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Gibb K, Beckman S, Vergara XP, Heinzerling A, Harrison R. Extreme Heat and Occupational Health Risks. Annu Rev Public Health 2024; 45:315-335. [PMID: 38166501 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060222-034715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Climate change poses a significant occupational health hazard. Rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves are expected to cause increasing heat-related morbidity and mortality for workers across the globe. Agricultural, construction, military, firefighting, mining, and manufacturing workers are at particularly high risk for heat-related illness (HRI). Various factors, including ambient temperatures, personal protective equipment, work arrangements, physical exertion, and work with heavy equipment may put workers at higher risk for HRI. While extreme heat will impact workers across the world, workers in low- and middle-income countries will be disproportionately affected. Tracking occupational HRI will be critical to informing prevention and mitigation strategies. Renewed investment in these strategies, including workplace heat prevention programs and regulatory standards for indoor and outdoor workers, will be needed. Additional research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in order to successfully reduce the risk of HRI in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Gibb
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
| | - Stella Beckman
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
| | | | - Amy Heinzerling
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
| | - Robert Harrison
- Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA;
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Luo M, Wu S, Lau GNC, Pei T, Liu Z, Wang X, Ning G, Chan TO, Yang Y, Zhang W. Anthropogenic forcing has increased the risk of longer-traveling and slower-moving large contiguous heatwaves. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl1598. [PMID: 38552023 PMCID: PMC10980275 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl1598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Heatwaves are consecutive hot days with devastating impacts on human health and the environment. These events may evolve across both space and time, characterizing a spatiotemporally contiguous propagation pattern that has not been fully understood. Here, we track the spatiotemporally contiguous heatwaves in both reanalysis datasets and model simulations and examine their moving patterns (i.e., moving distance, speed, and direction) in different continents and periods. Substantial changes in contiguous heatwaves have been identified from 1979 to 2020, with longer persistence, longer traveling distance, and slower propagation. These changes have been amplified since 1997, probably due to the weakening of eddy kinetic energy, zonal wind, and anthropogenic forcing. The results suggest that longer-lived, longer-traveling, and slower-moving contiguous heatwaves will cause more devastating impacts on human health and the environment in the future if greenhouse gas emissions keep rising and no effective measures are taken immediately. Our findings provide important implications for the adaption and mitigation of globally connected extreme heatwaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Institute of Environment, Energy, and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Sijia Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Gabriel Ngar-Cheung Lau
- Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540-6654, USA
| | - Tao Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS) Thrust, Function Hub, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guicai Ning
- School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Ting On Chan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanjian Yang
- School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820, USA
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Hsu CY, Wong PY, Chern YR, Lung SCC, Wu CD. Evaluating long-term and high spatiotemporal resolution of wet-bulb globe temperature through land-use based machine learning model. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023:10.1038/s41370-023-00630-1. [PMID: 38104232 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00630-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The increase in global temperature and urban warming has led to the exacerbation of heatwaves, which negatively affect human health and cause long-term loss of work productivity. Therefore, a global assessment in temperature variation is essential. OBJECTIVE This paper is the first of its kind to propose land-use based spatial machine learning (LBSM) models for predicting highly spatial-temporal variations of wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which is a heat stress indicator used to assess thermal comfort in indoor and outdoor environments, specifically for the main island of Taiwan. METHODS To develop spatiotemporal prediction models for both the working period and noon period, we calculated the WBGT of each weather station from 2001 to 2019 using temperature, humidity, and solar radiation data. These WBGT estimations were then used as the dependent variable for developing the spatiotemporal prediction models. To enhance model performance, we used innovative approaches that combined SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values for the selection of non-linear variables, along with machine learning algorithms for model development. RESULTS When incorporating temperature along with other land-use/land cover predictor variables, the performance of LBSM models was excellent, with an R2 value of up to 0.99. The LBSM models explained 98% and 99% of the spatial-temporal variations in WBGT for the working and noon periods, respectively, within the complete models. In the temperature-excluded models, the explained variances were 94% and 96% for the working and noon periods, respectively. IMPACT WBGT is a common method used by many organizations to access the impact of heat stress on human beings. However, limited studies have mentioned the association between WBGT and health impacts due to the absence of spatiotemporal databases. This study develops a new approach using land-use-based spatial machine learning (LBSM) models to better predict the fine spatial-temporal WBGT levels, with a 50-m × 50-m grid resolution for both working time and noontime. Our proposed methodology could be used in future studies aimed at evaluating the potential long-term loss of work productivity due to the effects of global warming or urban heat island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Yu Hsu
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Center for Environmental Sustainability and Human Health, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yi Wong
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yinq-Rong Chern
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chun Candice Lung
- Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Da Wu
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
- Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Ji JS, Xia Y, Liu L, Zhou W, Chen R, Dong G, Hu Q, Jiang J, Kan H, Li T, Li Y, Liu Q, Liu Y, Long Y, Lv Y, Ma J, Ma Y, Pelin K, Shi X, Tong S, Xie Y, Xu L, Yuan C, Zeng H, Zhao B, Zheng G, Liang W, Chan M, Huang C. China's public health initiatives for climate change adaptation. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 40:100965. [PMID: 38116500 PMCID: PMC10730322 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
