ORCID Profile
0000-0003-3944-7128
Current Organisations
Centre for Safe Air
,
Australian National University
,
Institute of Occupational Medicine
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Transport Engineering | Transport Planning | Transport Economics | Environmental Science and Management | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Environmental Knowledge | Urban and Regional Planning | Environmental Management | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Road Public Transport | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health - Determinants of Health | Multimodal Transport | Behaviour and Health | Health Inequalities | Environmental Health
Related Links
Publications
Modelling inhalation exposure to combustion-related air pollutants in residential buildings: Application to health impact assessment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2010.08.015
Abstract: Buildings in developed countries are becoming increasingly airtight as a response to stricter energy efficiency requirements. At the same time, changes are occurring to the ways in which household energy is supplied, distributed and used. These changes are having important impacts on exposure to indoor air pollutants in residential buildings and present new challenges for professionals interested in assessing the effects of housing on public health. In many circumstances, models are the most appropriate way with which to examine the potential outcomes of future environmental and/or building interventions and policies. As such, there is a need to consider the current state of indoor air pollution exposure modelling. Various indoor exposure modelling techniques are available, ranging from simple statistical regression and mass-balance approaches, to more complex multizone and computational fluid dynamics tools that have correspondingly large input data requirements. This review demonstrates that there remain challenges which limit the applicability of current models to health impact assessment. However, these issues also present opportunities for better integration of indoor exposure modelling and epidemiology in the future. The final part of the review describes the application of indoor exposure models to health impact assessments, given current knowledge and data, and makes recommendations aimed at improving model predictions in the future.
Climate change effects on human health: projections of temperature-related mortality for the UK during the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 03-02-2014
Abstract: The most direct way in which climate change is expected to affect public health relates to changes in mortality rates associated with exposure to ambient temperature. Many countries worldwide experience annual heat-related and cold-related deaths associated with current weather patterns. Future changes in climate may alter such risks. Estimates of the likely future health impacts of such changes are needed to inform public health policy on climate change in the UK and elsewhere. Time-series regression analysis was used to characterise current temperature-mortality relationships by region and age group. These were then applied to the local climate and population projections to estimate temperature-related deaths for the UK by the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s. Greater variability in future temperatures as well as changes in mean levels was modelled. A significantly raised risk of heat-related and cold-related mortality was observed in all regions. The elderly were most at risk. In the absence of any adaptation of the population, heat-related deaths would be expected to rise by around 257% by the 2050s from a current annual baseline of around 2000 deaths, and cold-related mortality would decline by 2% from a baseline of around 41 000 deaths. The cold burden remained higher than the heat burden in all periods. The increased number of future temperature-related deaths was partly driven by projected population growth and ageing. Health protection from hot weather will become increasingly necessary, and measures to reduce cold impacts will also remain important in the UK. The demographic changes expected this century mean that the health protection of the elderly will be vital.
The 2022 report of the MJA – Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Australia unprepared and paying the price
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-10-2022
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.51742
Abstract: The MJA-Lancet Countdown on health and climate change in Australia was established in 2017 and produced its first national assessment in 2018 and annual updates in 2019, 2020 and 2021. It examines five broad domains: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerability adaptation, planning and resilience for health mitigation actions and health co-benefits economics and finance and public and political engagement. In this, the fifth year of the MJA-Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses. Within just two years, Australia has experienced two unprecedented national catastrophes - the 2019-2020 summer heatwaves and bushfires and the 2021-2022 torrential rains and flooding. Such events are costing lives and displacing tens of thousands of people. Further, our analysis shows that there are clear signs that Australia's health emergency management capacity substantially decreased in 2021. We find some signs of progress with respect to health and climate change. The states continue to lead the way in health and climate change adaptation planning, with the Victorian plan being published in early 2022. At the national level, we note progress in health and climate change research funding by the National Health and Medical Research Council. We now also see an acceleration in the uptake of electric vehicles and continued uptake of and employment in renewable energy. However, we also find Australia's transition to renewables and zero carbon remains unacceptably slow, and the Australian Government's continuing failure to produce a national climate change and health adaptation plan places the health and lives of Australians at unnecessary risk today, which does not bode well for the future.
Numerical Model Inter-comparison for Wind Flow and Turbulence Around Single-Block Buildings
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-09-2010
Extreme weather and air pollution effects on cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions in Cyprus
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2015.10.106
Abstract: In many regions of the world, climatic change is associated with increased extreme temperatures, which can have severe effects on mortality and morbidity. In this study, we examine the effect of extreme weather on hospital admissions in Cyprus, for inland and coastal areas, through the use of synoptic weather classifications (air mass types). In addition, the effect of particulate air pollution (PM10) on morbidity is examined. Our results show that two air mass types, namely (a) warm, rainy days with increased levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and (b) cold, cloudy days with increased levels of precipitation, were associated with increased morbidity in the form of hospital admissions. This was true both for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, for all age groups, but particularly for the elderly, aged over 65. Particulate air pollution was also associated with increased morbidity in Cyprus, where the effect was more pronounced for cardiovascular diseases.
The influence of model spatial resolution on simulated ozone and fine particulate matter for Europe: implications for health impact assessments
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 25-04-2018
Abstract: Abstract. We examine the impact of model horizontal resolution on simulated concentrations of surface ozone (O3) and particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), and the associated health impacts over Europe, using the HadGEM3–UKCA chemistry–climate model to simulate pollutant concentrations at a coarse (∼ 140 km) and a finer (∼ 50 km) resolution. The attributable fraction (AF) of total mortality due to long-term exposure to warm season daily maximum 8 h running mean (MDA8) O3 and annual-average PM2.5 concentrations is then calculated for each European country using pollutant concentrations simulated at each resolution. Our results highlight a seasonal variation in simulated O3 and PM2.5 differences between the two model resolutions in Europe. Compared to the finer resolution results, simulated European O3 concentrations at the coarse resolution are higher on average in winter and spring (∼ 10 and ∼ 6 %, respectively). In contrast, simulated O3 concentrations at the coarse resolution are lower in summer and autumn (∼ −1 and ∼ −4 %, respectively). These differences may be partly explained by differences in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations simulated at the two resolutions. Compared to O3, we find the opposite seasonality in simulated PM2.5 differences between the two resolutions. In winter and spring, simulated PM2.5 concentrations are lower at the coarse compared to the finer resolution (∼ −8 and ∼ −6 %, respectively) but higher in summer and autumn (∼ 29 and ∼ 8 %, respectively). Simulated PM2.5 values are also mostly related to differences in convective rainfall between the two resolutions for all seasons. These differences between the two resolutions exhibit clear spatial patterns for both pollutants that vary by season, and exert a strong influence on country to country variations in estimated AF for the two resolutions. Warm season MDA8 O3 levels are higher in most of southern Europe, but lower in areas of northern and eastern Europe when simulated at the coarse resolution compared to the finer resolution. Annual-average PM2.5 concentrations are higher across most of northern and eastern Europe but lower over parts of southwest Europe at the coarse compared to the finer resolution. Across Europe, differences in the AF associated with long-term exposure to population-weighted MDA8 O3 range between −0.9 and +2.6 % (largest positive differences in southern Europe), while differences in the AF associated with long-term exposure to population-weighted annual mean PM2.5 range from −4.7 to +2.8 % (largest positive differences in eastern Europe) of the total mortality. Therefore this study, with its unique focus on Europe, demonstrates that health impact assessments calculated using modelled pollutant concentrations, are sensitive to a change in model resolution by up to ∼ ±5 % of the total mortality across Europe.
An Exposure-Mortality Relationship for Residential Indoor PM2.5 Exposure from Outdoor Sources
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-08-2017
DOI: 10.3390/CLI5030066
Local action on outdoor air pollution to improve public health
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-04-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S00038-018-1104-8
Abstract: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, jointly with Public Health England, have developed a guideline on outdoor air pollution and its links to health. The guideline makes recommendations on local interventions that can help improve air quality and prevent a range of adverse health outcomes associated with road-traffic-related air pollution. The guideline was based on a rigorous assessment of the scientific evidence by an independent advisory committee, with input from public health professionals and other professional groups. The process included systematics reviews of the literature, expert testimonies and stakeholder consultation. The guideline includes recommendations for local planning, clean air zones, measures to reduce emissions from public sector transport services, smooth driving and speed reduction, active travel, and awareness raising. The guideline recommends taking a number of actions in combination, because multiple interventions, each producing a small benefit, are likely to act cumulatively to produce significant change. These actions are likely to bring multiple public health benefits, in addition to air quality improvements.
Impacts of Climate Change on Health and Health Services in Northern New South Wales, Australia: A Rapid Review
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-07-2023
Abstract: Climate change is exposing populations to increasing temperatures and extreme weather events in many parts of Australia. To prepare for climate challenges, there is a growing need for Local Health Districts (LHDs) to identify potential health impacts in their region and strengthen the capacity of the health system to respond accordingly. This rapid review summarised existing evidence and research gaps on the impact of climate change on health and health services in Northern New South Wales (NSW)—a ‘hotspot’ for climate disaster declarations. We systematically searched online databases and selected 11 peer-reviewed studies published between 2012–2022 for the Northern NSW region. The most explored health outcome was mental health in the aftermath of floods and droughts, followed by increased healthcare utilisation due to respiratory, cardiovascular and mortality outcomes associated with bushfire smoke or heat waves. Future research directions were recommended to understand: the compounding impacts of extreme events on health and the health system, local data needs that can better inform models that predict future health risks and healthcare utilisation for the region, and the needs of vulnerable populations that require a whole-of-system response during the different phases of disasters. In conclusion, the review provided climate change and health research directions the LHD may undertake to inform future adaptation and mitigation policies and strategies relevant to their region.
