and climate. The effects of these responses depend on various factors such as background emissions, climate, and the season in which lockdowns occur. Multiple scenarios were used to evaluate atmospheric and climate impacts, with differences in aerosols and trace gases observed across different decades and seasons. Regional anomalies in atmospheric composition were largest when emissions were near historical peaks, and aerosol direct effect anomalies varied across different regions and time periods.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giovanni Di Virgilio, Melissa Anne Hart, Angela M. Maharaj, Ningbo Jiang
Summary: The study examined the spatiotemporal variations in air pollution during the Black Summer wildfires in Australia, revealing the significant influence of meteorological conditions on the severity and timing of pollution episodes. Different locations experienced varying levels and impacts of pollution, with meteorological factors like wind direction and speed showing distinct associations with PM2.5 concentrations.
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vusumuzi Nkosi, Angela Mathee, Suzana Blesic, Thandi Kapwata, Zamantimande Kunene, David Jean du Preez, Rebecca Garland, Caradee Yael Wright
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between two dust storm events in South Africa and their impact on human health. The results showed that these events did not have a significant effect on people's health. The study suggests the importance of detailed research on air quality and wind speed, as well as the establishment of a dust storm repository.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Helen L. Macintyre, Christina Mitsakou, Massimo Vieno, Mathew R. Heal, Clare Heaviside, Karen S. Exley
Summary: Exposure to ambient ozone (O3) is associated with impacts on human health, and the concentration of O3 is determined by emissions of precursor compounds such as NOx and VOCs. Future health burdens depend on climate and air quality policies. Simulating the future O3 concentrations in the UK indicates that emergency respiratory hospital admissions associated with short-term effects of O3 will increase by 4.2%, 4.5%, and 4.6% by 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively. This increase is driven by reduced NO emissions and mainly occurs in areas with currently low O3 concentrations. While reducing emissions has overall benefits to population health, it may also result in local increases in O3 concentrations near population centers.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Martina K. Linnenluecke, Mauricio Marrone
Summary: The study found significant differences in Australian newspaper coverage on the health impacts of bushfire smoke pollution and the role of climate change in increasing bushfire risk. While there was a temporary surge in articles during the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires, most articles only provided general statements on health impacts and had limited coverage on climate change. More detailed communication strategies are recommended to enhance public preparedness for future impacts.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Respiratory System
Mary B. Rice, Sarah B. Henderson, Allison A. Lambert, Kevin R. Cromar, John A. Hall, Wayne E. Cascio, Paul G. Smith, Brenda J. Marsh, Sarah Coefield, John R. Balmes, Ali Kamal, M. Ian Gilmour, Chris Carlsten, Kathleen M. Navarro, Gwen W. Collman, Ana Rappold, Mark D. Miller, Susan L. Stone, Daniel L. Costa
Summary: Wildland fires are reducing air quality and posing respiratory health risks. Research is needed to understand the short-term and long-term health effects of wildland fire smoke exposure, especially for vulnerable populations like children, adults, and occupational groups. It is important to invest in research, communication strategies, and public policy to address the growing problem of wildland fires and their health impacts.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miriam E. Marlier, Katherine Brenner, Jia Coco Liu, Loretta J. Mickley, Sierra Raby, Eric James, Ravan Ahmadov, Heather Riden
Summary: Wildfire activities in the western U.S. have become more frequent and severe in recent decades, leading to increased smoke PM2.5 emissions. Agricultural workers, due to their outdoor and physically demanding work, are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of wildfire smoke pollution. A study conducted in California quantifies the potential exposure of agricultural workers to past and future smoke PM2.5. The findings suggest that future increases in smoke PM2.5 concentrations could pose a significant threat to agricultural regions, with a substantial increase in worker exposure days projected under future climate conditions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Criminology & Penology
Lisa Tompson, Rebecca Steinbach, Shane D. Johnson, Chun Siong Teh, Chloe Perkins, Phil Edwards, Benedict Armstrong
Summary: This study estimates the impact of changes in street lighting at night on street-level crime. The results show that switching lights off at midnight is strongly associated with a reduction in nighttime theft from vehicles compared to daytime. However, in adjacent streets where lighting remains unchanged, there is an increase in nighttime theft from vehicles. This suggests that while the absence of street lighting may prevent theft, there is a risk of crime being displaced temporally or spatially.
JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE CRIMINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Barrak Alahmad, Haitham Khraishah, Dominic Roye, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Yuming Guo, Stefania I. Papatheodorou, Souzana Achilleos, Fiorella Acquaotta, Ben Armstrong, Michelle L. Bell, Shih-Chun Pan, Micheline de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, Valentina Colistro, Tran Ngoc Dang, Do Van Dung, Francesca K. De Donato, Alireza Entezari, Yue-Liang Leon Guo, Masahiro Hashizume, Yasushi Honda, Ene Indermitte, Carmen Iniguez, Jouni J. K. Jaakkola, Ho Kim, Eric Lavigne, Whanhee Lee, Shanshan Li, Joana Madureira, Fatemeh Mayvaneh, Hans Orru, Ala Overcenco, Martina S. Ragettli, Niilo R. I. Ryti, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Noah Scovronick, Xerxes Seposo, Francesco Sera, Susana Pereira Silva, Massimo Stafoggia, Aurelio Tobias, Eric Garshick, Aaron S. Bernstein, Antonella Zanobetti, Joel Schwartz, Antonio Gasparrini, Petros Koutrakis
Summary: A study found that exposure to extreme hot and cold temperatures is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. The study used data from 567 cities in 27 countries and found a positive correlation between high and low temperatures and mortality from various cardiovascular diseases. The highest risks were observed for heart attacks and stroke during exposure to extreme temperatures.
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lina Madaniyazi, Aurelio Tobias, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera, Jouni J. K. Jaakkola, Yasushi Honda, Yuming Guo, Joel Schwartz, Antonella Zanobetti, Michelle L. Bell, Ben Armstrong, Michael J. Campbell, Klea Katsouyanni, Andy Haines, Kristie L. Ebi, Antonio Gasparrini, Masahiro Hashizume
Article
Environmental Sciences
Helen L. Macintyre, Christina Mitsakou, Massimo Vieno, Mathew R. Heal, Clare Heaviside, Karen S. Exley
Summary: Air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to public health. Future air pollution concentrations are primarily determined by precursor emissions, which are driven by environmental policies relating to climate and air pollution. Detailed health impact assessments (HIA) are necessary to provide quantitative estimates of the impacts of future air pollution to support decision-makers developing environmental policy and targets.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Helen L. Macintyre, Christina Mitsakou, Massimo Vieno, Mathew R. Heal, Clare Heaviside, Karen S. Exley
Summary: Exposure to ambient ozone (O3) is associated with impacts on human health, and the concentration of O3 is determined by emissions of precursor compounds such as NOx and VOCs. Future health burdens depend on climate and air quality policies. Simulating the future O3 concentrations in the UK indicates that emergency respiratory hospital admissions associated with short-term effects of O3 will increase by 4.2%, 4.5%, and 4.6% by 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively. This increase is driven by reduced NO emissions and mainly occurs in areas with currently low O3 concentrations. While reducing emissions has overall benefits to population health, it may also result in local increases in O3 concentrations near population centers.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Satbyul Estella Kim, Masahiro Hashizume, Ben Armstrong, Antonio Gasparrini, Kazutaka Oka, Yasuaki Hijioka, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera, Yasushi Honda
Summary: A study conducted in Japan over a period of 43 years found that hot nights are associated with an increase in overall mortality and cause-specific mortalities. The findings suggest that the health risks of hot nights are independent of other weather factors and have implications for public health policy and research on the health effects of climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Katya Brooks, Owen Landeg, Sari Kovats, Mark Sewell, Emer OConnell
Summary: This study critically evaluates the impacts of very hot weather on frontline hospital staff and healthcare delivery in England. The findings suggest that hot weather caused significant disruption to health services, facilities, staff, and patient comfort, leading to an increase in hospital admissions. Healthcare delivery staff face challenges in managing heat risks in hospitals, highlighting the need for workforce development and long-term planning to improve health system resilience.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Massimo Stafoggia, Paola Michelozzi, Alexandra Schneider, Ben Armstrong, Matteo Scortichini, Masna Rai, Souzana Achilleos, Barrak Alahmad, Antonis Analitis, Christofer Astrom, Michelle L. Bell, Neville Calleja, Hanne Krage Carlsen, Gabriel Carrasco, John Paul Cauchi, Micheline D. S. Z. S. Coelho, Patricia M. Correa, Magali H. Diaz, Alireza Entezari, Bertil Forsberg, Rebecca M. Garland, Yue Leon Guo, Yuming Guo, Masahiro Hashizume, Iulian H. Holobaca, Carmen Iniguez, Jouni J. K. Jaakkola, Haidong Kan, Klea Katsouyanni, Ho Kim, Jan Kysely, Eric Lavigne, Whanhee Lee, Shanshan Li, Marek Maasikmets, Joana Madureira, Fatemeh Mayvaneh, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Baltazar Nunes, Hans Orru, Nicolas Ortega, Samuel Osorio, Alfonso D. L. Palomares, Shih-Chun Pan, Mathilde Pascal, Martina S. Ragettli, Shilpa Rao, Raanan Raz, Dominic Roye, Niilo Ryti, Paulo H. N. Saldiva, Evangelia Samoli, Joel Schwartz, Noah Scovronick, Francesco Sera, Aurelio Tobias, Shilu Tong, Cesar D. L. C. Valencia, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Ales Urban, Antonio Gasparrini, Susanne Breitner, Francesca K. de Donato