China's health gains over the past decades face potential reversals if climate change adaptation is not prioritized. China's temperature rise surpasses the global average due to urban heat islands and ecological changes, and demands urgent actions to safeguard public health. Effective adaptation need to consider China's urbanization trends, underlying non-communicable diseases, an aging population, and future pandemic threats. Climate change adaptation initiatives and strategies include urban green space, healthy indoor environments, spatial planning for cities, advance location-specific early warning systems for extreme weather events, and a holistic approach for linking carbon neutrality to health co-benefits. Innovation and technology uptake is a crucial opportunity. China's successful climate adaptation can foster international collaboration regionally and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S. Ji
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanjie Xia
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Linxin Liu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Weiju Zhou
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Renjie Chen
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and National School of Public Health, Health Commission Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinghua Hu
- Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingkun Jiang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and National School of Public Health, Health Commission Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiantian Li
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Li
- Public Meteorological Service Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Qiyong Liu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases at China, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yanxiang Liu
- Public Meteorological Service Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Long
- School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuebin Lv
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Ma
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Ma
- School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Kinay Pelin
- School of Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| | - Xiaoming Shi
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shilu Tong
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Yang Xie
- School of Economics and Management, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Changzheng Yuan
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huatang Zeng
- Shenzhen Health Development Research and Data Management Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Building Science, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangjie Zheng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wannian Liang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Margaret Chan
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Cunrui Huang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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De Sario M, de'Donato FK, Bonafede M, Marinaccio A, Levi M, Ariani F, Morabito M, Michelozzi P. Occupational heat stress, heat-related effects and the related social and economic loss: a scoping literature review. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1173553. [PMID: 37601227 PMCID: PMC10434255 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1173553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction While there is consistent evidence on the effects of heat on workers' health and safety, the evidence on the resulting social and economic impacts is still limited. A scoping literature review was carried out to update the knowledge about social and economic impacts related to workplace heat exposure. Methods The literature search was conducted in two bibliographic databases (Web of Science and PubMed), to select publications from 2010 to April 2022. Results A total of 89 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis (32 field studies, 8 studies estimating healthcare-related costs, and 49 economic studies). Overall, consistent evidence of the socioeconomic impacts of heat exposure in the workplace emerges. Actual productivity losses at the global level are nearly 10% and are expected to increase up to 30-40% under the worst climate change scenario by the end of the century. Vulnerable regions are mainly low-latitude and low- and middle-income countries with a greater proportion of outdoor workers but include also areas from developed countries such as southern Europe. The most affected sectors are agriculture and construction. There is limited evidence regarding the role of cooling measures and changes in the work/rest schedule in mitigating heat-related productivity loss. Conclusion The available evidence highlights the need for strengthening prevention efforts to enhance workers' awareness and resilience toward occupational heat exposure, particularly in low- and middle-income countries but also in some areas of developed countries where an increase in frequency and intensity of heat waves is expected under future climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela De Sario
- Department of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Michela Bonafede
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marinaccio
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene Department, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Miriam Levi
- Epidemiology Unit, Department of Prevention, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, Florence, Italy
| | - Filippo Ariani
- Regional Centre for the Analysis of Data on Occupational and Work-Related Injuries and Diseases, Central Tuscany Local Health Authority, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Morabito
- Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council (IBE-CNR), Florence, Italy
| | - Paola Michelozzi
- Department of Epidemiology Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
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Li H, Lu J. Temperature change and industrial green innovation: Cost increasing or responsibility forcing? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 325:116492. [PMID: 36265235 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This paper is to test the relationship between temperature change and industrial green innovation by combing data of China's average temperature change in cities with green patent database of listed companies.First, the results find that rising annual average temperature can inhibit green innovation. For every 1 °C increases in summer, green innovation reduces by 3.2%, and for every 1 °C increases in winter, green innovation increases by 1.9%. Second, rising summer temperature inhibits green innovation by crowding out research and development (R&D) funds and draining labor. While, rising temperature increases green innovation by increasing environmental responsibility and green venture capital. Third, differences in green R&D difficulty, process and objectives were also compared, temperature change has a stronger inhibition on green process innovation than green product innovation. And rising temperature inhibits green exploratory innovation and promotes green developmental innovation. Fourth, rising temperature increases green innovation in polluting firms as temperature is higher than 21 °C. And it inhibits green innovation in clean firms as temperature is higher than 27 °C. This paper can provide policy implications on climate regulation and promoting green innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Li
- School of Management, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China
| | - Juan Lu
- College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, China.