Reflections on the Catastrophic 2019–2020 Australian Bushfires
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2020
Comparative evaluation of nitrogen oxides and ozone passive diffusion tubes for exposure studies
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2009
Technical challenges in tackling regulatory concerns for urban atmospheric nanoparticles
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
Monitoring the effect of air pollution episodes on health care consultations and ambulance call-outs in England during March/April 2014: A retrospective observational analysis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2016.04.026
Abstract: There is an increasing body of evidence illustrating the negative health effects of air pollution including increased risk of respiratory, cardiac and other morbid conditions. During March and April 2014 there were two air pollution episodes in England that occurred in close succession. We used national real-time syndromic surveillance systems, including general practitioner (GP) consultations, emergency department attendances, telehealth calls and ambulance dispatch calls to further understand the impact of these short term acute air pollution periods on the health seeking behaviour of the general public. Each air pollution period was comparable with respect to particulate matter concentrations (PM10 and PM2.5), however, the second period was longer in duration (6 days vs 3 days) and meteorologically driven 'Sahara dust' contributed to the pollution. Health surveillance data revealed a greater impact during the second period, with GP consultations, emergency department attendances and telehealth (NHS 111) calls increasing for asthma, wheeze and difficulty breathing indicators, particularly in patients aged 15-64 years. Across regions of England there was good agreement between air quality levels and health care seeking behaviour. The results further demonstrate the acute impact of short term air pollution episodes on public health and also illustrate the potential role of mass media reporting in escalating health care seeking behaviour.
A comparative study of life-years lost attributable to air particulate matter in Asia-Pacific and European countries
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2023
The Urban Heat Island: Implications for Health in a Changing Environment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-07-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S40572-017-0150-3
Abstract: The Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a well-studied phenomenon, whereby urban areas are generally warmer than surrounding suburban and rural areas. The most direct effect on health from the UHI is due to heat risk, which is exacerbated in urban areas, particularly during heat waves. However, there may be health benefits from warming during colder months. This review highlights recent attempts to quantitatively estimate the health impacts of the UHI and estimations of the health benefits of UHI mitigation measures. Climate change, increasing urbanisation and an ageing population in much of the world, is likely to increase the risks to health from the UHI, particularly from heat exposure. Studies have shown increased health risks in urban populations compared with rural or suburban populations in hot weather and a disproportionate impact on more vulnerable social groups. Estimations of the impacts of various mitigation techniques suggest that a range of measures could reduce health impacts from heat and bring other benefits to health and wellbeing. The impact of the UHI on heat-related health is significant, although often overlooked, particularly when considering future impacts associated with climate change. Multiple factors should be considered when designing mitigation measures in urban environments in order to maximise health benefits and avoid unintended negative effects.
Land cover and air pollution are associated with asthma hospitalisations: A cross-sectional study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2017.08.009
Abstract: There is increasing policy interest in the potential for vegetation in urban areas to mitigate harmful effects of air pollution on respiratory health. We aimed to quantify relationships between tree and green space density and asthma-related hospitalisations, and explore how these varied with exposure to background air pollution concentrations. Population standardised asthma hospitalisation rates (1997-2012) for 26,455 urban residential areas of England were merged with area-level data on vegetation and background air pollutant concentrations. We fitted negative binomial regression models using maximum likelihood estimation to obtain estimates of asthma-vegetation relationships at different levels of pollutant exposure. Green space and gardens were associated with reductions in asthma hospitalisation when pollutant exposures were lower but had no significant association when pollutant exposures were higher. In contrast, tree density was associated with reduced asthma hospitalisation when pollutant exposures were higher but had no significant association when pollutant exposures were lower. We found differential effects of natural environments at high and low background pollutant concentrations. These findings can provide evidence for urban planning decisions which aim to leverage health co-benefits from environmental improvements.
Household air pollution following replacement of traditional open fire with an improved rocket type cookstove
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.10.233
Abstract: Cooking with biomass fuel is an important source of household air pollution (HAP) in developing countries, and a leading risk factor for ill-health. Although various designs of "improved cookstoves" (ICS) have been promoted as HAP interventions in these settings, few of them have undergone in-field evaluation, partly due to the challenge of conducting field measurements in remote settings. In this study we assessed the change in carbon monoxide (CO) exposure following the replacement of the traditional three-stone stove with a popular ICS in 49 homes in Western Kenya. We also assessed the suitability of using kitchen CO as a proxy for kitchen PM
Haze, public health and mitigation measures in China: A review of the current evidence for further policy response
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.10.231
Abstract: With rapid economic development, China has been plagued by choking air pollution in recent years, and the frequent occurrence of haze episodes has caused widespread public concern. The purpose of this study is to describe the sources and formation of haze, summarize the mitigation measures in force, review the relationship between haze pollution and public health, and to discuss the challenges, potential research directions and policy options. Haze pollution has both natural and man-made causes, though it is anthropogenic sources that are the major contributors. Accumulation of air pollutants, secondary formation of aerosols, stagnant meteorological conditions, and trans-boundary transportation of pollutants are the principal causes driving the formation and evolution of haze. In China, haze includes gaseous pollutants and fine particles, of which PM
Pollen exposure and hospitalization due to asthma exacerbations: daily time series in a European city
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-05-2017
Comparison of statistical clustering techniques for the classification of modelled atmospheric trajectories
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-12-2009
Reflections on climate change and the Australian health system
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1071/AHV45N1_ED2
Assessment of microscale spatio-temporal variation of air pollution at an urban hotspot in Madrid (Spain) through an extensive field campaign
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
Civil aviation, air pollution and human health
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 04-2015
A review of the characteristics of nanoparticles in the urban atmosphere and the prospects for developing regulatory controls
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2010
Indoor Exposure to Selected Air Pollutants in the Home Environment: A Systematic Review
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 02-12-2020
Abstract: (1) Background: There is increasing awareness that the quality of the indoor environment affects our health and well-being. Indoor air quality (IAQ) in particular has an impact on multiple health outcomes, including respiratory and cardiovascular illness, allergic symptoms, cancers, and premature mortality. (2) Methods: We carried out a global systematic literature review on indoor exposure to selected air pollutants associated with adverse health effects, and related household characteristics, seasonal influences and occupancy patterns. We screened records from six bibliographic databases: ABI/INFORM, Environment Abstracts, Pollution Abstracts, PubMed, ProQuest Biological and Health Professional, and Scopus. (3) Results: Information on indoor exposure levels and determinants, emission sources, and associated health effects was extracted from 141 studies from 29 countries. The most-studied pollutants were particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene, xylenes and formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including naphthalene. Identified indoor PM2.5 sources include smoking, cooking, heating, use of incense, candles, and insecticides, while cleaning, housework, presence of pets and movement of people were the main sources of coarse particles. Outdoor air is a major PM2.5 source in rooms with natural ventilation in roadside households. Major sources of NO2 indoors are unvented gas heaters and cookers. Predictors of indoor NO2 are ventilation, season, and outdoor NO2 levels. VOCs are emitted from a wide range of indoor and outdoor sources, including smoking, solvent use, renovations, and household products. Formaldehyde levels are higher in newer houses and in the presence of new furniture, while PAH levels are higher in smoking households. High indoor particulate matter, NO2 and VOC levels were typically associated with respiratory symptoms, particularly asthma symptoms in children. (4) Conclusions: Household characteristics and occupant activities play a large role in indoor exposure, particularly cigarette smoking for PM2.5, gas appliances for NO2, and household products for VOCs and PAHs. Home location near high-traffic-density roads, redecoration, and small house size contribute to high indoor air pollution. In most studies, air exchange rates are negatively associated with indoor air pollution. These findings can inform interventions aiming to improve IAQ in residential properties in a variety of settings.
COVID-19 environmental transmission and preventive public health measures
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Challenges and Opportunities for Urban Environmental Health and Sustainability: the HEALTHY-POLIS initiative
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2016
In vitro assessment of the pulmonary toxicity of particulate matter emitted during haze events in Chiang Mai, Thailand via investigation of macrophage responses
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 15-12-2022
Abstract: Chiang Mai (Thailand) experiences severe haze pollution in the dry season (December–April) each year mainly due to local and regional biomass burning (e.g. of agricultural land). A major component of the haze is airborne particulate matter (PM). During haze events, biomass burning is likely to be the dominant source of PM emissions, and at other times emissions from traffic dominate. The hazard of traffic derived PM has been extensively investigated previously but there are uncertainties regarding the toxicity of PM emitted from biomass burning. The toxicity of PM 10 s les collected during and after haze events in Chiang Mai in 2020 was compared in vitro in J774.1 macrophages as they are responsible for the clearance of inhaled particles. Diesel exhaust particles and ultrafine carbon black were included as benchmark particles as they have been commonly used as a surrogate for PM. Cytotoxicity was evaluated 24 h post exposure at concentrations of 3.9–125 µ g ml −1 . Cytokine production (tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF- α ), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 β , macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-2)) was assessed and cell morphology visualised using light and scanning electron microscopy. The hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential and endotoxin content of all particles was assessed as well as the metal content of PM s les. All particles induced a concentration dependent decrease in cell viability and increased TNF- α and MIP-2 production. Only PM s les stimulated IL-6 production and only non-haze PM caused IL-1 β production. No change in IL-10 production was detected for any particle. PM s les and DEP caused vacuole formation in cells. The concentrations of endotoxin and metals were highest in non-haze PM, which may explain why it induced the greatest inflammatory response. As non-haze PM was more toxic than haze PM, our results indicate that the source of PM emissions can influence its toxic potency and more specifically, that PM emitted from biomass burning may be less toxic than PM emitted from traffic.