Summary: Suggestive evidence of effect modification between air temperature and air pollutants on mortality during the warm period was found in a global dataset of 620 cities.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Aurelio Tobias, Lina Madaniyazi, Antonio Gasparrini, Ben Armstrong
Summary: This study examines the association between temperature and heat stroke mortality in Spain, finding a strong link and emphasizing the immediate visibility of heat stroke as a warning for heat-related risks.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Y. T. Eunice M. Lo, Dann. M. Mitchell, Jonathan. R. Buzan, Jakob Zscheischler, Rochelle Schneider, Malcolm. N. Mistry, Jan Kysely, Eric Lavigne, Susana Pereira da Silva, Dominic Roye, Ales Urban, Ben Armstrong, Antonio Gasparrini, Ana. M. Vicedo-Cabrera
Summary: Combined heat and humidity is commonly considered as the main factor influencing heat-related mortality, but this assumption lacks robust epidemiological evidence. Through a systematic comparison of different heat stress metrics in multiple countries, we find that the optimal metric for modeling mortality varies from country to country. Dry-bulb temperature and apparent temperature perform similarly in estimating heat-related mortality in the present climate.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Samuel Luthi, Christopher Fairless, Erich M. Fischer, Noah Scovronick, Micheline De Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, Yue Leon Guo, Yuming Guo, Yasushi Honda, Veronika Huber, Jan Kysely, Eric Lavigne, Dominic Roye, Niilo Ryti, Susana Silva, Ales Urban, Antonio Gasparrini, David N. Bresch, Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera
Summary: Current research focuses on the impact of rising temperatures on heat-related mortality, but it is unclear how climate change will exacerbate the effects of extreme summer seasons on human health. This study combines empirical heat-mortality relationships with climate model data to predict future highly impactful summer seasons. The findings emphasize the urgent need for mitigation and adaptation measures to reduce the impact on human lives.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
F. Scorgie, A. Lusambili, S. Luchters, P. Khaemba, V. Filippi, B. Nakstad, J. Hess, C. Birch, S. Kovats, M. F. Chersich
Summary: Heat exposure during pregnancy can have adverse health effects, but there is a lack of research on the experiences of pregnant women in high temperatures. Qualitative research in rural Kenya found that pregnant women experienced symptoms of heat exhaustion and continued to engage in physically demanding household chores despite the heat. Limited support from family members and gender dynamics within households may contribute to this phenomenon. Climate change risk reduction strategies for pregnant women in low-resource settings should consider these local factors.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jiahui Kang, Jingxia Wang, Mathew R. Heal, Keith Goulding, Wim de Vries, Yuanhong Zhao, Sijie Feng, Xiuming Zhang, Baojing Gu, Xinsheng Niu, Hongyan Zhang, Xuejun Liu, Zhenling Cui, Fusuo Zhang, Wen Xu
Summary: Reducing cropland ammonia emissions, improving air quality, and ensuring food supply is a challenge in China. However, by implementing a tailored nitrogen management strategy in demonstration squares, it is possible to achieve ammonia reduction, improved air quality, and increased profitability for smallholder farmers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenzhong Huang, Shanshan Li, Thomas Vogt, Rongbin Xu, Shilu Tong, Tomas Molina, Pierre Masselot, Antonio Gasparrini, Ben Armstrong, Mathilde Pascal, Dominic Roye, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, Joel Schwartz, Eric Lavigne, Haidong Kan, Patrick Goodman, Ariana Zeka, Masahiro Hashizume, Magali Hurtado Diaz, Cesar De la Cruz Valencia, Xerxes Seposo, Baltazar Nunes, Joana Madureira, Ho Kim, Whanhee Lee, Aurelio Tobias, Carmen Iniguez, Yue Leon Guo, Shih-Chun Pan, Antonella Zanobetti, Tran Ngoc Dang, Do Van Dung, Tobias Geiger, Christian Otto, Amanda Johnson, Simon Hales, Pei Yu, Zhengyu Yang, Elizabeth A. Ritchie, Yuming Guo
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the short-term mortality risk and burden associated with tropical cyclones from 1980 to 2019. The results showed that exposure to tropical cyclones was associated with a 6% increase in overall mortality in the first two weeks. Globally, an estimated 97,430 excess deaths were observed over the two weeks following exposure to tropical cyclones.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yao Ge, Massimo Vieno, David S. Stevenson, Peter Wind, Mathew R. Heal
Summary: Reducing the emissions of NH3, NOx, and SOx can effectively decrease the concentrations of PM2.5, N-r, and S-r, and their impacts vary geographically. Reductions in NH3 emissions have co-benefits for NH4+ but result in increased SO2 concentrations. NOx emission reduction reduces NOx concentrations but increases fine NO3- concentrations. SOx emission reduction is slightly more effective in reducing SO2, but increases total NH3 deposition.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)