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7
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Ferrari GN, Leal GCL, Thom de Souza RC, Galdamez EVC. Impact of climate change on occupational health and safety: A review of methodological approaches. Work 2022; 74:485-499. [PMID: 36314181 DOI: 10.3233/wor-211303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The working population is exposed daily to unavoidable climatic conditions due to their occupational settings. Effects of the weather such as rain, heat, and air pollution may increase the risk of diseases, injuries, accidents, and even death during labor. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to summarize the impacts of climate change on workers' health, safety and performance, identifying the risks, affected workplaces and the range of methodological approaches used to assess this problem. METHODS A thorough systematic mapping was conducted in seven scientific international databases: Emerald, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, Scielo, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Web of Science. Three research questions guided the extraction process resulting in 170 articles regarding the impacts of climate change on occupational health and safety. RESULTS We found an accentuated trend in observational studies applying primary and secondary data collection. Many studies focused on the association between rising temperatures and occupational hazards, mainly in outdoor work settings such as agriculture. The variation of temperature was the most investigated impact of climate change. CONCLUSIONS We established a knowledge base on how to explore the impacts of climate change on workers' well-being and health. Researchers and policymakers benefit from this review, which explores the suitable methods found in the literature and highlights the most recurring risks and their consequences to occupational health and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Neto Ferrari
- Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Production Engineering Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | - Gislaine Camila Lapasini Leal
- Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Production Engineering Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Edwin Vladimir Cardoza Galdamez
- Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Production Engineering Department, State University of Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brazil
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Ioannou LG, Foster J, Morris NB, Piil JF, Havenith G, Mekjavic IB, Kenny GP, Nybo L, Flouris AD. Occupational heat strain in outdoor workers: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Temperature (Austin) 2022; 9:67-102. [PMID: 35655665 PMCID: PMC9154804 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2022.2030634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present comprehensive review (i) summarizes the current knowledge on the impacts of occupational heat stress on outdoor workers, (ii) provides a historical background on this issue, (iii) presents a meta-analysis of published data, (iv) explores inter-individual and intra-individual factors, (v) discusses the available heat mitigation strategies, (vi) estimates physical work capacity, labour productivity, and metabolic rate for the year 2030, and (vii) provides an overview of existing policy and legal frameworks on occupational heat exposure. Meta-analytic findings from 38 field studies that involved monitoring 2,409 outdoor workers across 41 jobs in 21 countries suggest that occupational heat stress increases the core (r = 0.44) and skin (r = 0.44) temperatures, as well as the heart rate (r = 0.38) and urine specific gravity (r = 0.13) of outdoor workers (all p < 0.05). Moreover, it diminishes the capacity of outdoor workers for manual labour (r = -0.82; p < 0.001) and is responsible for more than two thirds of the reduction in their metabolic rate. Importantly, our analysis shows that physical work capacity is projected to be highly affected by the ongoing anthropogenic global warming. Nevertheless, the metabolic rate and, therefore, labour productivity are projected to remain at levels higher than the workers' physical work capacity, indicating that people will continue to work more intensely than they should to meet their financial obligations for food and shelter. In this respect, complementary measures targeting self-pacing, hydration, work-rest regimes, ventilated garments, and mechanization can be adopted to protect outdoor workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonidas G. Ioannou
- FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
| | - Josh Foster
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Nathan B. Morris
- Department of Human Physiology & Nutrition, University of Colorado, Springs, Colorado, USA
| | - Jacob F. Piil
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - George Havenith
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Igor B. Mekjavic
- Department of Automation, Biocybernetics and Robotics, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Glen P. Kenny
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lars Nybo
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas D. Flouris
- FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Effect of the Near-Future Climate Change under RCP8.5 on the Heat Stress and Associated Work Performance in Thailand. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13020325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Increased heat stress affects well-being, comfort, and economic activities across the world. It also causes a significant decrease in work performance, as well as heat-related mortality. This study aims to investigate the impacts of the projected climate change scenario under RCP8.5 on heat stress and associated work performance in Thailand during the years 2020–2029. The model evaluation shows exceptional performance in the present-day simulation (1990–1999) of temperature and relative humidity, with R2 values ranging from 0.79 to 0.87; however, the modeled temperature and relative humidity are all underestimated when compared to observation data by −0.9 °C and −27%, respectively. The model results show that the temperature change will tend to increase by 0.62 °C per decade in the future. This could lead to an increase in the heat index by 2.57 °C if the temperature increases by up to 1.5 °C in Thailand. The effect of climate change is predicted to increase heat stress by 0.1 °C to 4 °C and to reduce work performance in the range of 4% to >10% across Thailand during the years 2020 and 2029.