Coronavirus seasonality, respiratory infections and weather
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S12879-021-06785-2
Abstract: The survival of coronaviruses are influenced by weather conditions and seasonal coronaviruses are more common in winter months. We examine the seasonality of respiratory infections in England and Wales and the associations between weather parameters and seasonal coronavirus cases. Respiratory virus disease data for England and Wales between 1989 and 2019 was extracted from the Second-Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) database used for routine surveillance. Seasonal coronaviruses from 2012 to 2019 were compared to daily average weather parameters for the period before the patient’s specimen date with a range of lag periods. The seasonal distribution of 985,524 viral infections in England and Wales (1989–2019) showed coronavirus infections had a similar seasonal distribution to influenza A and bocavirus, with a winter peak between weeks 2 to 8. Ninety percent of infections occurred where the daily mean ambient temperatures were below 10 °C where daily average global radiation exceeded 500 kJ/m 2 /h where sunshine was less than 5 h per day or where relative humidity was above 80%. Coronavirus infections were significantly more common where daily average global radiation was under 300 kJ/m 2 /h (OR 4.3 CI 3.9–4.6 p 0.001) where average relative humidity was over 84% (OR 1.9 CI 3.9–4.6 p 0.001) where average air temperature was below 10 °C (OR 6.7 CI 6.1–7.3 p 0.001) or where sunshine was below 4 h (OR 2.4 CI 2.2–2.6 p 0.001) when compared to the distribution of weather values for the same time period. Seasonal coronavirus infections in children under 3 years old were more frequent at the start of an annual epidemic than at the end, suggesting that the size of the susceptible child population may be important in the annual cycle. The dynamics of seasonal coronaviruses reflect immunological, weather, social and travel drivers of infection. Evidence from studies on different coronaviruses suggest that low temperature and low radiation/sunlight favour survival. This implies a seasonal increase in SARS-CoV-2 may occur in the UK and countries with a similar climate as a result of an increase in the R 0 associated with reduced temperatures and solar radiation. Increased measures to reduce transmission will need to be introduced in winter months for COVID-19.
A novel methodology for interpreting air quality measurements from urban streets using CFD modelling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
Bushfire smoke: urgent need for a national health protection strategy
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 23-02-2020
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.50511
Operational air pollution modelling in the UK—Street canyon applications and challenges
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2007
Justice, culture, and relationships: Australian Indigenous prescription for planetary health
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 11-08-2023
Abstract: Indigenous communities shoulder a disproportionate burden of ill health compounded by climate change. In Australia, the oldest surviving cultures have adapted their ecological knowledge over millennia and across climatic ages. However, European colonization has severely curtailed Indigenous peoples’ ability to adjust to climate change. An effective response to the climate crisis requires decolonizing processes to reform our relationship with the planet. From an Australian Indigenous perspective, precursors for a self-determined and healthier future are justice, culture, and relationships. We review existing studies on Indigenous-led contemporary climate and health initiatives to assess these precursors. There are ex les that highlight the need to attend to issues of restorative justice as the basis for respectful valuing of culture and genuine collaboration to address the climate crisis.
Model sensitivity and uncertainty analysis using roadside air quality measurements
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2002
Assessment of traffic-related air pollution in two street canyons in Paris: Implications for exposure studies
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2002
Policy Implications for Protecting Health from the Hazards of Fire Smoke. A Panel Discussion Report from the Workshop Landscape Fire Smoke: Protecting Health in an Era of Escalating Fire Risk
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-05-2021
Abstract: Globally, and nationally in Australia, bushfires are expected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change. To date, protection of human health from fire smoke has largely relied on in idual-level actions. Recent bushfires experienced during the Australian summer of 2019–2020 occurred over a prolonged period and encompassed far larger geographical areas than previously experienced, resulting in extreme levels of smoke for extended periods of time. This particular bushfire season resulted in highly challenging conditions, where many people were unable to protect themselves from smoke exposures. The Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR), an Australian research centre, hosted a two-day symposium, Landscape Fire Smoke: Protecting health in an era of escalating fire risk, on 8 and 9 October 2020. One component of the symposium was a dedicated panel discussion where invited experts were asked to examine alternative policy settings for protecting health from fire smoke hazards with specific reference to interventions to minimise exposure, protection of outdoor workers, and current systems for communicating health risk. This paper documents the proceedings of the expert panel and participant discussion held during the workshop.
Trees, Climate Change, and Health: An Urban Planning, Greening and Implementation Perspective
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-09-2023
The relationship between greenspace and personal exposure to PM2.5 during walking trips in Delhi, India
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2022.119294
Abstract: The presence of urban greenspace may lead to reduced personal exposure to air pollution via several mechanisms, for ex le, increased dispersion of airborne particulates however, there is a lack of real-time evidence across different urban contexts. Study participants were 79 adolescents with asthma who lived in Delhi, India and were recruited to the Delhi Air Pollution and Health Effects (DAPHNE) study. Participants were monitored continuously for exposure to PM
Modelling public health improvements as a result of air pollution control policies in the UK over four decades—1970 to 2010
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 26-06-2019
Abstract: In much of the industrialised world, policy interventions to address the challenges of wide-spread air pollution as resulting from development and economic progress in the 2nd half of the 20th century have overall led to reductions in air pollution levels and related health effects since the 1970s. While overall improvements towards reducing health effects from ambient air pollution are recorded, comprehensive and consistent assessments of the long-term impact of policy interventions are still scarce. In this paper, we conduct a model assessment over a 40 year period of air pollution in the UK. In order to correct for the short and longer term variability of meteorological factors contributing to trends in ambient concentrations of priority air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, fine particulate matter and ozone), we use a fixed meteorological year for all model simulations. Hence, the modelled changes in air pollutant concentrations and related health effects are solely a function of the changes in emissions since 1970. These changes in emissions are primarily driven by policy interventions, ranging from phasing out of specific fuels or substances, to regulating the use of chemicals and driving the development of cleaner, more efficient technologies. Over the 40 year period, UK attributable mortality due to exposure to PM 2.5 and NO 2 have declined by 56% and 44% respectively, while ozone attributable respiratory mortality increased by 17% over the same period (however, with a slight decrease by 14% between 2000 and 2010).
Human mortality in Cyprus: the role of temperature and particulate air pollution
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-04-2015
‘Green’ on the ground but not in the air: Pro-environmental attitudes are related to household behaviours but not discretionary air travel
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Are rocket mud stoves associated with lower indoor carbon monoxide and personal exposure in rural Kenya?
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 06-06-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1600-0668.2012.00786.X
Abstract: Household use of biomass fuels is a major source of indoor air pollution and poor health in developing countries. We conducted a cross-sectional investigation in rural Kenya to assess household air pollution in homes with traditional three-stone stove and rocket mud stove (RMS), a low-cost unvented wood stove. We conducted continuous measurements of kitchen carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations and personal exposures in 102 households. Median 48-h kitchen and personal CO concentrations were 7.3 and 6.5 ppm, respectively, for three-stone stoves, while the corresponding concentrations for RMS were 5.8 and 4.4 ppm. After adjusting for kitchen location, ventilation, socio-economic status, and fuel moisture content, the use of RMS was associated with 33% lower levels of kitchen CO [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 64.4-25.1%] and 42% lower levels of personal CO (95% CI, 66.0-1.1%) as compared to three-stone stoves. Differences in CO concentrations by stove type were more pronounced when averaged over the cooking periods, although they were attenuated after adjusting for confounding. In conclusion, RMS appear to lower kitchen and personal CO concentrations compared to the traditional three-stone stoves but overall, the CO concentrations remain high. The rocket mud stoves (RMS) were associated with lower CO concentrations compared to three-stone stoves. However, the difference in concentrations was modest and concentrations in both stove groups exceeded the WHO guideline of 7 μg/m(3) , suggesting the unvented RMSs on their own are unlikely to appreciably benefit health in this population. Greater air quality benefit could be realized if the stoves were complemented with behavior change, including education on extinguishing fire when not in use as well as fuel drying, and cooking in locations that are separate from the main house.
Future air pollution related health burdens associated with RCP emission changes in the UK
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
A comparison of fuel use between a low cost, improved wood stove and traditional three-stone stove in rural Kenya
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Health burdens of surface ozone in the UK for a range of future scenarios
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2013.09.010
Abstract: Exposure to surface ozone (O3), which is influenced by emissions of precursor chemical species, meteorology and population distribution, is associated with excess mortality and respiratory morbidity. In this study, the EMEP-WRF atmospheric chemistry transport model was used to simulate surface O3 concentrations at 5km horizontal resolution over the British Isles for a baseline year of 2003, for three anthropogenic emissions scenarios for 2030, and for a +5°C increase in air temperature on the 2003 baseline. Deaths brought forward and hospitalisation burdens for 12 UK regions were calculated from population-weighted daily maximum 8-hour O3. The magnitude of changes in annual mean surface O3 over the UK for +5°C temperature (+1.0 to +1.5ppbv, depending on region) was comparable to those due to inter-annual meteorological variability (-1.5 to +1.5ppbv) but considerably less than changes due to precursor emissions changes by 2030 (-3.0 to +3.5ppbv, depending on scenario and region). Including population changes in 2030, both the 'current legislation' and 'maximum feasible reduction' scenarios yield greater O3-attributable health burdens than the 'high' emission scenario: +28%, +22%, and +16%, respectively, above 2003 baseline deaths brought forward (11,500) and respiratory hospital admissions (30,700), using O3 exposure over the full year and no threshold for health effects. The health burdens are greatest under the 'current legislation' scenario because O3 concentrations increase as a result of both increases in background O3 concentration and decreases in UK NOx emissions. For the +5°C scenario, and no threshold (and not including population increases), total UK health burden increases by 500 premature deaths (4%) relative to the 2003 baseline. If a 35ppbv threshold for O3 effects is assumed, health burdens are more sensitive to the current legislation and +5°C scenarios, although total health burdens are roughly an order of magnitude lower. In all scenarios, the assumption of a threshold increases the proportion of health burden in the south and east of the UK compared with the no threshold assumption. The study highlights that the total, and geographically-apportioned, O3-attributable health burdens in the UK are highly sensitive to the future trends of hemispheric, regional and local emissions of O3 precursors, and to the assumption of a threshold for O3 effect.
Urban environmental health interventions towards the Sustainable Development Goals
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Long-term exposure to ambient ozone and mortality: a quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from cohort studies
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 02-2016
Environmental factors associated with general practitioner consultations for allergic rhinitis in London, England: a retrospective time series analysis
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 12-2020
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2019-036724
Abstract: To identify key predictors of general practitioner (GP) consultations for allergic rhinitis (AR) using meteorological and environmental data. A retrospective, time series analysis of GP consultations for AR. A large GP surveillance network of GP practices in the London area. The study population was all persons who presented to general practices in London that report to the Public Health England GP in-hours syndromic surveillance system during the study period (3 April 2012 to 11 August 2014). Consultations for AR (numbers of consultations). During the study period there were 186 401 GP consultations for AR. High grass and nettle pollen counts (combined) were associated with the highest increases in consultations (for the category 216-270 grains/m 3 , relative risk (RR) 3.33, 95% CI 2.69 to 4.12) followed by high tree (oak, birch and plane combined) pollen counts (for the category 260–325 grains/m 3 , RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.15) and average daily temperatures between 15°C and 20°C (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.81). Higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) appeared to be associated with increased consultations (for the category 70–85 µg/m 3 , RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.71), but a significant effect was not found with ozone. Higher daily rainfall was associated with fewer consultations (15–20 mm/day RR 0.812, 95% CI 0.674 to 0.980). Changes in grass, nettle or tree pollen counts, temperatures between 15°C and 20°C, and (to a lesser extent) NO 2 concentrations were found to be associated with increased consultations for AR. Rainfall has a negative effect. In the context of climate change and continued exposures to environmental air pollution, intelligent use of these data will aid targeting public health messages and plan healthcare demand.
An integrated tool to assess the role of new planting in PM10 capture and the human health benefits: A case study in London
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2009.05.005
Abstract: The role of vegetation in mitigating the effects of PM(10) pollution has been highlighted as one potential benefit of urban greenspace. An integrated modelling approach is presented which utilises air dispersion (ADMS-Urban) and particulate interception (UFORE) to predict the PM(10) concentrations both before and after greenspace establishment, using a 10 x 10 km area of East London Green Grid (ELGG) as a case study. The corresponding health benefits, in terms of premature mortality and respiratory hospital admissions, as a result of the reduced exposure of the local population are also modelled. PM(10) capture from the scenario comprising 75% grassland, 20% sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and 5% Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) was estimated to be 90.41 t yr(-1), equating to 0.009 t ha(-1) yr(-1) over the whole study area. The human health modelling estimated that 2 deaths and 2 hospital admissions would be averted per year.
Towards the Integrated Study of Urban Climate, Air Pollution, and Public Health
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 26-02-2018
DOI: 10.3390/CLI6010014
Changes in population susceptibility to heat and cold over time: assessing adaptation to climate change
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2016
Advancing tools to promote health equity across European Union regions: the EURO-HEALTHY project
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-02-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12961-020-0526-Y
Abstract: Population health measurements are recognised as appropriate tools to support public health monitoring. Yet, there is still a lack of tools that offer a basis for policy appraisal and for foreseeing impacts on health equity. In the context of persistent regional inequalities, it is critical to ascertain which regions are performing best, which factors might shape future health outcomes and where there is room for improvement. Under the EURO-HEALTHY project, tools combining the technical elements of multi-criteria value models and the social elements of participatory processes were developed to measure health in multiple dimensions and to inform policies. The flagship tool is the Population Health Index (PHI), a multidimensional measure that evaluates health from the lens of equity in health determinants and health outcomes, further ided into sub-indices. Foresight tools for policy analysis were also developed, namely: (1) scenarios of future patterns of population health in Europe in 2030, combining group elicitation with the Extreme-World method and (2) a multi-criteria evaluation framework informing policy appraisal (case study of Lisbon). Finally, a WebGIS was built to map and communicate the results to wider audiences. The Population Health Index was applied to all European Union (EU) regions, indicating which regions are lagging behind and where investments are most needed to close the health gap. Three scenarios for 2030 were produced – (1) the ‘Failing Europe’ scenario (worst case/increasing inequalities), (2) the ‘Sustainable Prosperity’ scenario (best case/decreasing inequalities) and (3) the ‘Being Stuck’ scenario (the EU and Member States maintain the status quo). Finally, the policy appraisal exercise conducted in Lisbon illustrates which policies have higher potential to improve health and how their feasibility can change according to different scenarios. The article makes a theoretical and practical contribution to the field of population health. Theoretically, it contributes to the conceptualisation of health in a broader sense by advancing a model able to integrate multiple aspects of health, including health outcomes and multisectoral determinants. Empirically, the model and tools are closely tied to what is measurable when using the EU context but offering opportunities to be upscaled to other settings.
Heat-related mortality in Cyprus for current and future climate scenarios
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2016.06.138
Abstract: Extreme temperatures have long been associated with adverse health impacts, ranging from minor illness, to increased hospitalizations and mortality. Heat-related mortality during summer months is likely to become an increasing public health problem in future due to the effects of climate change. We performed a health impact assessment for heat-related mortality for the warm months of April-September for the years 2004 to 2009 inclusive, for the city of Nicosia and for Cyprus as a whole, based on separately derived exposure-response functions. We further estimated the potential future heat-related mortality by including climate projections for southern Europe, which suggest changes in temperature of between 1°C and 5°C over the next century. There were 32 heat-related deaths per year in Cyprus over the study period. When adding the projected increase in temperature due to climate change, there was a substantial increase in mortality: for a 1°C increase in temperature, heat related mortality in Cyprus was estimated to double to 64 per year, and for a 5°C increase, heat-related mortality was expected to be 8 times the baseline rate for the warm season (281 compared with 32). This analysis highlights the importance of preparing for potential health impacts due to heat in Cyprus, particularly under a changing climate.
Measurement of Personal Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds and Particle Associated PAH in Three UK Regions
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 15-05-2009
DOI: 10.1021/ES9005042
Abstract: Personal exposures to 15 volatile organic compounds (VOC) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) of 100 adult nonsmokers living in three UK areas, namely London, West Midlands, and rural South Wales, were measured using an actively pumped s ler carried around by the volunteers for 5/1 (VOC/PAH) consecutive 24-h periods, following their normal lifestyle. Results from personal exposure measurements categorized by geographical location, type of dwelling, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are presented. The average personal exposure concentration to benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and benzo(a)pyrene representing the main carcinogenic components of the VOC and PAH mixture were 2.2 +/- 2.5 microg/m3, 0.4 +/- 0.7 microg/m3, and 0.3 +/- 0.7 ng/m3 respectively. The association of a number of generic factors with personal exposure concentrations was investigated, including first-line property, traffic, the presence of an integral garage, and ETS. Only living in houses with integral garages and being exposed to ETS were identified as unequivocal contributors to VOC personal exposure, while only ETS had a clear effect upon PAH personal exposures. The measurements of personal exposures were compared with health-based European and UK air quality guidelines, with some exceedences occurring. Activities contributing to high personal exposures included the use of a fireplace in the home, ETS exposure, DIY (i.e., construction and craftwork activities), and photocopying, among others.