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Han SR, Wei M, Wu Z, Duan S, Chen X, Yang J, Borg MA, Lin J, Wu C, Xiang J. Perceptions of workplace heat exposure and adaption behaviors among Chinese construction workers in the context of climate change. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:2160. [PMID: 34819067 PMCID: PMC8612823 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-12231-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Workplace heat exposure can cause a series of heat-related illnesses and injuries. Protecting workers especially those undertake work outdoors from the risk of heat strain is a great challenge for many workplaces in China under the context of climate change. The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions and adaptation behaviors of heat exposure among construction workers and to provide evidence for the development of targeted heat adaptation strategies nationally and internationally. Methods In 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey via WeChat Survey Star in China, using a purposive snowball sampling approach. A total of 326 construction workers submitted completed questionnaires. The perceptions of workplace heat exposure were measured using seven indicators: concerns over high temperature, perception of high temperature injury, attitudes towards both heat-related training and regulations, adjustment of working habits during heat, heat prevention measures in the workplace, and reduction of work efficiency. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify the factors significantly associated with workers’ heat perceptions and behavioral responses. Results 33.3% of the respondents were moderately or very concerned about heat exposure in the workplace. Less than half of the workers (43.8%) were worried about heat-related injuries. Workers who have either experienced work-related injuries (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.03–1.62) or witnessed injuries to others during high temperatures (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.27) were more concerned about heat exposure compared to other workers. Most respondents (63.5%) stated that their work efficiency declined during extremely hot weather. The factors significantly associated with a reduction of work efficiency included undertaking physically demanding jobs (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.07–1.54) and witnessing other workers’ injuries during high temperatures (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.11–1.43). More than half of the workers were willing to adjust their work habits to adapt to the impact of high temperatures (81.6%). The internet was the most common method to obtain heat prevention information (44.7%), and the most frequently used heat prevention measure was the provision of cool drinking water (64.8%). Conclusions Chinese construction workers lack heat risk awareness and are not well prepared for the likely increasing heat exposure in the workplace due to global warming. Therefore, there is a need to improve their awareness of heat-related injuries, strengthen high temperature related education and training, and update the current heat prevention policies to ensure compliance and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Rong Han
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620, West Chang'an Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Mingru Wei
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620, West Chang'an Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Zhifeng Wu
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620, West Chang'an Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Shanshan Duan
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620, West Chang'an Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xiangzhe Chen
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620, West Chang'an Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jiayuan Yang
- International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620, West Chang'an Avenue, Chang'an District, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Matthew A Borg
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Jinfeng Lin
- Fujian Center for Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and Chemical Poisoning, No. 107, Hutou Street, Gulou District, Fuzhou, 350025, Fujian Province, China
| | - Chuancheng Wu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, No.1, North Xuefu Road, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian Province, China.
| | - Jianjun Xiang
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia. .,Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, No.1, North Xuefu Road, Minhou County, Fuzhou, 350122, Fujian Province, China.
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11
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Zhu J, Wang S, Zhang B, Wang D. Adapting to Changing Labor Productivity as a Result of Intensified Heat Stress in a Changing Climate. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2020GH000313. [PMID: 33817537 PMCID: PMC8011619 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The intensification of heat stress reduces the labor capacity and hence poses a threat to socio-economic development. The reliable projection of the changing climate and the development of sound adaptation strategies are thus desired for adapting to the decreasing labor productivity under climate change. In this study, an optimization modeling approach coupled with dynamical downscaling is proposed to design the optimal adaptation strategies for improving labor productivity under heat stress in China. The future changes in heat stress represented by the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) are projected with a spatial resolution of 25 × 25 km by a regional climate model (RCM) through the dynamical downscaling of its driving global climate model (GCM). Uncertain information such as system costs, environmental costs, and subsidies are also incorporated into the optimization process to provide reliable decision alternatives for improving labor productivity. Results indicate that the intensification of WBGT is overestimated by the GCM compared to the RCM. Such an overestimation can lead to more losses in working hours derived from the GCM than those from the RCM regardless of climate scenarios. Nevertheless, the overestimated heat stress does not alter the regional measures taken to adapt to decreasing labor productivity. Compared to inland regions, the monsoon-affected regions tend to improve labor productivity by applying air conditioning rather than working overtime due to the cost differences. Consequently, decision-makers need to optimally make a balance between working overtime and air conditioning measures to meet sustainable development goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Zhu
- School of Geography and PlanningSun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Land Surveying and Geo‐InformaticsThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhenChina
| | - Boen Zhang
- Department of Land Surveying and Geo‐InformaticsThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
| | - Dagang Wang
- School of Geography and PlanningSun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
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12
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Borg MA, Xiang J, Anikeeva O, Pisaniello D, Hansen A, Zander K, Dear K, Sim MR, Bi P. Occupational heat stress and economic burden: A review of global evidence. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110781. [PMID: 33516686 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adverse effects of heat on workers' health and work productivity are well documented. However, the resultant economic consequences and productivity loss are less understood. This review aims to summarize the retrospective and potential future economic burden of workplace heat exposure in the context of climate change. METHODS Literature was searched from database inception to October 2020 using Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Articles were limited to original human studies investigating costs from occupational heat stress in English. RESULTS Twenty studies met criteria for inclusion. Eighteen studies estimated costs secondary to heat-induced labor productivity loss. Predicted global costs from lost worktime, in US$, were 280 billion in 1995, 311 billion in 2010 (≈0.5% of GDP), 2.4-2.5 trillion in 2030 (>1% of GDP) and up to 4.0% of GDP by 2100. Three studies estimated heat-related healthcare expenses from occupational injuries with averaged annual costs (US$) exceeding 1 million in Spain, 1 million in Guangzhou, China and 250,000 in Adelaide, Australia. Low- and middle-income countries and countries with warmer climates had greater losses as a proportion of GDP. Greater costs per worker were observed in outdoor industries, medium-sized businesses, amongst males, and workers aged 25-44 years. CONCLUSIONS The estimated global economic burden of occupational heat stress is substantial. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies should be implemented to likely minimize future costs. Further research exploring the relationship between occupational heat stress and related expenses from lost productivity, decreased work efficiency and healthcare, and costs stratified by demographic factors, is warranted. Key messages. The estimated retrospective and future economic burden from occupational heat stress is large. Responding to climate change is crucial to minimize this burden. Analyzing heat-attributable occupational costs may guide the development of workplace heat management policies and practices as part of global warming strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Borg
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Jianjun Xiang
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Olga Anikeeva
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Dino Pisaniello
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Alana Hansen
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Kerstin Zander
- Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia.