Cold-related mortality in three European metropolitan areas: Athens, Lisbon and London. Implications for health promotion
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
Population Health Inequalities Across and Within European Metropolitan Areas through the Lens of the EURO-HEALTHY Population Health Index
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 07-03-2019
Abstract: The different geographical contexts seen in European metropolitan areas are reflected in the uneven distribution of health risk factors for the population. Accumulating evidence on multiple health determinants point to the importance of in idual, social, economic, physical and built environment features, which can be shaped by the local authorities. The complexity of measuring health, which at the same time underscores the level of intra-urban inequalities, calls for integrated and multidimensional approaches. The aim of this study is to analyse inequalities in health determinants and health outcomes across and within nine metropolitan areas: Athens, Barcelona, Berlin-Brandenburg, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Prague, Stockholm and Turin. We use the EURO-HEALTHY Population Health Index (PHI), a tool that measures health in two components: Health Determinants and Health Outcomes. The application of this tool revealed important inequalities between metropolitan areas: Better scores were found in Northern cities when compared with their Southern and Eastern counterparts in both components. The analysis of geographical patterns within metropolitan areas showed that there are intra-urban inequalities, and, in most cities, they appear to form spatial clusters. Identifying which urban areas are measurably worse off, in either Health Determinants or Health Outcomes, or both, provides a basis for redirecting local action and for ongoing comparisons with other metropolitan areas.
Air Quality Strategies on Public Health and Health Equity in Europe—A Systematic Review
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 02-12-2016
Dynamics and dispersion modelling of nanoparticles from road traffic in the urban atmospheric environment—A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
Spatial variability of air pollution in the vicinity of a permanent monitoring station in central Paris
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2005
Development of an England-wide indoor overheating and air pollution model using artificial neural networks
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-04-2016
Mortality and emergency hospitalizations associated with atmospheric particulate matter episodes across the UK in spring 2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2016.07.018
Abstract: Exposure to particulate air pollution is known to have negative impacts on human health. Long-term exposure to anthropogenic particulate matter is associated with the equivalent of around 29,000 deaths a year in the UK. However, short-lived air pollution episodes on the order of a few days are also associated with increased daily mortality and emergency hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. The UK experienced widespread high levels of particulate air pollution in March-April 2014 observations of hourly mean PM
Axial compressive behaviour of concrete-filled double-tube stub columns with stiffeners
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
How Harmful Is Particulate Matter Emitted from Biomass Burning? A Thailand Perspective
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-11-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S40726-019-00125-4
Abstract: A large body of epidemiological evidence demonstrates that exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Many epidemiology studies have investigated the health effects of PM in Europe and North America and focussed on traffic derived PM. However, elevated levels of PM are a global problem and the impacts of other sources of PM on health should be assessed. Biomass burning can increase PM levels in urban and rural indoor and outdoor environments in developed and developing countries. We aim to identify whether the health effects of traffic and biomass burning derived PM are similar by performing a narrative literature review. We focus on Thailand as haze episodes from agricultural biomass burning can substantially increase PM levels. Existing epidemiology, in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that biomass burning derived PM elicits toxicity via stimulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and genotoxicity. Thus, it is likely to cause similar adverse health outcomes to traffic PM, which causes toxicity via similar mechanisms. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether traffic or biomass burning derived PM is most hazardous. Also, there is evidence that PM released from different biomass sources varies in its toxic potency. We recommend that epidemiology studies are performed in Thailand to better understand the impacts of PM emitted from specific biomass sources (e.g. agricultural burning). Further, experimental studies should assess the toxicity of PM emitted from more erse biomass sources. This will fill knowledge gaps and inform evidence-based interventions that protect human health.
Sources and factors affecting PM10 levels in two European cities: Implications for local air quality management
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2008
Neighbourhood and path-based greenspace in three European countries: associations with objective physical activity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-02-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-021-10259-0
Abstract: Greenspace has been associated with health benefits in many contexts. An important pathway may be through outdoor physical activity. We use a novel approach to examine the link between greenspace microenvironments and outdoor physical activity levels in the HEALS study conducted in Edinburgh (UK), the Netherlands, and Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece). Using physical activity tracker recordings, 118 HEALS participants with young children were classified with regard to daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) 60 were classified with regard to the metabolic equivalent task (MET)-minutes for each of the 1014 active trips they made. Greenspace indicators were generated for Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree cover density (TCD), and green land use (GLU). We employed linear mixed-effects models to analyse (1) daily MVPA in relation to greenspace within 300 m and 1000 m of residential addresses and (2) trip MET-minutes in relation to average greenspace within a 50 m buffer of walking/cycling routes. Models were adjusted for activity, walkability, bluespace, age, sex, car ownership, dog ownership, season, weekday/weekend day, and local meteorology. There was no clear association between MVPA-minutes and any residential greenspace measure. For ex le, in fully adjusted models, a 10 percentage point increase in NDVI within 300 m of home was associated with a daily increase of 1.14 (95% CI − 0.41 to 2.70) minutes of MVPA. However, we did find evidence to indicate greenspace markers were positively linked to intensity and duration of activity: in fully adjusted models, 10 percentage point increases in trip NDVI, TCD, and GLU were associated with increases of 10.4 (95% CI: 4.43 to 16.4), 10.6 (95% CI: 4.96 to 16.3), and 3.36 (95% CI: 0.00 to 6.72) MET-minutes, respectively. The magnitude of associations with greenspace tended to be greater for cycling. More strenuous or longer walking and cycling trips occurred in environments with more greenspace, but levels of residential greenspace did not have a clear link with outdoor MVPA. To build on our research, we suggest future work examine larger, more erse populations and investigate the influence of greenspace for trip purpose and route preference.
Ambient particulate matter and biomass burning: an ecological time series study of respiratory and cardiovascular hospital visits in northern Thailand
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-07-2020
Impact and uncertainty of a traffic management intervention: Population exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2008.01.037
Abstract: In urban areas, road traffic is a major source of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), thus any changes in traffic patterns are expected to affect PAH concentrations in ambient air. Exposure to PAH and other traffic-related air pollutants has often been quantified in a deterministic manner that disregards the various sources of uncertainty in the modelling systems used. In this study, we developed a generic method for handling uncertainty in population exposure models. The method was applied to quantify the uncertainty in population exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) before and after the implementation of a traffic management intervention. This intervention would affect the movement of vehicles in the studied area and consequently alter traffic emissions, pollutant concentrations and population exposure. Several models, including an emission calculator, a dispersion model and a Geographic Information System were used to quantify the impact of the traffic management intervention. We established four exposure zones defined by distance of residence postcode centroids from major road or intersection. A stochastic method was used to quantify the uncertainty in the population exposure model. The method characterises uncertainty using probability measures and propagates it applying Monte Carlo analysis. The overall model predicted that the traffic management scheme would lead to a minor reduction in mean population exposure to BaP in the studied area. However, the uncertainty associated with the exposure estimates was much larger than this reduction. The proposed method is generic and provides realistic estimates of population exposure to traffic-related pollutants, as well as characterises the uncertainty in these estimates. This method can be used within a decision support tool to evaluate the impact of alternative traffic management policies.
Towards Urbanome the genome of the city to enhance the form and function of future cities
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-09-2019
Projections of temperature-related excess mortality under climate change scenarios
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Evaluation of traffic-producing turbulence schemes within Operational Street Pollution Models using roadside measurements
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2007
Urban vegetation and particle air pollution: Experimental campaigns in a traffic hotspot
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2019.01.016
Abstract: This work presents the main results of two experimental c aigns carried out in summer and winter seasons in a complex pollution hotspot near a large park, El Retiro, in Madrid (Spain). These c aigns were aimed at understanding the microscale spatio-temporal variation of ambient concentration levels in areas with high pollution values to obtain data to validate models on the effect of urban trees on particulate matter concentrations. Two different measuring approaches have been used. The first one was static, with instruments continuously characterizing the meteorological variables and the particulate matter concentration outside and inside the park. During the summer c aign, the particulate matter concentration was clearly influenced by a Saharan dust outbreak during the period 23 June to 10 July 2016, when most of the particulate matter was in the fraction PM
Grand Challenges in Sustainable Cities and Health
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 12-12-2019
Comparative assessment of a real-time particle monitor against the reference gravimetric method for PM10 and PM2.5 in indoor air
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
An integrated approach to assessing the environmental and health impacts of pollution in the urban environment: Methodology and a case study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
What is cold-related mortality? A multi-disciplinary perspective to inform climate change impact assessments
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2018.08.053
Abstract: There is a growing discussion regarding the mortality burdens of hot and cold weather and how the balance between these may alter as a result of climate change. Net effects of climate change are often presented, and in some settings these may suggest that reductions in cold-related mortality will outweigh increases in heat-related mortality. However, key to these discussions is that the magnitude of temperature-related mortality is wholly sensitive to the placement of the temperature threshold above or below which effects are modelled. For cold exposure especially, where threshold effects are often ill-defined, choices in threshold placement have varied widely between published studies, even within the same location. Despite this, there is little discussion around appropriate threshold selection and whether reported associations reflect true causal relationships - i.e. whether all deaths occurring below a given temperature threshold can be regarded as cold-related and are therefore likely to decrease as climate warms. Our objectives are to initiate a discussion around the importance of threshold placement and examine evidence for causality across the full range of temperatures used to quantify cold-related mortality. We examine whether understanding causal mechanisms can inform threshold selection, the interpretation of current and future cold-related health burdens and their use in policy formation. Using Greater London data as an ex le, we first illustrate the sensitivity of cold related mortality to threshold selection. Using the Bradford Hill criteria as a framework, we then integrate knowledge and evidence from multiple disciplines and areas- including animal and human physiology, epidemiology, biomarker studies and population level studies. This allows for discussion of several possible direct and indirect causal mechanisms operating across the range of 'cold' temperatures and lag periods used in health impact studies, and whether this in turn can inform appropriate threshold placement. Evidence from a range of disciplines appears to support a causal relationship for cold across a range of temperatures and lag periods, although there is more consistent evidence for a causal effect at more extreme temperatures. It is plausible that 'direct' mechanisms for cold mortality are likely to occur at lower temperatures and 'indirect' mechanisms (e.g. via increased spread of infection) may occur at milder temperatures. Separating the effects of 'extreme' and 'moderate' cold (e.g. temperatures between approximately 8-9 °C and 18 °C in the UK) could help the interpretation of studies quoting attributable mortality burdens. However there remains the general dilemma of whether it is better to use a lower cold threshold below which we are more certain of a causal relationship, but at the risk of under-estimating deaths attributable to cold.
Air pollution and asthma
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 08-03-2018
Efficacy of Communication Techniques and Health Outcomes of Bushfire Smoke Exposure: A Scoping Review
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 16-10-2021
Abstract: Public health officials communicate the relevant risks of bushfire smoke exposure and associated health protection measures to affected populations. Increasing global bushfire incidence in the context of climate change motivated this scoping review. English-language publications related to adverse health outcomes following bushfire smoke exposure and publications relating to communication during natural disasters were included. Bushfire smoke events potentially increase healthcare contact, especially presentations triggered by respiratory illness. At-risk populations include those with underlying cardiorespiratory disease, elderly, paediatric, pregnant persons, and First Nations people. We found that social media, television, and radio are among the most common information sources utilised in bushfire smoke events. Message style, content, and method of delivery can directly influence message uptake and behaviour modification. Age, rurality, and geographical location influence information source preferences. Culturally and linguistically erse groups and those with hearing, vision, and mobility-related disabilities may benefit from targeted health recommendations. This review emphasises the health effects of bushfire smoke exposure and related communication recommendations during and after bushfire smoke events. Additional investigation may further clarify the health effects of bushfire smoke exposure and efficacy of related health messaging, particularly in at-risk populations. Quantitative comparison of communication methods may yield more specific recommendations for future bushfire smoke events.
Perceptions of Health Co-Benefits in Relation to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions: A Survey among Urban Residents in Three Chinese Cities
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-03-2017
Bushfire Smoke and Children’s Health—Exploring a Communication Gap
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-09-2022
Abstract: The “Black Summer” bushfires of 2019/2020 in Australia generated smoke that persisted for over three months, mainly affecting Eastern Australia. Most communication strategies focused on the fire itself, revealing a knowledge gap in effective communication of the impact of bushfire smoke on health, especially for children and those living in non-English speaking minority groups. To address this, semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with sixteen adults with caring (n = 11) or educational (n = 5) responsibilities for primary-school aged children (5–12 years, with some also having children up to 16 years) who had direct experience of the “Black Summer” bushfires. Overall, 43% (n = 7) of the s le spoke English as a first language, 25% (n = 4) spoke Turkish, with the remainder speaking Persian, Arabic, and Spanish. Thematic inductive qualitative content analysis revealed predominant themes of the role of parents and caregivers as conduits and curators of information. Air quality apps were the most common source of information. Language barriers and the lack of child-friendly methods of communication were highlighted as particular challenges. This qualitative study provides evidence for future development of communication strategies to better serve culturally and linguistically erse in iduals and the children in their care.
The modifying effect of the building envelope on population exposure to PM2.5from outdoor sources
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 10-05-2014
DOI: 10.1111/INA.12116
Analysis of long-range transport influences on urban PM10 using two-stage atmospheric trajectory clusters
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2007
Attributing human mortality during extreme heat waves to anthropogenic climate change
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 07-2016
Avoidable Mortality Attributable to Anthropogenic Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in Australia
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-12-2020
Abstract: Ambient fine particulate matter .5 µm (PM2.5) air pollution increases premature mortality globally. Some PM2.5 is natural, but anthropogenic PM2.5 is comparatively avoidable. We determined the impact of long-term exposures to the anthropogenic PM component on mortality in Australia. PM2.5-attributable deaths were calculated for all Australian Statistical Area 2 (SA2 n = 2310) regions. All-cause death rates from Australian mortality and population databases were combined with annual anthropogenic PM2.5 exposures for the years 2006–2016. Relative risk estimates were derived from the literature. Population-weighted average PM2.5 concentrations were estimated in each SA2 using a satellite and land use regression model for Australia. PM2.5-attributable mortality was calculated using a health-impact assessment methodology with life tables and all-cause death rates. The changes in life expectancy (LE) from birth, years of life lost (YLL), and economic cost of lost life years were calculated using the 2019 value of a statistical life. Nationally, long-term population-weighted average total and anthropogenic PM2.5 concentrations were 6.5 µg/m3 (min 1.2–max 14.2) and 3.2 µg/m3 (min 0–max 9.5), respectively. Annually, anthropogenic PM2.5-pollution is associated with 2616 (95% confidence intervals 1712, 3455) deaths, corresponding to a 0.2-year (95% CI 0.14, 0.28) reduction in LE for children aged 0–4 years, 38,962 (95%CI 25,391, 51,669) YLL and an average annual economic burden of $6.2 billion (95%CI $4.0 billion, $8.1 billion). We conclude that the anthropogenic PM2.5-related costs of mortality in Australia are higher than community standards should allow, and reductions in emissions are recommended to achieve avoidable mortality.
Study of PM10 and PM2.5 levels in three European cities: Analysis of intra and inter urban variations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
Erratum: Paolo Lauriola et al., Advancing Global Health through Environmental and Public Health Tracking, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1976
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-11-2020
Abstract: Due to an error during production, some contents of Table 1 are missing in the published paper [...]
Temperature-related mortality impacts under and beyond Paris Agreement climate change scenarios
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-09-2018
Performance evaluation of a multiscale modelling system applied to particulate matter dispersion in a real traffic hot spot in Madrid (Spain)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Exposure to ambient particulate matter and biomass burning during pregnancy: associations with birth weight in Thailand
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-02-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41370-021-00295-8
Abstract: There is a growing evidence that exposure to ambient particulate air pollution during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes, including reduced birth weight (BW). The objective of this study was to quantify associations between BW and exposure to particulate matter (PM) and biomass burning during pregnancy in Thailand. We collected hourly ambient air pollutant data from ground-based monitors (PM with diameter of µm [PM 10 ], Ozone [O 3 ], and nitrogen dioxide [NO 2 ]), biomass burning from satellite remote sensing data, and in idual birth weight data during 2015–2018. We performed a semi-ecological analysis to evaluate the association between mean trimester exposure to air pollutants and biomass burning with BW and low-birth weight (LBW) ( g), adjusting for gestation age, sex, previous pregnancies, mother’s age, heat index, season, year, gaseous pollutant concentrations, and province. We examined potential effect modification of PM 10 and biomass burning exposures by sex. There were 83,931 eligible births with a mean pregnancy PM 10 exposure of 39.7 µg/m 3 (standard deviation [SD] = 7.7). The entire pregnancy exposure was associated with reduced BW both for PM 10 (−6.81 g per 10 µg/m 3 increase in PM 10 [95% CI = −12.52 to −1.10]) and biomass burning (−6.34 g per 1 SD increase in fires/km 2 [95% CI = −11.35 to −1.34]) only after adjustment for NO 2 . In contrast with these findings, a reduced odds ratio (OR) of LBW was associated with PM 10 exposure only in trimesters one and two, with no relationship across the entire pregnancy period. Associations with biomass burning were limited to increased ORs of LBW with exposure in trimester three, but only for male births. Based on our results, we encourage further investigation of air pollution, biomass burning and BW in Thailand and other low-income and middle-income countries.