| | - Keith Dear
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
| | - Malcolm R Sim
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, The Alfred Centre, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - Peng Bi
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, 57 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia.
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13
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Deng H, Sun W, Yip W, Zheng S. Household income inequality aggravates high-temperature exposure inequality in urban China. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 275:111224. [PMID: 32836170 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The exposure to extremely high temperatures varies across population groups. Those with better adaptation strategies (such as air conditioning) suffer less. This paper combines China's daily mean temperature data with comprehensive national survey data at the household level and estimates the relationship between high-temperature exposure and adaptation behavior of urban dwellers. We find that the usage of air conditioning and electric fans by urban households in China increases with their summer high-temperature exposures. The rise in the number of days with extreme heat (mean temperature exceeding 80 °F) induces the purchase and use of air conditioning. High-temperature adaptability varied across households-the rich are more likely to increase air conditioning usage to cope with the high-temperature discomfort; while the poor are less likely to afford such a market product for adaptation, they suffer more from high-temperature exposure. Such a variation in the affordability and usage of market products to adapt to climate risks will exacerbate the climate-induced inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Deng
- Department of Construction Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Weizeng Sun
- School of Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China.
| | - Wingshan Yip
- Department of Construction Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Siqi Zheng
- Sustainable Urbanization Lab, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, And Center for Real Estate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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14
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Su Y, Cheng L, Cai W, Lee JKW, Zhong S, Chen S, Li T, Huang X, Huang C. Evaluating the effectiveness of labor protection policy on occupational injuries caused by extreme heat in a large subtropical city of China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 186:109532. [PMID: 32334170 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
On March 1, 2012, the Chinese government implemented the Administrative Measures on Heatstroke Prevention (AMHP2012) to combat the occupational health impacts of extreme heat, and reducing occupational injury was one of the main purposes. This study aimed at quantifying the intervention effects of the AMHP2012 on extreme heat-related occupational injuries and subsequent insurance payouts in Guangzhou, China. Data on occupational injuries and insurance payouts were collected from March 1, 2011, to February 28, 2013, from the occupational injury insurance system of Guangzhou. A quasi-experimental design with before-after control was adopted. Interrupted time series analysis was performed to quantify the change of occupational injuries and insurance payouts after policy implementation. The distributed lag non-linear model was used to explore whether injury claims and insurance payouts due to extreme heat decreased. A total of 9851 injury claims were included in the analysis. After policy implementation, the risk of occupational injuries and insurance payouts decreased by 13% (RR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.75, 0.99) and 24% (RR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.94), respectively. The attributable fraction of extreme heat-related occupational injuries decreased from 3.17% (95%eCI: 1.35, 4.69) to 1.52% (95%eCI: -0.36, 3.15), which contributed to 0.86 million USD reduction of insurance payouts. Both males and females, low-educated, young and middle-aged workers, workers at small or medium-sized enterprises, engaging in manufacturing, and with both minor and severe injuries were apparently associated with decreased rates of extreme heat-related occupational injuries. The AMHP2012 policy contributed to the reduction of extreme heat-related occupational injuries and insurance payouts in Guangzhou, China, and this research provided novel evidence for decision-makers to better understand the necessity of implementing health protection policies among laborers under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Su
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Shanghai Typhoon Institute, China Meteorological Administration, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Liangliang Cheng
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Wenjia Cai
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies (JCGCS), Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jason Kai Wei Lee
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Global Asia Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shuang Zhong
- Center for Chinese Public Administration Research, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Institute for Economic and Social Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Teng Li
- International School of Business and Finance, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xinfei Huang
- International School of Business and Finance, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
| | - Cunrui Huang
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai, 200030, China; School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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15
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Wang J, Obradovich N, Zheng S. A 43-Million-Person Investigation into Weather and Expressed Sentiment in a Changing Climate. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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16
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Gray C, Hopping D, Mueller V. The changing climate-migration relationship in China, 1989-2011. CLIMATIC CHANGE 2020; 160:103-122. [PMID: 32489223 PMCID: PMC7266103 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-020-02657-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A persistent concern about the social consequences of climate change is that large, vulnerable populations will be involuntarily displaced. Existing evidence suggests that changes in precipitation and temperature can increase migration in particular contexts, but the potential for this relationship to evolve over time alongside processes of adaptation and development has not been widely explored. To address this issue, we link longitudinal data from 20 thousand Chinese adults from 1989-2011 to external data on climate anomalies, and use this linked dataset to explore how climatic effects on internal migration have changed over time while controlling for potential spatial and temporal confounders. We find that temperature anomalies initially displaced permanent migrants at the beginning of our study period, but that this effect had reversed by the end of the study period. A parallel analysis of income shares suggests that the explanation might lie in climate vulnerability shifting from agricultural to non-agricultural livelihood activities. Taken together with evidence from previous case studies, our results open the door to a potential future in which development and in-situ adaptation allow climate-induced migration to decline over time, even as climate change unfolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark Gray
- University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | - Valerie Mueller
- Arizona State University; Tempe, AZ
- International Food Policy Research Institute; Washington, DC
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17
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Zhang W, Li Y, Li Z, Wei X, Ren T, Liu J, Zhu Y. Impacts of climate change, population growth, and urbanization on future population exposure to long-term temperature change during the warm season in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:8481-8491. [PMID: 31902079 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07238-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is anticipated to raise overall temperatures in the twenty-first century and is likely to intensify population exposure to heat during the warm season and, as a result, increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths. While earlier studies of heat exposure and related health impacts generally focused on the acute effects of short-term exposure indicated by high daily temperature or several days of very hot weather, recent research has suggested that small changes in seasonal average temperature over a long period of time is likely to pose significant health risk as well. Using downscaled climate projections under three Representative Concentration Pathways emission scenarios, high-spatial-resolution population data, and the latest population projections by the United Nations, we aim at projecting future changes in long-term population exposure to summer heat across China in the mid- and late-twenty-first century resulting from global climate change. As the impacts of population growth are often overlooked in projecting future changes in heat exposure, we estimated changes in population-weighted average temperature in the warmest quarter over two future 20-year time periods and compared them with changes in temperature only. Our analysis shows that, nationally, population-weighted average temperature in the warmest quarter is projected to increase by 2.2 °C relative to the current situation in the 2050s and by 2.5 °C in the 2070s, as the result of climate change and population growth. Despite the foreseeable population stabilization in China, changes in population-weighted temperature are projected to be higher than changes in temperature itself for the majority of the 33 provinces (ranging from 0.02 °C to 1.27 °C, or 1% to 126% higher in the 2050s and from 0.02 °C to 1.16 °C, or 1% to 73% higher in the 2070s), with the largest differences mainly occurring in Western China. The impact of urbanization is projected to be relatively insignificant. Our findings provide evidence of possible underestimation of future changes in long-term exposure to summer heat if the effect of population growth is not factored in.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
| | - Zhuang Li
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Xin Wei
- Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ting Ren
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Nanyang Meteorological Service of Henan Province, 209 Beijing Road Nanyang, Henan, 473000, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
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18
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Liu X. Reductions in Labor Capacity from Intensified Heat Stress in China under Future Climate Change. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17041278. [PMID: 32079330 PMCID: PMC7068449 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Heat stress would be intensified under global warming and become a key issue of occupational health for labor force working outdoors. The changes in labor force would affect regional socioeconomic development. So far, changes in labor force due to heat stress are not well documented in China. In this study, heat stress based on wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which combines the thermal effects on the human body of both temperature and humidity, is projected for the near future (2021–2050) and the end of the century (2071–2099). Changes in labor capacity are then estimated for heavy and light work based on the relationships between labor capacity and the WBGT. Low and high emission scenarios, namely Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and RCP8.5, are considered for the future projections in the hottest two months (July and August) in China. Results suggest that the WBGT would increase by more than 3–5 °C by the end of the century. The labor capacity would decrease by more than 40% for both heavy and light work in considerable areas such as South and East China, where there is a large population and developed economy. This indicates that labor force would reduce significantly due to intensified heat stress. This study calls for special attention to the impact of heat stress on occupational health and the labor force in China in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingcai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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19
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Filho WL, Balogun AL, Olayide OE, Azeiteiro UM, Ayal DY, Muñoz PDC, Nagy GJ, Bynoe P, Oguge O, Yannick Toamukum N, Saroar M, Li C. Assessing the impacts of climate change in cities and their adaptive capacity: Towards transformative approaches to climate change adaptation and poverty reduction in urban areas in a set of developing countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 692:1175-1190. [PMID: 31539949 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Many cities across the world are facing many problems climate change poses to their populations, communities and infrastructure. These vary from increased exposures to floods, to discomfort due to urban heat, depending on their geographical locations and settings. However, even though some cities have a greater ability to cope with climate change challenges, many struggle to do so, particularly in cities in developing countries. In addition, there is a shortage of international studies which examine the links between climate change adaptation and cities, and which at the same time draw some successful examples of good practice, which may assist future efforts. This paper is an attempt to address this information need. The aim of this paper is to analyse the extent to which cities in a sample of developing countries are attempting to pursue climate change adaptation and the problems which hinder this process. Its goal is to showcase examples of initiatives and good practice in transformative adaptation, which may be replicable elsewhere. To this purpose, the paper describes some trends related to climate change in a set of cities in developing countries across different continents, including one of the smallest capital cities (Georgetown, Guyana) and Shanghai, one the world's most populous cities. In particular, it analyses their degree of vulnerability, how they manage to cope with climate change impacts, and the policies being implemented to aid adaptation. It also suggests the use of transformative approaches which may be adopted, in order to assist them in their efforts towards investments in low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure, thereby maximizing investments in urban areas and trying to address their related poverty issues. This paper addresses a gap in the international literature on the problems many cities in developing countries face, in trying to adapt to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Leal Filho
- School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom; Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Research and Transfer Centre Sustainability and Climate Change Management, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ulmenliet 20, D-21033 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Abdul-Lateef Balogun
- Geospatial Analysis & Modelling Research (GAMR) Group, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Malaysia.
| | | | | | - Desalegn Y Ayal
- Centre for Food Security Studies (CFSS), College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
| | - Pastor David Chavez Muñoz
- GTR-PUCP, Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, 1801 Avenida Universitaria San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru.
| | - Gustavo J Nagy
- Instituto de Ecología y CienciasAmbientales (IECA), Facultad de Ciencias (FC), Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Iguá 4225, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Paulette Bynoe
- Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Leslie Cummings Building, University of Guyana, Guyana.
| | - Otienoh Oguge
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law & Policy (CASELAP), University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - N Yannick Toamukum
- Disaster Management Training Centre, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Ardhi University, P.O Box 35176, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
| | - Mustafa Saroar
- Department of Urban & Regional Planning, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET), Khulna 9203, Bangladesh.
| | - Chunluan Li
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Research and Transfer Centre Sustainability and Climate Change Management, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ulmenliet 20, D-21033 Hamburg, Germany; School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
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20
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Abstract
Given projected increases in the frequency of precipitation and temperature extremes in China, we examine the extent adults may be vulnerable to climate anomalies. We link nutrition, health, and economic data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1989-2011) to gridded climate data to identify which socioeconomic outcomes are particularly susceptible, including adult underweight incidence, body mass index, dietary intake, physical activity, illness, income, and food prices. We find warm temperatures augment the probability of being underweight among adults, with a particularly large impact for the elderly (ages > 60). Extremely dry and warm conditions produce a 3.3-percentage point increase in underweight status for this group. Consequences on nutrition coincide with changes in illness rather than dietary, income or purchasing power shifts. Social protection targeting areas prone to excessive heat may consider supplementing bundles of goods with a suite of health care provisions catering to the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Mueller
- Arizona State University, School of Politics and Global Studies, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Development Strategy and Governance Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Clark Gray
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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21
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Ahmadalipour A, Moradkhani H. Escalating heat-stress mortality risk due to global warming in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 117:215-225. [PMID: 29763817 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change will substantially exacerbate extreme temperature and heatwaves. The impacts will be more intense across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region mostly characterized by hot and arid climate, already intolerable for human beings in many parts. In this study, daily climate data from 17 fine-resolution Regional Climate Models (RCMs) are acquired to calculate wet-bulb temperature and investigate the mortality risk for people aged over 65 years caused by excessive heat stress across the MENA region. Spatially adaptive temperature thresholds are implemented for quantifying the mortality risk, and the analysis is conducted for the historical period of 1951-2005 and two future scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 during the 2006-2100 period. Results show that the mortality risk will increase in distant future to 8-20 times higher than that of the historical period if no climate change mitigation is implemented. The coastal regions of the Red sea, Persian Gulf, and Mediterranean Sea indicate substantial increase in mortality risk. Nonetheless, the risk ratio will be limited to 3-7 times if global warming is limited to 2 °C. Climate change planning and adaptation is imperative for mitigating heat-related mortality risk across the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ahmadalipour
- Center for Complex Hydrosystems Research, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States.
| | - Hamid Moradkhani
- Center for Complex Hydrosystems Research, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States
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Martínez-Solanas È, López-Ruiz M, Wellenius GA, Gasparrini A, Sunyer J, Benavides FG, Basagaña X. Evaluation of the Impact of Ambient Temperatures on Occupational Injuries in Spain. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:067002. [PMID: 29894116 PMCID: PMC6084842 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extreme cold and heat have been linked to an increased risk of occupational injuries. However, the evidence is still limited to a small number of studies of people with relatively few injuries and with a limited geographic extent, and the corresponding economic effect has not been studied in detail. OBJECTIVES We assessed the relationship between ambient temperatures and occupational injuries in Spain along with its economic effect. METHODS The daily number of occupational injuries that caused at least one day of leave and the daily maximum temperature were obtained for each Spanish province for the years 1994-2013. We estimated temperature-injuries associations with distributed lag nonlinear models, and then pooled the results using a multivariate meta-regression model. We calculated the number of injuries attributable to cold and heat, the corresponding workdays lost, and the resulting economic effect. RESULTS The study included 15,992,310 occupational injuries. Overall, 2.72% [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.44-2.97] of all occupational injuries were attributed to nonoptimal ambient temperatures, with moderate heat accounting for the highest fraction. This finding corresponds to an estimated 0.67 million (95% CI: 0.60-0.73) person-days of work lost every year in Spain due to temperature, or an annual average of 42 d per 1,000 workers. The estimated annual economic burden is €370 million, or 0.03% of Spain's GDP (€2,015). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that extreme ambient temperatures increased the risk of occupational injuries, with substantial estimated health and economic costs. These results call for public health interventions to protect workers in the context of climate change. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2590.
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Affiliation(s)
- Èrica Martínez-Solanas
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - María López-Ruiz
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Center for Research in Occupational Health, UPF, Barcelona, Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
- Facultad Lationamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Gregory A Wellenius
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando G Benavides
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Center for Research in Occupational Health, UPF, Barcelona, Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Levi M, Kjellstrom T, Baldasseroni A. Impact of climate change on occupational health and productivity: a systematic literature review focusing on workplace heat. LA MEDICINA DEL LAVORO 2018; 109:163-79. [PMID: 29943748 PMCID: PMC7689800 DOI: 10.23749/mdl.v109i3.6851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With climate change, mean annual air temperatures are getting hotter and extreme weather events will become more and more common in most parts of the world. OBJECTIVES As part of the EU funded project HEAT-SHIELD we conducted a systematic review to summarize the epidemiological evidence of the effects of global warming-related heat exposure on workers' health and productivity. METHODS Three separate searches, focused, respectively, on: i) heat-related illness (HRI), cardiovascular, respiratory and kidney diseases; ii) traumatic injuries; and iii) vector-borne diseases or vectors distribution, were conducted in PubMed. EMBASE was also consulted to retrieve relevant studies focused on the health effects of climate change. A fourth search strategy to assess the effects on work productivity was conducted both in PubMed and in the SCOPUS database. RESULTS A significant proportion of studies reported findings regarding the Mesoamerican nephropathy issue. This is a disease occurring especially among young and middle-aged male sugarcane workers, without conventional risk factors for chronic kidney disease. For injuries, there is a reversed U-shaped exposure-response relationship between Tmax and overall daily injury claims. Outdoor workers are at increased risk of vector-borne infectious diseases, as a positive correlation between higher air temperatures and current or future expansion of the habitat of vectors is being observed. As for productivity, agriculture and construction are the most studied sectors; a day with temperatures exceeding 32°C can reduce daily labour supply in exposed sectors by up to 14%. CONCLUSIONS The present findings should inform development of further research and related health policies in the EU and beyond with regard to protecting working people from the effects of workplace heat during climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tord Kjellstrom
- Centre for technology research and innovation (CETRI Ltd), Lemesos, Cyprus.
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Sheng R, Li C, Wang Q, Yang L, Bao J, Wang K, Ma R, Gao C, Lin S, Zhang Y, Bi P, Fu C, Huang C. Does hot weather affect work-related injury? A case-crossover study in Guangzhou, China. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2018; 221:423-428. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Tong S, Berry HL, Ebi K, Bambrick H, Hu W, Green D, Hanna E, Wang Z, Butler CD. Climate change, food, water and population health in China. Bull World Health Organ 2016; 94:759-765. [PMID: 27843166 PMCID: PMC5043205 DOI: 10.2471/blt.15.167031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change appears to be increasing the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather events. Such events have already had substantial impacts on socioeconomic development and population health. Climate change's most profound impacts are likely to be on food, health systems and water. This paper explores how climate change will affect food, human health and water in China. Projections indicate that the overall effects of climate change, land conversion and reduced water availability could reduce Chinese food production substantially - although uncertainty is inevitable in such projections. Climate change will probably have substantial impacts on water resources - e.g. changes in rainfall patterns and increases in the frequencies of droughts and floods in some areas of China. Such impacts would undoubtedly threaten population health and well-being in many communities. In the short-term, population health in China is likely to be adversely affected by increases in air temperatures and pollution. In the medium to long term, however, the indirect impacts of climate change - e.g. changes in the availability of food, shelter and water, decreased mental health and well-being and changes in the distribution and seasonality of infectious diseases - are likely to grow in importance. The potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change can only be avoided if all countries work together towards a substantial reduction in the emission of so-called greenhouse gases and a substantial increase in the global population's resilience to the risks of climate variability and change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilu Tong
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4159, Australia
| | - Helen L Berry
- Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Kristie Ebi
- School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America
| | - Hilary Bambrick
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4159, Australia
| | - Donna Green
- Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Hanna
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Colin D Butler
- Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
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