Health and climate related ecosystem services provided by street trees in the urban environment
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2016
Spatial variability in air pollution exposure in relation to socioeconomic indicators in nine European metropolitan areas: A study on environmental inequality
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2019.03.050
Abstract: A limited number of studies have addressed environmental inequality, using various study designs and methodologies and often reaching contradictory results. Following a standardized multi-city data collection process within the European project EURO-HEALTHY, we conducted an ecological study to investigate the spatial association between nitrogen dioxide (NO
Modelling wind flow and vehicle-induced turbulence in urban streets
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2008
Meteorological drivers and mortality associated with O3 and PM2.5 air pollution episodes in the UK in 2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
Comparative Assessment of the Effects of Climate Change on Heat- and Cold-Related Mortality in the United Kingdom and Australia
Publisher: Environmental Health Perspectives
Date: 12-2014
DOI: 10.1289/EHP.1307524
Potential health impacts from sulphur dioxide and sulphate exposure in the UK resulting from an Icelandic effusive volcanic eruption
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Environmental public health risks in European metropolitan areas within the EURO-HEALTHY project
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.12.130
Abstract: Urban areas in Europe are facing a range of environmental public health challenges, such as air pollution, traffic noise and road injuries. The identification and quantification of the public health risks associated with exposure to environmental conditions is important for prioritising policies and interventions that aim to diminish the risks and improve the health of the population. With this purpose in mind, the EURO-HEALTHY project used a consistent approach to assess the impact of key environmental risk factors and urban environmental determinants on public health in European metropolitan areas. A number of environmental public health indicators, which are closely tied to the physical and built environment, were identified through stakeholder consultation data were collected from six European metropolitan areas (Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Stockholm and Turin) covering the period 2000-2014, and a health impact assessment framework enabled the quantification of health effects (attributable deaths) associated with these indicators. The key environmental public health indicators were related to air pollution and certain urban environmental conditions (urban green spaces, road safety). The air pollution was generally the highest environmental public health risk the associated number of deaths in Athens, Barcelona and London ranged between 800 and 2300 attributable deaths per year. The number of victims of road traffic accidents and the associated deaths were lowest in the most recent year compared with previous years. We also examined the positive impacts on health associated with urban green spaces by calculating reduced mortality impacts for populations residing in areas with greater green space coverage results in Athens showed reductions of all-cause mortality of 26 per 100,000 inhabitants for populations with benefits of local greenspace. Based on our analysis, we discuss recommendations of potential interventions that could be implemented to reduce the environmental public health risks in the European metropolitan areas covered by this study.
Advancing Global Health through Environmental and Public Health Tracking
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-03-2020
Abstract: Global environmental change has degraded ecosystems. Challenges such as climate change, resource depletion (with its huge implications for human health and wellbeing), and persistent social inequalities in health have been identified as global public health issues with implications for both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. This contributes to pressure on healthcare systems, as well as societal systems that affect health. A novel strategy to tackle these multiple, interacting and interdependent drivers of change is required to protect the population’s health. Public health professionals have found that building strong, enduring interdisciplinary partnerships across disciplines can address environment and health complexities, and that developing Environmental and Public Health Tracking (EPHT) systems has been an effective tool. EPHT aims to merge, integrate, analyse and interpret environmental hazards, exposure and health data. In this article, we explain that public health decision-makers can use EPHT insights to drive public health actions, reduce exposure and prevent the occurrence of disease more precisely in efficient and cost-effective ways. An international network exists for practitioners and researchers to monitor and use environmental health intelligence, and to support countries and local areas toward sustainable and healthy development. A global network of EPHT programs and professionals has the potential to advance global health by implementing and sharing experience, to magnify the impact of local efforts and to pursue data knowledge improvement strategies, aiming to recognise and support best practices. EPHT can help increase the understanding of environmental public health and global health, improve comparability of risks between different areas of the world including Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), enable transparency and trust among citizens, institutions and the private sector, and inform preventive decision making consistent with sustainable and healthy development. This shows how EPHT advances global health efforts by sharing recent global EPHT activities and resources with those working in this field. Experiences from the US, Europe, Asia and Australasia are outlined for operating successful tracking systems to advance global health.
Case Studies
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date: 28-05-2012
Modelling dispersion of traffic pollution in a deep street canyon: Application of CFD and operational models
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2009
Emerging Advances of Nanotechnology in Drug and Vaccine Delivery against Viral Associated Respiratory Infectious Diseases (VARID)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-06-2021
DOI: 10.3390/IJMS22136937
Abstract: Viral-associated respiratory infectious diseases are one of the most prominent subsets of respiratory failures, known as viral respiratory infections (VRI). VRIs are proceeded by an infection caused by viruses infecting the respiratory system. For the past 100 years, viral associated respiratory epidemics have been the most common cause of infectious disease worldwide. Due to several drawbacks of the current anti-viral treatments, such as drug resistance generation and non-targeting of viral proteins, the development of novel nanotherapeutic or nano-vaccine strategies can be considered essential. Due to their specific physical and biological properties, nanoparticles hold promising opportunities for both anti-viral treatments and vaccines against viral infections. Besides the specific physiological properties of the respiratory system, there is a significant demand for utilizing nano-designs in the production of vaccines or antiviral agents for airway-localized administration. SARS-CoV-2, as an immediate ex le of respiratory viruses, is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the coronaviridae family. COVID-19 can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, similarly to other members of the coronaviridae. Hence, reviewing the current and past emerging nanotechnology-based medications on similar respiratory viral diseases can identify pathways towards generating novel SARS-CoV-2 nanotherapeutics and/or nano-vaccines.
Responding to COVID-19 requires strong epidemiological evidence of environmental and societal determining factors
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Local actions to health risks of heatwaves and dengue fever under climate change: Strategies and barriers among primary healthcare professionals in southern China
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2020
A Research Translation, Implementation and Impact Strategy for the Australian Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Research Network
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-07-2023
Abstract: Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) is the Australian national research network established to support improvements to health, the Australian health system, and the environment in response to the unfolding climate crisis. The HEAL Network comprises researchers, community members and organisations, policymakers, practitioners, service providers, and other stakeholders from erse backgrounds and sectors. HEAL seeks to protect and improve public health, reduce health inequities and inequalities, and strengthen health system sustainability and resilience in the face of environmental and climate change, all with a commitment to building on the strengths, knowledge, wisdom, and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culture, and communities. Supporting applied research that can inform policy and practice, and effective research translation, implementation, and impact are important goals across the HEAL Network and essential to achieve its intended outcomes. To aid translation approaches, a research translation, implementation, and impact strategy for the HEAL Network was developed. The strategy has been created to inform and guide research translation across HEAL, emphasising communication, trust, partnerships, and co-design with communities and community organisations as well as the decision-makers responsible for public policies and programs. Development of the strategy was guided by research translation theory and practice and the Health in All Policies and Environment in All Policies frameworks. As described in this paper, the strategy is underpinned by a set of principles and outlines preliminary actions which will be further expanded over the course of the HEAL Network’s activities. Through these actions, the HEAL Network is well-positioned to ensure successful research translation and implementation across its program of work.
Greenhouse gas emissions reduction in different economic sectors: Mitigation measures, health co-benefits, knowledge gaps, and policy implications
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2018.05.011
Abstract: To date, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mitigation strategies and the accompanying health co-benefits in different economic sectors have not been fully investigated. The purpose of this paper is to review comprehensively the evidence on GHG mitigation measures and the related health co-benefits, identify knowledge gaps, and provide recommendations to promote further development and implementation of climate change response policies. Evidence on GHG emissions, abatement measures and related health co-benefits has been observed at regional, national and global levels, involving both low- and high-income societies. GHG mitigation actions have mainly been taken in five sectors: energy generation, transport, food and agriculture, household and industry, consistent with the main sources of GHG emissions. GHGs and air pollutants to a large extent stem from the same sources and are inseparable in terms of their atmospheric evolution and effects on ecosystem thus, GHG reductions are usually, although not always, estimated to have cost effective co-benefits for public health. Some integrated mitigation strategies involving multiple sectors, which tend to create greater health benefits. The pros and cons of different mitigation measures, issues with existing knowledge, priorities for research, and potential policy implications were also discussed. Findings from this study can play a role not only in motivating large GHG emitters to make decisive changes in GHG emissions, but also in facilitating cooperation at international, national and regional levels, to promote GHG mitigation policies that protect public health from climate change and air pollution simultaneously.
School children’s exposure to indoor fine particulate matter
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 21-10-2020
Housing interventions and health: Quantifying the impact of indoor particles on mortality and morbidity with disease recovery
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2015.04.011
Abstract: Housing interventions for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction have the potential to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution if they are implemented correctly. This work assessed the health impacts of home energy efficiency measures in England and Wales resulting in a reduction in average indoor PM2.5 exposures of 3 μg m(-3). The assessment was performed using a new multistate life table model which allows transition into and between multiple morbid states, including recovery to disease-free status and relapse, with transition rates informed by age- and cause-specific disease prevalence, incidence and mortality data. Such models have not previously included disease recovery. The results demonstrate that incorporation of recovery in the model is necessary for conditions such as asthma which have high incidence in early life but likelihood of recovery in adulthood. The impact assessment of the home energy efficiency intervention showed that the reduction in PM2.5 exposure would be associated with substantial benefits for mortality and morbidity from asthma, coronary heart disease and lung cancer. The overall impact would be an increase in life expectancy of two to three months and approximately 13 million QALYs gained over the 90 year follow-up period. Substantial quality-of-life benefits were also observed, with a decrease in asthma over all age groups and larger benefits due to reduced coronary heart disease and lung cancer, particularly in older age groups. The multistate model with recovery provides important additional information for assessing the impact on health of environmental policies and interventions compared with mortality-only life tables, allowing more realistic representation of diseases with substantial non-mortality burdens.
Public health co-benefits of greenhouse gas emissions reduction: A systematic review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.01.193
Abstract: Public health co-benefits from curbing climate change can make greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies more attractive and increase their implementation. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the evidence of these health co-benefits to improve our understanding of the mitigation measures involved, potential mechanisms, and relevant uncertainties. A comprehensive search for peer-reviewed studies published in English was conducted using the primary electronic databases. Reference lists from these articles were reviewed and manual searches were performed to supplement relevant studies. The identified records were screened based on inclusion criteria. We extracted data from the final retrieved papers using a pre-designed data extraction form and a quality assessment was conducted. The studies were heterogeneities, so meta-analysis was not possible and instead evidence was synthesized using narrative summaries. Thirty-six studies were identified. We identified GHG mitigation strategies in five domains - energy generation, transportation, food and agriculture, households, and industry and economy - which usually, although not always, bring co-benefits for public health. These health gains are likely to be multiplied by comprehensive measures that include more than one sectors. GHG mitigation strategies can bring about substantial and possibly cost-effective public health co-benefits. These findings are highly relevant to policy makers and other stakeholders since they point to the compounding value of taking concerted action against climate change and air pollution.
Modelling air quality in street canyons: a review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2003
Mapping allergenic pollen vegetation in UK to study environmental exposure and human health
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
Levels, sources and seasonality of coarse particles (PM10–PM2.5) in three European capitals – Implications for particulate pollution control
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
Indoor PM2.5 exposure in London's domestic stock: Modelling current and future exposures following energy efficient refurbishment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2012
Intra-urban and street scale variability of BTEX, NO2 and O3 in Birmingham, UK: Implications for exposure assessment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2011
Solastalgia mediates between bushfire impact and mental health outcomes: A study of Australia's 2019–2020 bushfire season
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Physical and Mental Health Effects of Bushfire and Smoke in the Australian Capital Territory 2019–20
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 14-10-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FPUBH.2021.682402
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 in iduals 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.
Extreme heat-related mortality avoided under Paris Agreement goals
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-06-2018
Using real-time syndromic surveillance systems to help explore the acute impact of the air pollution incident of March/April 2014 in England
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2014.09.028
Abstract: During March and early April 2014 there was widespread poor air quality across the United Kingdom. Public Health England used existing syndromic surveillance systems to monitor community health during the period. Short lived statistically significant rises in a variety of respiratory conditions, including asthma and wheeze, were detected. This incident has demonstrated the value of real-time syndromic surveillance systems, during an air pollution episode, for helping to explore the impact of poor air quality on community health in real-time.
BTX concentrations near a Stage II implemented petrol station
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2002
DOI: 10.1007/BF02987484
In Utero Exposure to Particulate Air Pollution during Pregnancy: Impact on Birth Weight and Health through the Life Course
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-2020
Abstract: In high-income countries, and increasingly in lower- and middle-income countries, chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the primary health burden. It is possible that in utero exposure to environmental pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) may have an impact on health later in life, including the development of NCDs. Due to a lack of data on foetal growth, birth weight is often used in epidemiologic studies as a proxy to assess impacts on foetal development and adverse birth outcomes since it is commonly recorded at birth. There are no research studies with humans that directly link PM exposure in utero to birth weight (BW) and subsequently, the effects of lower BW on health outcomes in old age. It is, however, plausible that such associations exist, and it is thus important to assess the potential public health impacts of PM across the life course, and it is plausible to use birth weight as an indicator of risk. We therefore split this narrative review into two parts. In the first part, we evaluated the strength of the evidence on the impact of PM exposure during the entire pregnancy on birth weight outcomes in ten meta-analyses. In the second part, we reviewed the literature linking lower birth weight to childhood and adult chronic cardiovascular disease to explore the potential implications of PM exposure in utero on health later in life. Within the reviewed meta-studies on birth weight, there is sufficient evidence that PM pollution is associated with lower birth weight, i.e., the majority of meta-studies found statistically significant reductions in birth weight. From the second part of the review, it is evident that there is good evidence of associations between lower birth weight and subsequent cardiovascular disease risk. It is thus plausible that in utero exposure to PM is associated with lower birth weight and persisting biological changes that could be associated with adverse health effects in adulthood. Based on the reviewed evidence, however, the magnitude of later life cardiovascular health impacts from in utero exposure and its impact on BW are likely to be small compared to health effects from exposure to particulate air pollution over a whole lifetime.
Impact of Air Temperature on London Ambulance Call-Out Incidents and Response Times
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-08-2017
DOI: 10.3390/CLI5030061
Building resilience to Australian flood disasters in the face of climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-06-2022
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.51595
The effects of horizontal advection on the urban heat island in Birmingham and the West Midlands, United Kingdom during a heatwave
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-10-2014
DOI: 10.1002/QJ.2452
Impact of climate change on the domestic indoor environment and associated health risks in the UK
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2015.09.010
Abstract: There is growing evidence that projected climate change has the potential to significantly affect public health. In the UK, much of this impact is likely to arise by lifying existing risks related to heat exposure, flooding, and chemical and biological contamination in buildings. Identifying the health effects of climate change on the indoor environment, and risks and opportunities related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, can help protect public health. We explored a range of health risks in the domestic indoor environment related to climate change, as well as the potential health benefits and unintended harmful effects of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies in the UK housing sector. We reviewed relevant scientific literature, focusing on housing-related health effects in the UK likely to arise through either direct or indirect mechanisms of climate change or mitigation and adaptation measures in the built environment. We considered the following categories of effect: (i) indoor temperatures, (ii) indoor air quality, (iii) indoor allergens and infections, and (iv) flood damage and water contamination. Climate change may exacerbate health risks and inequalities across these categories and in a variety of ways, if adequate adaptation measures are not taken. Certain changes to the indoor environment can affect indoor air quality or promote the growth and propagation of pathogenic organisms. Measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions have the potential for ancillary public health benefits including reductions in health burdens related heat and cold, indoor exposure to air pollution derived from outdoor sources, and mould growth. However, increasing airtightness of dwellings in pursuit of energy efficiency could also have negative effects by increasing concentrations of pollutants (such as PM2.5, CO and radon) derived from indoor or ground sources, and biological contamination. These effects can largely be ameliorated by mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) and air filtration, where such solution is feasible and when the system is properly installed, operated and maintained. Groups at high risk of these adverse health effects include the elderly (especially those living on their own), in iduals with pre-existing illnesses, people living in overcrowded accommodation, and the socioeconomically deprived. A better understanding of how current and emerging building infrastructure design, construction, and materials may affect health in the context of climate change and mitigation and adaptation measures is needed in the UK and other high income countries. Long-term, energy efficient building design interventions, ensuring adequate ventilation, need to be promoted.
Assessing urban population vulnerability and environmental risks across an urban area during heatwaves – Implications for health protection
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.08.062
Abstract: Heatwaves can lead to a range of adverse impacts including increased risk of illness and mortality the heatwave in August 2003 has been associated with ~70,000 deaths across Europe. Due to climate change, heatwaves are likely to become more intense, more frequent and last longer in the future. A number of factors may influence risks associated with heat exposure, such as population age, housing type, and location within the Urban Heat Island, and such factors may not be evenly distributed spatially across a region. We simulated and analysed two major heatwaves in the UK, in August 2003 and July 2006, to assess spatial vulnerability to heat exposure across the West Midlands, an area containing ~5 million people, and how ambient temperature varies in relation to factors that influence heat-related health effects, through weighting of ambient temperatures according to distributions of these factors across an urban area. Additionally we present quantification of how particular centres such as hospitals are exposed to the UHI, by comparing temperatures at these locations with average temperatures across the region, and presenting these results for both day and night times. We find that UHI intensity was substantial during both heatwaves, reaching a maximum of +9.6°C in Birmingham in July 2006. Previous work has shown some housing types, such as flats and terraced houses, are associated with increased risk of overheating, and our results show that these housing types are generally located within the warmest parts of the city. Older age groups are more susceptible to the effects of heat. Our analysis of distribution of population based on age group showed there is only small spatial variation in ambient temperature that different age groups are exposed to. Analysis of relative deprivation across the region indicates more deprived populations are located in the warmest parts of the city.
Improved parameterisation for the numerical modelling of air pollution within an urban street canyon
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2009
Challenges in developing methods for quantifying the effects of weather and climate on water-associated diseases: A systematic review
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-06-2017
Attribution of mortality to the urban heat island during heatwaves in the West Midlands, UK
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2016
Related Organisations
National And Kapodistrian University Of Athens
Location: No location found
Health Protection Agency
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University Of Greenwich Department Of Mathematical Sciences
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University Of Birmingham
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Public Health England
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London School Of Hygiene And Tropical Medicine
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Institute Of Occupational Medicine
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Related Funding Activities
IACOBUS - Programme Of Cultural, Scientific And Pedagogical Cooperation
Start Date: 2019
End Date: 2019
Funder: European Commission
View Funded ActivityClean Energy For Healthy Environments And Lives (CE4HEAL)
Start Date: 2021
End Date: 2023
Funder: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government
View Funded ActivityNIHR Health Protection Research Unit In Environmental Change And Health
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 2017
Funder: National Institute for Health Research
View Funded ActivityGCRF Clean Environment And Planetary Health In Asia (CEPHA) Network
Start Date: 2019
End Date: 2022
Funder: Research Councils UK
View Funded ActivityComplex Urban Systems For Sustainability And Health (CUSSH)
Start Date: 2016
End Date: 2017
Funder: Wellcome Trust
View Funded ActivityA Multi-country Analysis Of Temperature-mortality Associations From A Climate Change Perspective
Start Date: 2015
End Date: 2018
Funder: Medical Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP210100272
Start Date: 10-2022
End Date: 10-2025
Amount: $282,298.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Indigenous - Grant ID: IN220100084
Start Date: 08-2022
End Date: 08-2026
Amount: $1,389,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity