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Rappazzo KM, Egerstrom NM, Wu J, Capone AB, Joodi G, Keen S, Cascio WE, Simpson RJ. Fine particulate matter-sudden death association modified by ventricular hypertrophy and inflammation: a case-crossover study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1367416. [PMID: 38835616 PMCID: PMC11148389 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1367416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sudden death accounts for approximately 10% of deaths among working-age adults and is associated with poor air quality. Objectives: To identify high-risk groups and potential modifiers and mediators of risk, we explored previously established associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and sudden death stratified by potential risk factors. Methods Sudden death victims in Wake County, NC, from 1 March 2013 to 28 February 2015 were identified by screening Emergency Medical Systems reports and adjudicated (n = 399). Daily PM2.5 concentrations for Wake County from the Air Quality Data Mart were linked to event and control periods. Potential modifiers included greenspace metrics, clinical conditions, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Using a case-crossover design, conditional logistic regression estimated the OR (95%CI) for sudden death for a 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 with a 1-day lag, adjusted for temperature and humidity, across risk factor strata. Results Individuals having LVH or an NLR above 2.5 had PM2.5 associations of greater magnitude than those without [with LVH OR: 1.90 (1.04, 3.50); NLR > 2.5: 1.25 (0.89, 1.76)]. PM2.5 was generally less impactful for individuals living in areas with higher levels of greenspace. Conclusion LVH and inflammation may be the final step in the causal pathway whereby poor air quality and traditional risk factors trigger arrhythmia or myocardial ischemia and sudden death. The combination of statistical evidence with clinical knowledge can inform medical providers of underlying risks for their patients generally, while our findings here may help guide interventions to mitigate the incidence of sudden death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Rappazzo
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Nicole M Egerstrom
- Gillings Global School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jianyong Wu
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Alia B Capone
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Golsa Joodi
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Division of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Susan Keen
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Wayne E Cascio
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Ross J Simpson
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Azzouz M, Hasan Z, Rahman MM, Gauderman WJ, Lorenzo M, Lurmann FW, Eckel SP, Palinkas L, Johnston J, Hurlburt M, Silva SJ, Schlaerth H, Ko J, Ban-Weiss G, McConnell R, Stockfelt L, Garcia E. Does socioeconomic and environmental burden affect vulnerability to extreme air pollution and heat? A case-crossover study of mortality in California. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41370-024-00676-9. [PMID: 38714894 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00676-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extreme heat and air pollution is associated with increased mortality. Recent evidence suggests the combined effects of both is greater than the effects of each individual exposure. Low neighborhood socioeconomic status ("socioeconomic burden") has also been associated with increased exposure and vulnerability to both heat and air pollution. We investigated if neighborhood socioeconomic burden or the combination of socioeconomic and environmental exposures ("socioenvironmental burden") modified the effect of combined exposure to extreme heat and particulate air pollution on mortality in California. METHODS We used a time-stratified case-crossover design to assess the impact of daily exposure to extreme particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and heat on cardiovascular, respiratory, and all-cause mortality in California 2014-2019. Daily average PM2.5 and maximum temperatures based on decedent's residential census tract were dichotomized as extreme or not. Census tract-level socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden was assessed with the CalEnviroScreen (CES) score and a social deprivation index (SDI), and individual educational attainment was derived from death certificates. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate associations of heat and PM2.5 with mortality with a product term used to evaluate effect measure modification. RESULTS During the study period 1,514,292 all-cause deaths could be assigned residential exposures. Extreme heat and air pollution alone and combined were associated with increased mortality, matching prior reports. Decedents in census tracts with higher socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden experienced more days with extreme PM2.5 exposure. However, we found no consistent effect measure modification by CES or SDI on combined or separate extreme heat and PM2.5 exposure on odds of total, cardiovascular or respiratory mortality. No effect measure modification was observed for individual education attainment. CONCLUSION We did not find evidence that neighborhood socioenvironmental- or socioeconomic burden significantly influenced the individual or combined impact of extreme exposures to heat and PM2.5 on mortality in California. IMPACT We investigated the effect measure modification by socioeconomic and socioenvironmental of the co-occurrence of heat and PM2.5, which adds support to the limited previous literature on effect measure modification by socioeconomic and socioenvironmental burden of heat alone and PM2.5 alone. We found no consistent effect measure modification by neighborhood socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden or individual level SES of the mortality association with extreme heat and PM2.5 co-exposure. However, we did find increased number of days with extreme PM2.5 exposure in neighborhoods with high socioenvironmental and socioeconomic burden. We evaluated multiple area-level and an individual-level SES and socioenvironmental burden metrics, each estimating socioenvironmental factors differently, making our conclusion more robust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehjar Azzouz
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Zainab Hasan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Md Mostafijur Rahman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Melissa Lorenzo
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Sandrah P Eckel
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lawrence Palinkas
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jill Johnston
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Hurlburt
- Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sam J Silva
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Schlaerth
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Ko
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - George Ban-Weiss
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Leo Stockfelt
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erika Garcia
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Brooks MM, Salvatore AL, Khanal P, Curriero FC. Mapping Cumulative Risk in Delaware: Approach and Implications for Health Equity. JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE 2024; 30:E112-E123. [PMID: 38320288 PMCID: PMC11009089 DOI: 10.1097/phh.0000000000001859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Addressing health equity requires attention to upstream determinants of health, including environmental and social factors that act in tandem to increase communities' exposure to and vulnerability to toxicants. Cumulative risk assessment, which evaluates combined risks from environmental and social factors, is a useful approach for estimating potential drivers of health disparities. We developed a cumulative risk score of multiple indices of environmental and social conditions and assessed block group-level differences in New Castle County, Delaware. METHODS This cross-sectional study used choropleth maps to visualize the distribution of environmental, social, and cumulative risks and Moran's I statistics to assess spatial clustering of cumulative risk across the county and among individual block groups. RESULTS Findings indicate that environmental risk rarely occurs without social risk and that environmental and social risks co-occur in distinct areas, resulting in large-scale clustering of cumulative risk. Areas of higher cumulative risk had more Black residents and people of lower socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS Replicable measures of cumulative risk can show how environmental and social risks are inequitably distributed by race and socioeconomic status, as seen here in New Castle County. Such measures can support upstream approaches to reduce health disparities resulting from histories of environmental racism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M Brooks
- Author Affiliations: Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Spatial Science for Public Health Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (Ms Brooks, Mr Khanal, and Dr Curriero); and Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware (Dr Salvatore)
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Balogun M, Obeng-Gyasi E. Association of Combined PFOA, PFOS, Metals and Allostatic Load on Hepatic Disease Risk. J Xenobiot 2024; 14:516-536. [PMID: 38804284 PMCID: PMC11130830 DOI: 10.3390/jox14020031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This study utilizes the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 data to explore the relationship between exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (specifically perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), metals lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd), allostatic load, and hepatic disease markers, including the fatty liver index a measure of the likelihood of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin. The paper identified significant associations and interaction effects by employing descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation analysis, linear regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Descriptive statistics highlight sex-specific differences in contaminant levels. Spearman's analysis underscores strong correlations among metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Linear regression reveals significant impacts of specific contaminants on AST, ALT, ALP, and bilirubin levels, adjusting for age and alcohol consumption. BKMR results further elucidate the complex, potentially synergistic relationships between these environmental exposures and the likelihood of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, offering nuanced insights into their combined effects on liver health. The findings emphasize the intricate dynamics of environmental exposures on hepatic function, advocating for targeted public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Balogun
- Department of Built Environment, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi
- Department of Built Environment, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
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5
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Tulve NS, Geller AM, Hagerthey S, Julius SH, Lavoie ET, Mazur SL, Paul SJ, Frey HC. Challenges and opportunities for research supporting cumulative impact assessments at the United States environmental protection agency's office of research and development. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2024; 30:100666. [PMID: 38292929 PMCID: PMC10825320 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2023.100666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolle S. Tulve
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Andrew M. Geller
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Scot Hagerthey
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Susan H. Julius
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emma T. Lavoie
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sarah L. Mazur
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sean J. Paul
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - H. Christopher Frey
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
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Juarez PD. Economic Determinants of Health Disparities and the Role of the Primary Care Provider. Prim Care 2023; 50:561-577. [PMID: 37866831 DOI: 10.1016/j.pop.2023.05.002] [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: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The economic determinants of adverse personal health outcomes and population level disparities pose a daunting challenge for primary care providers in promoting health for persons experiencing poverty and neighborhood deprivation. Until they are addressed, however, the health and economic well-being of persons experiencing neighborhood deprivation is not likely to be improved. There is growing evidence of effective interventions that primary care providers can adopt to address social and economic determinants of health. Primary care providers can participate in clinic and community-based approaches that target individual, neighborhood and social level drives of health and disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Juarez
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. DB Todd Jr. Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
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7
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Stingone JA, Geller AM, Hood DB, Makris KC, Mouton CP, States JC, Sumner SJ, Wu KL, Rajasekar AK. Community-level exposomics: a population-centered approach to address public health concerns. EXPOSOME 2023; 3:osad009. [PMID: 38550543 PMCID: PMC10976977 DOI: 10.1093/exposome/osad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Environmental factors affecting health and vulnerability far outweigh genetics in accounting for disparities in health status and longevity in US communities. The concept of the exposome, the totality of exposure from conception onwards, provides a paradigm for researchers to investigate the complex role of the environment on the health of individuals. We propose a complementary framework, community-level exposomics, for population-level exposome assessment. The goal is to bring the exposome paradigm to research and practice on the health of populations, defined by various axes including geographic, social, and occupational. This framework includes the integration of community-level measures of the built, natural and social environments, environmental pollution-derived from conventional and community science approaches, internal markers of exposure that can be measured at the population-level and early responses associated with health status that can be tracked using population-based monitoring. Primary challenges to the implementation of the proposed framework include needed advancements in population-level measurement, lack of existing models with the capability to produce interpretable and actionable evidence and the ethical considerations of labeling geographically-bound populations by exposomic profiles. To address these challenges, we propose a set of recommendations that begin with greater engagement with and empowerment of affected communities and targeted investment in community-based solutions. Applications to urban settings and disaster epidemiology are discussed as examples for implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette A. Stingone
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew M. Geller
- Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency, RTP, NC, USA
| | - Darryl B. Hood
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Konstantinos C. Makris
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Charles P. Mouton
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX, USA
| | - J. Christopher States
- Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Susan J. Sumner
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - K. Lily Wu
- California Environmental Protection Agency—Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Arcot K Rajasekar
- School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Menegatto M, Zamperini A. Health and Psychological Concerns of Communities Affected by Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances: The Case of Residents Living in the Orange Area of the Veneto Region. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:7056. [PMID: 37998286 PMCID: PMC10671329 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20227056] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Residents of an extensive area of the Veneto Region (Italy) face one of the largest technological disasters due to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). On the basis of a risk gradient of contamination, the affected territories were divided into 4 areas: Red (of maximum exposure, where a human biomonitoring programme (HBM) was activated), Orange, Yellow, and Green. This article presents a case study of residents who live in the Orange Area, the second area in terms of contamination, excluded from the HBM. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 residents engaged in promoting a legal procedure to exercise their right to know. Grounded theory and a thematic analysis method were used. Overall, the findings revealed that experiencing contamination causes a negative psychosocial impact on the residents' lives; difficulty accessing information; living with uncertainty, caused by the lack of institutional and health support and medical consultation; a sense of abandonment; difficulty managing preventive and protective actions; and the deterioration of relationships, on the basis of the social comparison with residents of the Red Area, to whom HBM was granted and where the concept of health ostracism has emerged. This study demonstrated that biomonitoring may help reduce discomfort in the case of contamination by informing people of their chemical exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adriano Zamperini
- FISPPA Department, University of Padova, Via Venezia 14, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Ornelas Van Horne Y, Diaz LM, Trowbridge J, Alcala CS, González DJ. Toward Language Justice in Environmental Health Sciences in the United States: A Case for Spanish as a Language of Science. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:85001. [PMID: 37610227 PMCID: PMC10445527 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasingly, marginalized communities are disproportionately facing the worsening effects of environmental hazards, including air pollution, water pollution, and climate change. Language isolation and accessibility has been understudied as a determinant of health. Spanish, despite being the second-most common language in the United States with some 41.8 million speakers, has been neglected among environmental health scientists. Building capacity in high-quality Spanish-language science communication, both for scientific and nonscientific audiences, can yield improvements in health disparities research, public health literacy, international collaborations, and diversity and inclusion efforts. OBJECTIVES In this article, we discuss the context of language diversity in environmental health sciences and offer recommendations for improving science communication in Spanish. DISCUSSION English is currently the predominant language for scientific discourse, but Spanish and other non-English languages are routinely used by many environmental health science students and professionals, as well as much of the public. To more effectively conduct and communicate environmental health work in Spanish, we suggest that researchers and scientific institutions a) foster structural changes, b) train emerging scholars and support established researchers, c) tap into community ways of knowing, and d) leverage emerging technologies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12306.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura M. Diaz
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jessica Trowbridge
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Cecilia S. Alcala
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David J.X. González
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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10
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Varshavsky JR, Rayasam SDG, Sass JB, Axelrad DA, Cranor CF, Hattis D, Hauser R, Koman PD, Marquez EC, Morello-Frosch R, Oksas C, Patton S, Robinson JF, Sathyanarayana S, Shepard PM, Woodruff TJ. Current practice and recommendations for advancing how human variability and susceptibility are considered in chemical risk assessment. Environ Health 2023; 21:133. [PMID: 36635753 PMCID: PMC9835253 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00940-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A key element of risk assessment is accounting for the full range of variability in response to environmental exposures. Default dose-response methods typically assume a 10-fold difference in response to chemical exposures between average (healthy) and susceptible humans, despite evidence of wider variability. Experts and authoritative bodies support using advanced techniques to better account for human variability due to factors such as in utero or early life exposure and exposure to multiple environmental, social, and economic stressors.This review describes: 1) sources of human variability and susceptibility in dose-response assessment, 2) existing US frameworks for addressing response variability in risk assessment; 3) key scientific inadequacies necessitating updated methods; 4) improved approaches and opportunities for better use of science; and 5) specific and quantitative recommendations to address evidence and policy needs.Current default adjustment factors do not sufficiently capture human variability in dose-response and thus are inadequate to protect the entire population. Susceptible groups are not appropriately protected under current regulatory guidelines. Emerging tools and data sources that better account for human variability and susceptibility include probabilistic methods, genetically diverse in vivo and in vitro models, and the use of human data to capture underlying risk and/or assess combined effects from chemical and non-chemical stressors.We recommend using updated methods and data to improve consideration of human variability and susceptibility in risk assessment, including the use of increased default human variability factors and separate adjustment factors for capturing age/life stage of development and exposure to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors. Updated methods would result in greater transparency and protection for susceptible groups, including children, infants, people who are pregnant or nursing, people with disabilities, and those burdened by additional environmental exposures and/or social factors such as poverty and racism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Varshavsky
- Department of Health Sciences and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Swati D G Rayasam
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Carl F Cranor
- Department of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Dale Hattis
- The George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patricia D Koman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Catherine Oksas
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Joshua F Robinson
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Center for Reproductive Sciences and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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11
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Chartres N, Sass JB, Gee D, Bălan SA, Birnbaum L, Cogliano VJ, Cooper C, Fedinick KP, Harrison RM, Kolossa-Gehring M, Mandrioli D, Mitchell MA, Norris SL, Portier CJ, Straif K, Vermeire T. Conducting evaluations of evidence that are transparent, timely and can lead to health-protective actions. Environ Health 2022; 21:123. [PMID: 36471342 PMCID: PMC9720912 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00926-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In February 2021, over one hundred scientists and policy experts participated in a web-based Workshop to discuss the ways that divergent evaluations of evidence and scientific uncertainties are used to delay timely protection of human health and the environment from exposures to hazardous agents. The Workshop arose from a previous workshop organized by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in 2008 and which also drew on case studies from the EEA reports on 'Late Lessons from Early Warnings' (2001, 2013). These reports documented dozens of hazardous agents including many chemicals, for which risk reduction measures were delayed for decades after scientists and others had issued early and later warnings about the harm likely to be caused by those agents. RESULTS Workshop participants used recent case studies including Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Extremely Low Frequency - Electrical Magnetic Fields (ELF-EMF fields), glyphosate, and Bisphenol A (BPA) to explore myriad reasons for divergent outcomes of evaluations, which has led to delayed and inadequate protection of the public's health. Strategies to overcome these barriers must, therefore, at a minimum include approaches that 1) Make better use of existing data and information, 2) Ensure timeliness, 3) Increase transparency, consistency and minimize bias in evidence evaluations, and 4) Minimize the influence of financial conflicts of interest. CONCLUSION The recommendations should enhance the production of "actionable evidence," that is, reliable evaluations of the scientific evidence to support timely actions to protect health and environments from exposures to hazardous agents. The recommendations are applicable to policy and regulatory settings at the local, state, federal and international levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Chartres
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Jennifer B Sass
- Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC, USA
- George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Simona A Bălan
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Berkeley, CA, USA
- University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Linda Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Courtney Cooper
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Roy M Harrison
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Environmental Sciences/Centre of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marike Kolossa-Gehring
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, Section Toxicology, Health Related Environmental Monitoring, German Federal Environmental Agency, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Daniele Mandrioli
- Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, Ramazzini Institute, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mark A Mitchell
- George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
- Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, Hartford, CT, USA
| | - Susan L Norris
- Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Christopher J Portier
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- CJP Consulting, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kurt Straif
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Boston College, Newton, MA, USA
| | - Theo Vermeire
- Retired, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Rahimi-Ardabili H, Magrabi F, Coiera E. Digital health for climate change mitigation and response: a scoping review. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2022; 29:2140-2152. [PMID: 35960171 PMCID: PMC9667157 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocac134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Climate change poses a major threat to the operation of global health systems, triggering large scale health events, and disrupting normal system operation. Digital health may have a role in the management of such challenges and in greenhouse gas emission reduction. This scoping review explores recent work on digital health responses and mitigation approaches to climate change. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched Medline up to February 11, 2022, using terms for digital health and climate change. Included articles were categorized into 3 application domains (mitigation, infectious disease, or environmental health risk management), and 6 technical tasks (data sensing, monitoring, electronic data capture, modeling, decision support, and communication). The review was PRISMA-ScR compliant. RESULTS The 142 included publications reported a wide variety of research designs. Publication numbers have grown substantially in recent years, but few come from low- and middle-income countries. Digital health has the potential to reduce health system greenhouse gas emissions, for example by shifting to virtual services. It can assist in managing changing patterns of infectious diseases as well as environmental health events by timely detection, reducing exposure to risk factors, and facilitating the delivery of care to under-resourced areas. DISCUSSION While digital health has real potential to help in managing climate change, research remains preliminary with little real-world evaluation. CONCLUSION Significant acceleration in the quality and quantity of digital health climate change research is urgently needed, given the enormity of the global challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hania Rahimi-Ardabili
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
| | - Farah Magrabi
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
| | - Enrico Coiera
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
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13
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Długosz-Lisiecka M. Public Health Decision Making in the Case of the Use of a Nuclear Weapon. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12766. [PMID: 36232066 PMCID: PMC9564949 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current geopolitical situation and the war on Ukraine's territory generate questions about the possible use of a nuclear weapon and create the need to refresh emergency protective plans for the population. Ensuring the protection of public health is a national responsibility, but the problem is of international size and global scale. Radiological or nuclear disasters need suitable decision making at the right time, which determine large effective radiation protection activities to ensure public health is protected, reduce fatalities, radiation disease, and other effects. In this study, a simulation of a single nuclear weapon detonation with an explosion yield of 0.3 and 1 Mt was applied for a hypothetical location, to indicate the required decision making and the need to trigger protocols for the protection of the population. The simulated explosion was located in a city center, in a European country, for the estimation of the size of the effects of the explosion and its consequences for public health. Based on the simulation results and knowledge obtained from historical nuclear events, practical suggestions, discussion, a review of the recommendations was conducted, exacerbated by the time constraints of a public health emergency. Making science-based decisions should encompass clear procedures with specific activities triggered immediately based on confirmed information, acquired from active or/and passive warning systems and radiometric specific analysis provided by authorized laboratories. This study has the potential to support the preparedness of decision makers in the event of a disaster or crisis-related emergency for population health management and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the current ability to respond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Długosz-Lisiecka
- Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Wróblewskiego 15, 93-590 Lodz, Poland
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Buse CG, Bezzola A, Brubacher J, Takaro TK, Fredeen AL, Parkes MW. Cumulative Impacts of Diverse Land Uses in British Columbia, Canada: Application of the "EnviroScreen" Method. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11171. [PMID: 36141471 PMCID: PMC9517321 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
(1) Objectives: Cumulative impacts refer to the legacies of land use decisions on environmental, community and health values. New integrative impact assessment tools are required to assess cumulative impacts on diverse values to meet sustainability goals in the 21st century. In this contribution, the CalEnviroScreen methodology-a screening tool capable of merging environmental, socioeconomic and health data-is applied to Local Health Areas in British Columbia, Canada. (2) Methods: The CalEnviroScreen is a method that standardizes environmental, socioeconomic and health data to depict an indicator's percentile rank in the distribution of all units of analysis. The method combines indicators to measure four dimensions of pressure: environmental exposures, environmental effects, socioeconomic conditions, and sensitive populations (i.e., health outcomes). We create two versions of EnviroScreen: one following the CalEnviroScreen suite of indicators, and another that uses nuanced indicators to approximate the realities of industrial land uses present in British Columbia. BCEnviroScreen scores are plotted by race/ethnicity to understand potential racial inequities in cumulative exposures. (3) Results: The BCEnviroScreen has a greater likelihood of quantifying the cumulative impacts of diverse industries and land uses present across resource-dependent parts of the province, relative to the more urban-centric CalEnviroScreen indicator suite. Analyzing the distribution of BCEnviroScreen scores by race/ethnicity suggests that visible minority populations may be inequitably exposed to cumulative impacts in BC. (4) Conclusion: EnviroScreen tools hold significant potential to influence Canadian environmental health policy. This research demonstrates the applicability of the tool to British Columbia and other jurisdictions, illustrates how indicators can be tailored to better represent regional context, and shows how the tool can be used to screen for potential environmental health injustices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris G. Buse
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Aita Bezzola
- School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Jordan Brubacher
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Tim K. Takaro
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Arthur L. Fredeen
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Margot W. Parkes
- School of Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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15
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Shamasunder B, Chan M, Navarro S, Eckel S, Johnston JE. Mobile daily diaries to characterize stressors and acute health symptoms in an environmental justice neighborhood. Health Place 2022; 76:102849. [PMID: 35780656 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Low-income communities and communities of color face multiple, cumulative environmental and social burdens. Methods development in environmental justice research has largely focused on spatial and quantitative approaches. Less attention has been paid to developing methodologies that help collect information on everyday stressors and quality of life experiences for residents in overburdened communities. Mixed methods approaches can be one way to structure study designs that help consider how residents experience environmental and socioeconomic impacts in a localized community context. In neighborhoods burdened by cumulative stressors, traditional cross-sectional epidemiological research designs can also be challenging, as well as limited or narrow in their application. However, repeat sampling of measures within a vulnerable population can approach a quasi-experimental design and help consider variations within residents in a single neighborhood as well as better parse relationships between exposures and outcomes. Through a community-academic partnership with university partners, local community partners, and a local promotores de salud (community health workers) network, we pilot tested a novel mobile daily diary approach in both English and Spanish in an urban, predominantly immigrant community in South Los Angeles as a potential method to collect information on daily stress, environmental quality, and health status/symptoms. We collected resident responses via a once per day 7-day SMS/text messaging survey. We sought to gather granular data on daily resident experiences of air pollution and environmental hazards. Residents reported acute health symptoms and stressors, with repeat measures demonstrating how residents might rank, categorize, or cope with stressors. We find that residents in environmental justice communities record variation in their daily diary responses and document changes in environmental quality, stressors, and odors. Refining this type of method could enable a more rigorous examination of co-occurrences of environmental quality and acute health symptoms. This approach supports the inclusion of residents in the research process and helps more systematically integrate open-ended environmental health relevant data in environmental justice efforts. Used with measured data such as air monitoring or health measures, mixed methods generated data can help support efforts that aim to alleviate sources of daily stress, alongside efforts to reduce overall pollution burdens. Mobile daily diaries can be one way to capture variable responses to environmental quality, acute health symptoms, and stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavna Shamasunder
- Urban & Environmental Policy Department and Public Health Program, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Marissa Chan
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Bldg. 1, 14th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | | | - Sandrah Eckel
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jill E Johnston
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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16
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Sandifer PA, Juster RP, Seeman TE, Lichtveld MY, Singer BH. Allostatic load in the context of disasters. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 140:105725. [PMID: 35306472 PMCID: PMC8919761 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Environmental disasters, pandemics, and other major traumatic events such as the Covid-19 pandemic or war contribute to psychosocial stress which manifests in a wide range of mental and physical consequences. The increasing frequency and severity of such events suggest that the adverse effects of toxic stress are likely to become more widespread and pervasive in the future. The allostatic load (AL) model has important elements that lend themselves well for identifying adverse health effects of disasters. Here we examine several articulations of AL from the standpoint of using AL to gauge short- and long-term health effects of disasters and to provide predictive capacity that would enable mitigation or prevention of some disaster-related health consequences. We developed a transdisciplinary framework combining indices of psychosocial AL and physiological AL to produce a robust estimate of overall AL in people affected by disasters and other traumatic events. In conclusion, we urge researchers to consider the potential of using AL as a component in a proposed disaster-oriented human health observing system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Sandifer
- Center for Coastal Environmental and Human Health, School of Sciences and Mathematics, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424, USA.
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Teresa E Seeman
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maureen Y Lichtveld
- Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Burton H Singer
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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17
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Nwanaji-Enwerem O, Baccarelli AA, Curwin BD, Zota AR, Nwanaji-Enwerem JC. Environmentally Just Futures: A Collection of Community-Driven African Environmental Education and Improvement Initiatives. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19116622. [PMID: 35682206 PMCID: PMC9180885 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Advocating for healthy environments is a matter of justice. Changes in environments have tremendous impacts on the health of communities, and oftentimes, individuals are unable to safeguard themselves through individual actions alone. Efforts frequently require collective action and are often most effective when led by the communities most impacted. In this spirit, we launched “Vibrations”, an African environment photo essay contest. Through funding and publicity, we aimed to support community-led environmental improvement and education initiatives presently taking place on the continent. We received nearly two dozen submissions and selected eight winners. The winners come from five countries (Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa) and have taken on a range of projects aimed at improving environments across a variety of African regions. Projects included efforts to combat pollution, create environmentally conscious school curricula, utilize clean energy sources, and spread awareness about environmental justice concerns in local communities. It is our hope that this report highlights these transformative community-driven efforts, promotes continued conversations on environmental justice in Africa, and encourages meaningful action via policy changes and collaborations throughout the African continent and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onyemaechi Nwanaji-Enwerem
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Andrea A. Baccarelli
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Brian D. Curwin
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA;
| | - Ami R. Zota
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC 20052, USA;
| | - Jamaji C. Nwanaji-Enwerem
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Correspondence:
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18
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Using the Community Engagement Framework to Understand and Assess EJ-Related Research Efforts. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14052809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Within an environmental justice frame, capacity-building has been an important component of efforts to address health disparities at the policy, system, and environment levels. While the literature is replete with studies that discuss the necessity of collective action as a means to generate power to overcome inequities, limited attention has been given to the structure of these efforts to build capacity and challenge environmental injustices. This study applies the community engagement continuum as a framework for understanding the scope of capacity-building strategies and the manner in which research investigators engage with their intended target community. Paired teams of independent analysts screened articles for relevance (n = 8452), identified records for content abstraction (n = 163), and characterized relevant studies (n = 58). Many articles discussed community engagement as being either collaborative or shared leadership (n = 32, 55.2%). While the most commonly used capacity-building strategies were organizing/social action (58.6%) and CBPR (50%), few studies were able to make an environmental impact (n = 23; 39.7%), and fewer had a direct legislative policy-related outcome (n = 13; 22.4%). This review identifies levels of collaborative involvement and strategic approaches used for strengthening community capacity in efforts of making transformative policy, systems, and environmental change.
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19
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A novel preclinical model of environment-like combined benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) exposure: Behavioral and neurochemical findings. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2022; 91:107076. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2022.107076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
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20
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Venugopal PD, Morse AL, Alrefai-Kirkpatrick R, Tworek C, Chang HW. The Co-occurrence of Specialty Vape Shops, Social Disadvantage, and Poor Air Quality in the United States: An Assessment of Cumulative Risks to Youth. Health Equity 2022; 6:132-141. [PMID: 35261940 PMCID: PMC8896168 DOI: 10.1089/heq.2021.0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: We conducted a cumulative environmental health risk assessment of whether specialty vape shops and poor air quality are more likely to co-occur in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods where racial/ethnic minority youth live. Methods: We examined the population-adjusted incidence of specialty vape shops in relation to youth race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), and air quality (nitrogen dioxide [NO2]) at the census tract level across the conterminous United States for 2018. Results: We did not find disparity in vape shop incidence related to minority youth race/ethnicity. Vape shop incidence was significantly negatively associated with all the youth race/ethnicities examined. The two lowest SES quintiles had nearly double the rate of specialty vape shop incidence compared with the highest SES quintile. Specialty vape shop incidence increased with NO2 concentration, with more vape shops in poor air quality neighborhoods. Conclusions: Specialty vape shops are disproportionately present in neighborhoods with poor air quality and where socially disadvantaged youth live. The increased incidence of vape shops in poor air quality neighborhoods, particularly in an urban context with increased traffic emissions, further points to potentially disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged populations due to cumulative social and environmental risks. This raises environmental justice and health equity concerns. Retailer-focused strategies aimed at limiting youth exposure to electronic cigarettes' labeling and advertising, preventing sales to minors, and limiting the number of retailers in low-SES neighborhoods may reduce initiation and help prevent tobacco-related health disparities among youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Dilip Venugopal
- Office of Science, Center for Tobacco Products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Aura Lee Morse
- Office of Science, Center for Tobacco Products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Rudaina Alrefai-Kirkpatrick
- Office of Science, Center for Tobacco Products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Cindy Tworek
- Office of Science, Center for Tobacco Products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Hoshing W. Chang
- Office of Science, Center for Tobacco Products, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
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21
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Aydin C, Esen Ö, Aydin R. Analyzing the economic development-driven ecological deficit in the EU-15 countries: new evidence from PSTR approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:15188-15204. [PMID: 34628608 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16773-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper empirically analyzes the non-linear effect of economic activities on ecological balance indicators that estimate the balance between economies' pressure on nature and the biologically productive resource areas affected by human activity and the earth's ecological carrying capacity. In measuring this balance, ecological balance sheet indicators are divided into four sub-components: cropland, fishing grounds, forest area, and grazing land. The sample of the study consists of the EU-15 countries over the period 1995-2016. To render the study robust with respect to econometric issues such as potential endogeneity bias, cross-country heterogeneity, non-linearity, and time instability, the panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) method is adapted. The empirical findings reveal that up to a certain threshold level, economic activities do not affect the ecological balance as nature can compensate for the resulting externalities, but beyond this threshold, waste accumulation and pollution exceed nature's capacity to absorb. Consequently, these findings do not empirically support the EKC hypothesis with an inverted U-shaped curve and suggest that active environmental policies are needed to improve the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celil Aydin
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, 10200, Balıkesir, Turkey.
| | - Ömer Esen
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Namık Kemal University, 59030, Tekirdağ, Turkey
| | - Recai Aydin
- Prof. Dr., Department of Economics, Faculty of Political Sciences, Social Sciences University of Ankara, 06050, Ankara, Turkey
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Yang J, Ma S, Song Y, Li F, Zhou J. Rethinking of Environmental Health Risks: A Systematic Approach of Physical-Social Health Vulnerability Assessment on Heavy-Metal Exposure through Soil and Vegetables. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413379. [PMID: 34948988 PMCID: PMC8702039 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the field of environmental health risk assessment and management research, heavy metals in soil are a constant focus, largely because of mining and metallurgical activities, and other manufacturing or producing. However, systematic vulnerability, and combined research of social and physical vulnerability of the crowd, have received less attention in the research literature of environmental health risk assessment. For this reason, tentative design modelling for comprehensive environmental health vulnerability, which includes the index of physical and social vulnerability, was conducted here. On the basis of experimental data of heavy-metal pollution in soil and vegetables, and population and societal survey data in Daye, China, the physical, social, and comprehensive environmental health vulnerabilities of the area were analyzed, with each village as an evaluation unit. First, the polluted and reference areas were selected. Random sampling sites were distributed in the farmland of the villages in these two areas, with two sampling sites per village. Then, 204 vegetable samples were directly collected from the farmland from which the soil samples had been collected, composed of seven kinds of vegetables: cowpea, water spinach, amaranth, sweet potato leaves, tomato, eggplant, and pepper. Moreover, 400 questionnaires were given to the local residents in these corresponding villages, and 389 valid responses were obtained. The results indicated that (1) the average physical vulnerability values of the population in the polluted and reference areas were 3.99 and 1.00, respectively; (2) the village of Weiwang (WW) had the highest physical vulnerability of 8.55; (3) vegetable intake is exposure that should be paid more attention, as it contributes more than 90% to physical vulnerability among the exposure pathways; (4) arsenic and cadmium should be the priority pollutants, with average physical vulnerability value contributions of 63.9% and 17.0%, respectively; (5) according to the social vulnerability assessment, the village of Luoqiao (LQ) had the highest social vulnerability (0.77); (6) for comprehensive environmental health vulnerability, five villages near mining activities and two villages far from mine-affected area had high physical and social vulnerability, and are the urgent areas for environmental risk management. In order to promote environmental risk management, it is necessary to prioritize identifying vulnerable populations in the village-scale dimension as an innovative discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- Research Center for Environment and Health, Zhongnan University of Economic and Law, Wuhan 430073, China; (J.Y.); (Y.S.); (F.L.)
| | - Silu Ma
- Wuhan Planning and Design Company, Wuhan 430014, China;
| | - Yongwei Song
- Research Center for Environment and Health, Zhongnan University of Economic and Law, Wuhan 430073, China; (J.Y.); (Y.S.); (F.L.)
| | - Fei Li
- Research Center for Environment and Health, Zhongnan University of Economic and Law, Wuhan 430073, China; (J.Y.); (Y.S.); (F.L.)
| | - Jingcheng Zhou
- Research Center for Environment and Health, Zhongnan University of Economic and Law, Wuhan 430073, China; (J.Y.); (Y.S.); (F.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-027-8838-5413
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Rajagopalan
- From the Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (S.R.); and the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, Boston College, Boston (P.J.L.)
| | - Philip J Landrigan
- From the Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland (S.R.); and the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, Boston College, Boston (P.J.L.)
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Padmanabhan V, Song W, Puttabyatappa M. Praegnatio Perturbatio-Impact of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. Endocr Rev 2021; 42:295-353. [PMID: 33388776 PMCID: PMC8152448 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaa035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The burden of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight is considerable across the world. Several risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes have been identified. One risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes receiving considerable attention in recent years is gestational exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Humans are exposed to a multitude of environmental chemicals with known endocrine-disrupting properties, and evidence suggests exposure to these EDCs have the potential to disrupt the maternal-fetal environment culminating in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. This review addresses the impact of maternal and fetal exposure to environmental EDCs of natural and man-made chemicals in disrupting the maternal-fetal milieu in human leading to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes-a risk factor for adult-onset noncommunicable diseases, the role lifestyle and environmental factors play in mitigating or amplifying the effects of EDCs, the underlying mechanisms and mediators involved, and the research directions on which to focus future investigations to help alleviate the adverse effects of EDC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenhui Song
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Santos-Junior N, Braga JU, Maciel EMGDS. Cumulative Environmental Vulnerability Assessment in the Area of Influence of the Pecém Port Industrial Complex (Ceará, Brazil): A Spatial Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052404. [PMID: 33804547 PMCID: PMC7967749 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The municipalities of Caucaia and São Gonçalo do Amarante are located in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza (CE) and are home to the Pecém Port Industrial Complex (PPIC). We know that economic development is not necessarily related to improvements in the quality of life of the population. Furthermore, the bonuses and burdens of this particular installation can occur unevenly. This study aimed to assess the cumulative environmental vulnerability of these municipalities. We used the cumulative environmental vulnerability assessment methodology to assess the population’s degree of vulnerability, considering census sectors as a spatial unit. This approach combines three indices: environmental risk index, social vulnerability index, and health index. Finally, we calculated the arithmetic mean of each indicator in each census sector. We built choropleth maps to assess the spatial distribution of environmental vulnerability. We found that many maps demonstrated high cumulative environmental vulnerability census sectors around the PPIC, while the Caucaia, located downtown, exhibited a substantial majority of the low cumulative environmental vulnerability census sectors. The district of Guararu, in Caucaia, was notable for having proportionally more census sectors with high health index values. Environmental vulnerability was heterogeneously distributed, and the most impoverished areas are also the most vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto Santos-Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saude Publica e Meio Ambiente, Escola Nacional de Saude Pública—FIOCRUZ 1, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil;
| | - Jose Ueleres Braga
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Metodos Quantitativos em Saude, Escola Nacional de Saude Pública—FIOCRUZ 2, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Instituto de Medicina Social, Universidade do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil
- Correspondence: (J.U.B.); (E.M.G.d.S.M.); Tel.: +552122854139 (E.M.G.d.S.M.)
| | - Elvira Maria Godinho de Seixas Maciel
- Departamento de Epidemiologia e Metodos Quantitativos em Saude, Escola Nacional de Saude Pública—FIOCRUZ 2, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil
- Correspondence: (J.U.B.); (E.M.G.d.S.M.); Tel.: +552122854139 (E.M.G.d.S.M.)
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Cave B, Pyper R, Fischer-Bonde B, Humboldt-Dachroeden S, Martin-Olmedo P. Lessons from an International Initiative to Set and Share Good Practice on Human Health in Environmental Impact Assessment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18041392. [PMID: 33546244 PMCID: PMC7913344 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is applied to infrastructure and other large projects. The European Union EIA Directive (2011/92/EU as amended by 2014/52/EU) requires EIAs to consider the effects that a project might have on human health. The International Association for Impact Assessment and the European Public Health Association prepared a reference paper on public health in EIA to enable the health sector to contribute to this international requirement. We present lessons from this joint action. We review literature on policy analysis, impact assessment and Health Impact Assessment (HIA). We use findings from this review and from the consultation on the reference paper to consider how population and human health should be defined; how the health sector can participate in the EIA process; the relationship between EIA and HIA; what counts as evidence; when an effect should be considered ‘likely’ and ‘significant’; how changes in health should be reported; the risks from a business-as-usual coverage of human health in EIA; and finally competencies for conducting an assessment of human health. This article is relevant for health authorities seeking to ensure that infrastructure, and other aspects of development, are not deleterious to, but indeed improve, human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Cave
- BCA Insight Ireland Ltd., D02FY24 Dublin, Ireland; (R.P.); (B.F.-B.)
- International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), Fargo, ND 58103-3705, USA;
- European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Post Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands;
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Ryngan Pyper
- BCA Insight Ireland Ltd., D02FY24 Dublin, Ireland; (R.P.); (B.F.-B.)
- International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), Fargo, ND 58103-3705, USA;
| | - Birgitte Fischer-Bonde
- BCA Insight Ireland Ltd., D02FY24 Dublin, Ireland; (R.P.); (B.F.-B.)
- International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), Fargo, ND 58103-3705, USA;
- Fischer-Bonde Consulting, 1727 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sarah Humboldt-Dachroeden
- International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), Fargo, ND 58103-3705, USA;
- Department of Social Science and Business, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Piedad Martin-Olmedo
- European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Post Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands;
- Escuela Andaluza de Salud Publica, 18011 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigacion Biosanitaria de Granada (Ibs. GRANADA), 18016 Granada, Spain
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Padula AM, Rivera-Núñez Z, Barrett ES. Combined Impacts of Prenatal Environmental Exposures and Psychosocial Stress on Offspring Health: Air Pollution and Metals. Curr Environ Health Rep 2021; 7:89-100. [PMID: 32347455 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-020-00273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pregnant women and their offspring are vulnerable to the adverse effects of environmental and psychosocial stressors, individually and in combination. Here, we review the literature on how air pollution and metal exposures may interact with structural and individual-level stressors (including poverty and stressful life events) to impact perinatal and child outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS The adverse associations between air pollution and metal exposures and adverse infant and child health outcomes are often exacerbated by co-exposure to psychosocial stressors. Although studies vary by geography, study population, pollutants, stressors, and outcomes considered, the effects of environmental exposures and psychosocial stressors on early health outcomes are sometimes stronger when considered in combination than individually. Environmental and psychosocial stressors are often examined separately, even though their co-occurrence is widespread. The evidence that combined associations are often stronger raises critical issues around environmental justice and protection of vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Padula
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Zorimar Rivera-Núñez
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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29
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Smith A, Laribi O. Environmental Justice in the American Public Health Context: Trends in the Scientific Literature at the Intersection Between Health, Environment, and Social Status. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2021; 9:247-256. [PMID: 33420608 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-020-00949-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Although various governmental entities in the USA are required to consider environmental justice (EJ) impacts of their actions during decision-making, socially vulnerable groups continue to be disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards. Tools and programs to quantify and mitigate environmental injustices are limited by existing data, which may not capture the full range of health disparities exacerbated by the complex interactions between environmental exposures and social stressors. In this study, we analyzed how the scientific literature approaches EJ issues in the USA. We searched PubMed for journal articles discussing at least one sociodemographic or environmental variable in the context of cumulative impacts and analyzed the relative frequency with which various EJ topics were studied. Our findings indicate that demographic variables are commonly used in epidemiologic studies, though some areas (e.g., age) are better studied than others. Similarly, occupational exposure and ambient air pollution were more studied than other types of exposures. Word frequency analyses revealed which toxicants and health outcomes are the most frequently studied. In addition, temporality analyses showed that the rate of occupational publications rose rapidly in the 1970-1980s and has since plateaued, while other publication rates increased two decades later and are still on the rise. Cumulative impacts are considered in a relatively small portion of journal articles across all topics; nevertheless, they have seen an exponential climb in the last decade. A more equitable distribution of scientific efforts might be needed for a better distribution of funding, policy-making efforts, and other resources to socially and environmentally vulnerable communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ouahiba Laribi
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA.
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Eichler CMA, Hubal EAC, Xu Y, Cao J, Bi C, Weschler CJ, Salthammer T, Morrison GC, Koivisto AJ, Zhang Y, Mandin C, Wei W, Blondeau P, Poppendieck D, Liu X, Delmaar CJE, Fantke P, Jolliet O, Shin HM, Diamond ML, Shiraiwa M, Zuend A, Hopke PK, von Goetz N, Kulmala M, Little JC. Assessing Human Exposure to SVOCs in Materials, Products, and Articles: A Modular Mechanistic Framework. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:25-43. [PMID: 33319994 PMCID: PMC7877794 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
A critical review of the current state of knowledge of chemical emissions from indoor sources, partitioning among indoor compartments, and the ensuing indoor exposure leads to a proposal for a modular mechanistic framework for predicting human exposure to semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Mechanistically consistent source emission categories include solid, soft, frequent contact, applied, sprayed, and high temperature sources. Environmental compartments are the gas phase, airborne particles, settled dust, indoor surfaces, and clothing. Identified research needs are the development of dynamic emission models for several of the source emission categories and of estimation strategies for critical model parameters. The modular structure of the framework facilitates subsequent inclusion of new knowledge, other chemical classes of indoor pollutants, and additional mechanistic processes relevant to human exposure indoors. The framework may serve as the foundation for developing an open-source community model to better support collaborative research and improve access for application by stakeholders. Combining exposure estimates derived using this framework with toxicity data for different end points and toxicokinetic mechanisms will accelerate chemical risk prioritization, advance effective chemical management decisions, and protect public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara M A Eichler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianping Cao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Chenyang Bi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
| | - Charles J Weschler
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Tunga Salthammer
- Fraunhofer WKI, Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Braunschweig 38108, Germany
| | - Glenn C Morrison
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Antti Joonas Koivisto
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Yinping Zhang
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Corinne Mandin
- University of Paris-Est, Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), French Indoor Air Quality Observatory (OQAI), Champs sur Marne 77447, France
| | - Wenjuan Wei
- University of Paris-Est, Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), French Indoor Air Quality Observatory (OQAI), Champs sur Marne 77447, France
| | - Patrice Blondeau
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur pour l'Environnement - LaSIE, Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle 77447, France
| | - Dustin Poppendieck
- Engineering Lab, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Christiaan J E Delmaar
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Center for Safety of Substances and Products, Bilthoven 3720, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hyeong-Moo Shin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, United States
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B1, Canada
| | - Manabu Shiraiwa
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Andreas Zuend
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A0B9, Canada
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699-5708, United States
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | | | - Markku Kulmala
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - John C Little
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
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Use of Genomic Information in Health Impact Assessment is Yet to Come: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17249417. [PMID: 33334033 PMCID: PMC7765467 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Information generated by genetic epidemiology and genomics studies has been accumulating at fast pace, and this knowledge opens new vistas in public health, allowing for the understanding of gene-environment interactions. However, the translation of genome-based knowledge and technologies to the practice of healthcare, and especially of public health, is challenging. Because health impact assessment (HIA) proved to be an effective tool to assist consideration of health issues is sectoral policymaking, this study aimed at exploring its role in the translational process by a systematic literature review on the use of genetic information provided by genetic epidemiology and genomics studies in HIA. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched and the findings systematically reviewed and reported by the PRISMA guidelines. The review found eight studies that met the inclusion criteria, most of them theoretically discussing the use of HIA for introducing genome-based technologies in healthcare practice, and only two articles considered, in short, the possibility for a generic application of genomic information in HIA. The findings indicate that HIA should be more extensively utilized in the translation of genome-based knowledge to public health practice, and the use of genomic information should be facilitated in the HIA process.
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Schulz AJ, Omari A, Ward M, Mentz GB, Demajo R, Sampson N, Israel BA, Reyes AG, Wilkins D. Independent and joint contributions of economic, social and physical environmental characteristics to mortality in the Detroit Metropolitan Area: A study of cumulative effects and pathways. Health Place 2020; 65:102391. [PMID: 32738606 PMCID: PMC7511424 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies have demonstrated associations between race-based residential segregation, neighborhood socioeconomic and physical environmental characteristics, and mortality. Relatively few studies have examined independent and joint effects of these multiple neighborhood characteristics and mortality, including potential mediating pathways. In this study we examine the extent to which associations between race-based residential segregation and all-cause mortality may be explained by multiple socioeconomic indicators and exposure to air pollutants. METHODS Drawing on data from multiple sources, we assessed bivariate associations between race-based residential segregation (operationalized as percent non-Hispanic Black), education (percent with graduate equivalency degree), poverty (percent below poverty), income inequality (GINI coefficient) and air pollution (ambient PM2.5) and age adjusted all-cause, all race mortality (henceforth all cause mortality) at the census tract level in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. We used inequality curves to assess the (in)equitable distribution of economic and environmental characteristics by census tract racial composition. Finally, we used generalized estimating equations (GEE) to examine independent and joint associations among percent NHB, education, income inequality, and air pollution to all-cause mortality, and test for mediating effects. RESULTS Bivariate associations between racial composition, education, poverty, income inequality, PM2.5 and all-cause mortality were statistically significant. Census tracts with higher concentrations of NHB residents had significantly lower educational attainment, higher poverty, and greater exposure to PM2.5. In multivariate models, education, income inequality and PM2.5 fully attenuated associations between racial composition and all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS Results are consistent with the hypothesis that race-based residential segregation is associated with heightened all-cause mortality, and that those effects are mediated by education, income inequality, and exposure to air pollution at the census tract level. Public health and cross-sector interventions to eliminate race-based residential segregation or to eliminate the maldistribution of educational and economic resources, and environmental exposures, across census tracts could substantially reduce regional inequities in all-cause mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Schulz
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Amel Omari
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Melanie Ward
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Graciela B Mentz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ricardo Demajo
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Natalie Sampson
- College of Education, Health and Human Services, University of Michigan Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA
| | - Barbara A Israel
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Angela G Reyes
- Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Detroit, MI, USA
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Sampson N, Sagovac S, Schulz A, Fink L, Mentz G, Reyes A, Rice K, de Majo R, Gamboa C, Vial B. Mobilizing for Community Benefits to Assess Health and Promote Environmental Justice near the Gordie Howe International Bridge. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17134680. [PMID: 32610649 PMCID: PMC7370215 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17134680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Transportation infrastructure decisions contribute to social, economic, and health inequities in the U.S. Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) may improve understanding of potential strategies to mitigate adverse effects on quality of life from planned developments. We use the Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB), currently under construction in southwest Detroit, MI, as a case study to examine 15 years of community mobilization, which resulted in community benefits that included an HIA. We describe community engagement processes, household survey methods, and select findings of the baseline HIA, with a focus on their application to inform recommendations to promote quality of life. Baseline HIA results indicated significantly higher self-reported asthma rates among children living within 500 feet of trucking routes. Residents reported substantial economic (e.g., decreased home values), health (e.g., adverse outcomes, lack of health care access), and environmental (e.g., air pollution) concerns related to the GHIB. We discuss specific recommendations, based on HIA results, to reduce adverse impacts of the GHIB. These recommendations will inform ongoing community benefits negotiations. This case study provides lessons for community, academic, and government partners conducting HIAs, especially during building and operation of major infrastructure, and discusses their potential role in improving community engagement opportunities towards environmental justice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Sampson
- Department of Health & Human Services, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-313-593-4889
| | - Simone Sagovac
- Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition, Detroit, MI 48209, USA;
| | - Amy Schulz
- Health Behavior Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (A.S.); (R.d.M.)
| | - Lauren Fink
- Detroit Health Department, Detroit, MI 48207, USA; (L.F.); (A.R.); (C.G.)
| | - Graciela Mentz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Angela Reyes
- Detroit Health Department, Detroit, MI 48207, USA; (L.F.); (A.R.); (C.G.)
| | - Kristina Rice
- Center for Global Health Equity, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Ricardo de Majo
- Health Behavior Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (A.S.); (R.d.M.)
| | - Cindy Gamboa
- Detroit Health Department, Detroit, MI 48207, USA; (L.F.); (A.R.); (C.G.)
| | - Bridget Vial
- Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, Detroit, MI 48209, USA;
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Watterson A, Dinan W. Lagging and Flagging: Air Pollution, Shale Gas Exploration and the Interaction of Policy, Science, Ethics and Environmental Justice in England. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E4320. [PMID: 32560334 PMCID: PMC7344855 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The science on the effects of global climate change and air pollution on morbidity and mortality is clear and debate now centres around the scale and precise contributions of particular pollutants. Sufficient data existed in recent decades to support the adoption of precautionary public health policies relating to fossil fuels including shale exploration. Yet air quality and related public health impacts linked to ethical and environmental justice elements are often marginalized or missing in planning and associated decision making. Industry and government policies and practices, laws and planning regulations lagged well behind the science in the United Kingdom. This paper explores the reasons for this and what shaped some of those policies. Why did shale gas policies in England fail to fully address public health priorities and neglect ethical and environmental justice concerns. To answer this question, an interdisciplinary analysis is needed informed by a theoretical framework of how air pollution and climate change are largely discounted in the complex realpolitik of policy and regulation for shale gas development in England. Sources, including official government, regulatory and planning documents, as well as industry and scientific publications are examined and benchmarked against the science and ethical and environmental justice criteria. Further, our typology illustrates how the process works drawing on an analysis of official policy documents and statements on planning and regulatory oversight of shale exploration in England, and material from industry and their consultants relating to proposed shale oil and gas development. Currently the oil, gas and chemical industries in England continue to dominate and influence energy and feedstock-related policy making to the detriment of ethical and environmental justice decision making with significant consequences for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Watterson
- Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - William Dinan
- Communications, Media & Culture, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK;
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35
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Koman PD, Romo F, Swinton P, Mentz GB, de Majo RF, Sampson NR, Battaglia MJ, Hill-Knott K, Williams GO, O'Neill MS, Schulz AJ. MI-Environment: Geospatial patterns and inequality of relative heat stress vulnerability in Michigan. Health Place 2019; 60:102228. [PMID: 31654921 PMCID: PMC6944282 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Heat stress causes morbidity and mortality and is increasing with climate change. Heat stress can pose particular challenges in northern regions not well adapted to heat. To assist decision makers, we identified the relative vulnerability of census tracts within Michigan to factors that increase exposure to heat stress or reflect susceptibilities in the population based on a California heat vulnerability index. In the MI-Environment assessment, we used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to combine future ensemble climate model projections to create a total of 9 geospatial and demographic variables. As part of a broader planned cumulative environmental exposure assessment, the statewide heat vulnerability index (HVI) maps display the location and relative magnitude of exposure on three metrics: built environment (Place), future expected long-term temperature averages (Temperature), and population susceptibility (People). We observed varied and distinct patterns for each of the three component indices. We assessed how equitably those exposures are distributed by racial and socioeconomic factors. This analysis showed that each of the component indices and the aggregate HVI are disproportionately distributed along racial and socioeconomic lines in Michigan. Census tracts with higher percentages of people of color had larger exposure to HVI factors with a deviation from equity of -0.115 [95% CI -0.108, -0.122]. Similarly, for census tracts with higher percentage of people experiencing poverty, the deviation from equity was -0.101 [95% CI -0.094, -0.107]. The MI-Environment visualization tool can help communities prepare for climate change and resolve inequities by identifying census tracts with the most vulnerable residents and highest potential exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D Koman
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Department, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Frank Romo
- University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, 2000 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Peter Swinton
- University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, 2000 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Graciela B Mentz
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Ricardo F de Majo
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Natalie R Sampson
- University of Michigan -Dearborn, Department of Health & Human Services, 19000 Hubbard Drive, Fairlane Center South, Dearborn, MI, 48126, USA.
| | - Michael J Battaglia
- Michigan Technological Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 3600 Green Road, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
| | - Kimberly Hill-Knott
- Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, 4750 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Guy O Williams
- Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, 4750 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Marie S O'Neill
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences Department, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Amy J Schulz
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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Wang S, Romanak KA, Stubbings WA, Arrandale VH, Hendryx M, Diamond ML, Salamova A, Venier M. Silicone wristbands integrate dermal and inhalation exposures to semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 132:105104. [PMID: 31465955 PMCID: PMC6774250 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Silicone wristbands are being increasingly used to assess human exposure to semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). However, it is unclear what exposure pathways wristbands integrate. To test the hypothesis that wristbands integrate inhalation and dermal exposures, we measured 38 chemicals from four compound groups (PAHs, PBDEs, nBFRs, and OPEs) in silicone wristbands and brooches, active air samples (Occupational Safety and Health Administration Versatile Sampler or OVS cartridge), and hand wipes from 10 adults during a 72-hour period. Phenanthrene, BDE-47, 2‑ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5‑tetrabromobenzoate (EHTBB), tris[(2R)‑1‑chloro‑2‑propyl] phosphate (TCIPP), and tris(1,3‑dichloro‑2‑propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) were the predominant compounds in all four matrices. In a linear regression analysis, the compound levels in OVS were positively associated with those in wristbands and brooches for nBFRs and OPEs, but not for PAHs and PBDEs. The compound levels in wristbands were positively associated with those in hand wipes and brooches for all chemicals. The regressions between the levels in wristbands and OVS or brooches combined with the levels in hand wipes showed stronger, supporting the hypothesis that wristbands captured inhalation and dermal exposure pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaorui Wang
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Kevin A Romanak
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - William A Stubbings
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Victoria H Arrandale
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Hendryx
- School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amina Salamova
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Marta Venier
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
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Liévanos RS. Racialized Structural Vulnerability: Neighborhood Racial Composition, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Fine Particulate Matter in California. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16173196. [PMID: 31480556 PMCID: PMC6747230 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16173196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
This study contributes to previous research by advancing a “racialized structural vulnerability” framework and presenting a new empirical analysis of the relationship between neighborhood Asian, Black, and Latinx composition; extrinsic and intrinsic vulnerability; and PM2.5 exposures in California with secondary data from 2004–2014. Principal component analyses revealed that tract Latinx composition was highly correlated with extrinsic vulnerability (economic disadvantage and limited English-speaking ability), and that tract Black composition was highly correlated with intrinsic vulnerability (elevated prevalence of asthma-related emergency department visits and low birth weight). Spatial lag regression models tested hypotheses regarding the association between Asian, Black, and Latinx population vulnerability factors and the 2009–2011 annual average PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of emissions and spatial covariates. Results indicated that the percent Latinx population, followed by the regional clustering of PM2.5, and the percent of non-Latinx Black and non-Latinx Asian population were the strongest positive multivariable correlates of PM2.5 percentile rankings, net of other factors. Additional analyses suggested that despite shifting demographic and spatial correlates of 2012–2014 PM2.5 exposures, the tracts’ Black and Latinx composition and location in the San Joaquin Valley remain important vulnerability factors with implications for future research and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul S Liévanos
- Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA.
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Chan SCY, Karczmarski L. Epidermal Lesions and Injuries of Coastal Dolphins as Indicators of Ecological Health. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:576-582. [PMID: 31328242 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-019-01428-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Humpback dolphins (genus Sousa), obligatory inshore delphinids, are frequently exposed to adverse effects of many human activities. In Hong Kong, one of the world's most urbanised coastal regions, ~ 50% of the dolphins suffer from at least one type of epidermal lesions, likely related to anthropogenically degraded habitat. Furthermore, one in every ten dolphins has physical injuries indicative of vessel collisions, propeller cuts and fishing-gear entanglements. As top predators with long lifespan, dolphins are good "barometers" of marine environment and their compromised health conditions are symptomatic of increasingly degraded ecological conditions of coastal seas, especially in rapidly developing regions of fast-growing economies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Y Chan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
- Cetacean Ecology Lab, Cetacea Research Institute, Lantau, Hong Kong
| | - Leszek Karczmarski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
- Cetacean Ecology Lab, Cetacea Research Institute, Lantau, Hong Kong.
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Cumulative Impact of Environmental Pollution and Population Vulnerability on Pediatric Asthma Hospitalizations: A Multilevel Analysis of CalEnviroScreen. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16152683. [PMID: 31357578 PMCID: PMC6696276 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16152683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The CalEnviroScreen created by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, USA, is a place-based dataset developed to measure environmental and social indicators that are theorized to have cumulative health impacts on populations. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which the composite scores of the CalEnviroScreen tool are associated with pediatric asthma hospitalization. This was a retrospective analysis of California hospital discharge data from 2010 to 2012. Children who were hospitalized for asthma-related conditions, were aged 0–14 years, and resided in California were included in analysis. Rates of hospitalization for asthma-related conditions among children residing in California were calculated. Poisson multilevel modeling was used to account for individual- and neighborhood-level risk factors. Every unit increase in the CalEnviroScreen Score was associated with an increase of 1.6% above the mean rate of pediatric asthma hospitalizations (rate ratio (RR) = 1.016, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.014–1.018). Every unit increase in racial/ethnic segregation and diesel particulate matter was associated with an increase of 1.1% and 0.2% above the mean rate of pediatric asthma, respectively (RR = 1.011, 95% CI = 1.010–1.013; RR = 1.002, 95% CI = 1.001–1.004). The CalEnviroScreen is a unique tool that combines socioecological factors and environmental indicators to identify vulnerable communities with major health disparities, including pediatric asthma hospital use. Future research should identify mediating factors that contribute to community-level health disparities.
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Martenies SE, Allshouse WB, Starling AP, Ringham BM, Glueck DH, Adgate JL, Dabelea D, Magzamen S. Combined environmental and social exposures during pregnancy and associations with neonatal size and body composition: the Healthy Start study. Environ Epidemiol 2019; 3:e043. [PMID: 31583369 PMCID: PMC6775643 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal environmental and social exposures have been associated with decreased birth weight. However, the effects of combined exposures in these domains are not fully understood. Here we assessed multi-domain exposures for participants in the Healthy Start study (Denver, CO) and tested associations with neonatal size and body composition. METHODS In separate linear regression models, we tested associations between neonatal outcomes and three indices for exposures. Two indices were developed to describe exposures to environmental hazards (ENV) and social determinants of health (SOC). A third index combined exposures in both domains (CE = ENV/10 × SOC/10). Index scores were assigned to mothers based on address at enrollment. Birth weight and length were measured at delivery, and weight-for-length z-scores were calculated using a reference distribution. Percent fat mass was obtained by air displacement plethysmography. RESULTS Complete data were available for 897 (64%) participants. Median (range) ENV, SOC, and CE values were 31.9 (7.1-63.2), 36.0 (2.8-75.0), and 10.9 (0.4-45.7), respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, 10-point increases in SOC and CE were associated with 27.7 g (95%CI: 12.4 - 42.9 g) and 56.3 g (19.4 - 93.2 g) decreases in birth weight, respectively. SOC and CE were also associated with decreases in % fat mass. CONCLUSIONS Combined exposures during pregnancy were associated with lower birth weight and % fat mass. Evidence of a potential synergistic effect between ENV and SOC suggests a need to more fully consider neighborhood exposures when assessing neonatal outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena E. Martenies
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | | | - Anne P. Starling
- Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Brandy M. Ringham
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Deborah H. Glueck
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | | | - Dana Dabelea
- Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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Huang H, Wang A, Morello-Frosch R, Lam J, Sirota M, Padula A, Woodruff TJ. Cumulative Risk and Impact Modeling on Environmental Chemical and Social Stressors. Curr Environ Health Rep 2019; 5:88-99. [PMID: 29441463 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-018-0180-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The goal of this review is to identify cumulative modeling methods used to evaluate combined effects of exposures to environmental chemicals and social stressors. The specific review question is: What are the existing quantitative methods used to examine the cumulative impacts of exposures to environmental chemical and social stressors on health? RECENT FINDINGS There has been an increase in literature that evaluates combined effects of exposures to environmental chemicals and social stressors on health using regression models; very few studies applied other data mining and machine learning techniques to this problem. The majority of studies we identified used regression models to evaluate combined effects of multiple environmental and social stressors. With proper study design and appropriate modeling assumptions, additional data mining methods may be useful to examine combined effects of environmental and social stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongtai Huang
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Aolin Wang
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, and the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Juleen Lam
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marina Sirota
- Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amy Padula
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Lin CK, Hsu YT, Christiani DC, Hung HY, Lin RT. Risks and burden of lung cancer incidence for residential petrochemical industrial complexes: A meta-analysis and application. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 121:404-414. [PMID: 30261461 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Higher incidence of lung cancer may be associated with residential proximity to a petrochemical industrial complex (PIC) due to exposure to various carcinogens, although results from previous epidemiologic studies remain inconclusive. Because disease burden due to residential inequality is a public health and societal concern, this study analyzed published data to estimate lung cancer incidence in association with residential proximity to PICs. METHODS We performed a meta-analysis on selected epidemiologic studies that met the following criteria: lung cancer incidence was coded by the International Classification of Diseases; exposure groups were clearly defined as residents living near PICs; and confidence intervals were available or calculable from original articles. We further applied a population attributable factor (PAF) method to estimate disease burden attributable to living near PICs in 22 European Union (EU) countries. RESULTS Meta-analysis included six studies with a total of 466,066 residents living near PICs in six countries. Residents living near PICs had a 19% higher risk of lung cancer compared to those who lived farther away (95% CI = 1.06-1.32). By sex, risks were higher and more significant for females (RR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.09-1.54; P = 0.004) than males (RR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.95-1.33; P = 0.173). By location, only groups in Europe had a significantly greater risk of lung cancer with exposure to PICs (95% CI = 1.03-1.33; P = 0.019), although groups in other locations showed similar trends. By bona fide observation, observation of residents for at least seven years provided sufficient latency to estimate risk (RR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.17-1.34; P < 0.001). Regarding burden of lung cancer in 22 EU countries, 494 males and 478 females were attributed to living in the vicinity of a PIC annually. CONCLUSIONS Lung cancer incidence is significantly higher in individuals living near PICs. This result provides strong epidemiologic evidence for further policy to regulate potential pollutants near PICs. HIGHLIGHTS Higher incident rates of lung cancer for residents living close to petrochemical industry complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Kuan Lin
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1 Room 1401, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Yu-Tien Hsu
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Kresge Building, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - David C Christiani
- Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1 Room 1401, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Huei-Yang Hung
- Department of Clinical Education and Training, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, No. 100, Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Ro-Ting Lin
- Department of Occupational Safety and Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
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Schulz AJ, Mentz GB, Sampson N, Ward M, Dvonch JT, de Majo R, Israel BA, Reyes AG, Wilkins D. Independent and Joint Contributions of Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Population Vulnerability to Mortality in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15061209. [PMID: 29890666 PMCID: PMC6024972 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15061209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Fine particulate matter is associated with adverse health outcomes. Exposure to fine particulate matter may disproportionately affect urban communities with larger numbers of vulnerable residents. We used multilevel logistic regression models to estimate the joint effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and population vulnerabilities on cardiopulmonary mortality (CPM). We estimated the health benefits of reductions in PM2.5 across census tracts in the Detroit metropolitan area with varying levels of population vulnerability, using cluster-specific odds ratios scaled to reflect PM2.5-attributable cardiopulmonary risk. PM2.5 and population vulnerability were independently associated with odds of CPM. Odds of CPM and the number of deaths attributable to PM2.5 were greatest in census tracts with both high PM2.5 exposures and population vulnerability. Reducing PM2.5 in census tracts with high PM2.5 would lead to an estimated 18% annual reduction in PM2.5-attributable CPM. Between 78–79% of those reductions in CPM would occur within census tracts with high population vulnerabilities. These health benefits of reductions in PM2.5 occurred at levels below current U.S. reference concentrations. Focusing efforts to reduce PM2.5 in the Detroit metropolitan area in census tracts with currently high levels would also lead to greater benefits for residents of census tracts with high population vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Schulz
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Graciela B Mentz
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Natalie Sampson
- Department of Health and Human Services, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA.
| | - Melanie Ward
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - J Timothy Dvonch
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Ricardo de Majo
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Barbara A Israel
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Angela G Reyes
- Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Detroit, MI 48216, USA.
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Silva GS, Warren JL, Deziel NC. Spatial Modeling to Identify Sociodemographic Predictors of Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater Injection Wells in Ohio Census Block Groups. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:067008. [PMID: 29957590 PMCID: PMC6084846 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hydraulically fractured wells produce 2-14 million liters of wastewater, which may contain toxic and radioactive compounds. The wastewater is predominantly disposed of using Class II injection wells. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and injection well locations in Ohio. METHODS Using state and federal data sources, we classified Ohio census block groups by presence of injection wells, number of hydraulically fractured wells, sociodemographic factors (median household income, % white, population density, % ≥high school education, median age, voter turnout), and geographic information (land area, water area, situated over shale). We modeled the odds of having at least one injection well within a block group with respect to all covariates using three multivariable models incorporating different spatial components to account for similarities in neighboring block groups. RESULTS In bivariate analyses, block groups with injection wells (n=156) compared with those without (n=9,049) had lower population density (71 vs. 2,210 people/mi2 or 27 vs. 854 people/km2), larger median area (43.5 vs. 1.35 km2), higher median age (42.8 vs. 40.2 y), and higher % white (98.1% vs. 92.1%). After adjustment using a spatial logistic regression model, the odds of a block group containing an injection well were 16% lower per $10,000 increase in median income [odds ratio(OR)=0.837; 95% credible interval (CI): 0.719, 0.961] and 97% lower per 1,000 people/mi2 (or per 386 people/km2) increase (OR=0.030; 95% CI=0.008, 0.072). Block groups on shale and those containing fewer hydraulically fractured wells were more likely to include an injection well. Percentage white, median age, % ≥high school education, and % voter turnout were not significant predictors of injection well presence. CONCLUSION In Ohio, injection wells were inversely associated with block groups' median incomes after adjusting for other sociodemographic and geographic variables. Research is needed to determine whether residents in census blocks with injection wells face increased risk of chemical exposures or adverse health outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2663.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve S Silva
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale College, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Joshua L Warren
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nicole C Deziel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Liévanos RS. Retooling CalEnviroScreen: Cumulative Pollution Burden and Race-Based Environmental Health Vulnerabilities in California. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15040762. [PMID: 29659481 PMCID: PMC5923804 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The California Community Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) advances research and policy pertaining to environmental health vulnerability. However, CalEnviroScreen departs from its historical foundations and comparable screening tools by no longer considering racial status as an indicator of environmental health vulnerability and predictor of cumulative pollution burden. This study used conceptual frameworks and analytical techniques from environmental health and inequality literature to address the limitations of CalEnviroScreen, especially its inattention to race-based environmental health vulnerabilities. It developed an adjusted measure of cumulative pollution burden from the CalEnviroScreen 2.0 data that facilitates multivariate analyses of the effect of neighborhood racial composition on cumulative pollution burden, net of other indicators of population vulnerability, traffic density, industrial zoning, and local and regional clustering of pollution burden. Principal component analyses produced three new measures of population vulnerability, including Latina/o cumulative disadvantage that represents the spatial concentration of Latinas/os, economic disadvantage, limited English-speaking ability, and health vulnerability. Spatial error regression analyses demonstrated that concentrations of Latinas/os, followed by Latina/o cumulative disadvantage, are the strongest demographic determinants of adjusted cumulative pollution burden. Findings have implications for research and policy pertaining to cumulative impacts and race-based environmental health vulnerabilities within and beyond California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul S Liévanos
- Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA.
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Liévanos RS. Retooling CalEnviroScreen: Cumulative Pollution Burden and Race-Based Environmental Health Vulnerabilities in California. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018. [PMID: 29659481 DOI: 10.3390/ijerphl5040762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The California Community Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) advances research and policy pertaining to environmental health vulnerability. However, CalEnviroScreen departs from its historical foundations and comparable screening tools by no longer considering racial status as an indicator of environmental health vulnerability and predictor of cumulative pollution burden. This study used conceptual frameworks and analytical techniques from environmental health and inequality literature to address the limitations of CalEnviroScreen, especially its inattention to race-based environmental health vulnerabilities. It developed an adjusted measure of cumulative pollution burden from the CalEnviroScreen 2.0 data that facilitates multivariate analyses of the effect of neighborhood racial composition on cumulative pollution burden, net of other indicators of population vulnerability, traffic density, industrial zoning, and local and regional clustering of pollution burden. Principal component analyses produced three new measures of population vulnerability, including Latina/o cumulative disadvantage that represents the spatial concentration of Latinas/os, economic disadvantage, limited English-speaking ability, and health vulnerability. Spatial error regression analyses demonstrated that concentrations of Latinas/os, followed by Latina/o cumulative disadvantage, are the strongest demographic determinants of adjusted cumulative pollution burden. Findings have implications for research and policy pertaining to cumulative impacts and race-based environmental health vulnerabilities within and beyond California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul S Liévanos
- Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA.
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Watterson A, Dinan W. Public Health and Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction Including Fracking: Global Lessons from a Scottish Government Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E675. [PMID: 29617318 PMCID: PMC5923717 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Unconventional oil and gas extraction (UOGE) including fracking for shale gas is underway in North America on a large scale, and in Australia and some other countries. It is viewed as a major source of global energy needs by proponents. Critics consider fracking and UOGE an immediate and long-term threat to global, national, and regional public health and climate. Rarely have governments brought together relatively detailed assessments of direct and indirect public health risks associated with fracking and weighed these against potential benefits to inform a national debate on whether to pursue this energy route. The Scottish government has now done so in a wide-ranging consultation underpinned by a variety of reports on unconventional gas extraction including fracking. This paper analyses the Scottish government approach from inception to conclusion, and from procedures to outcomes. The reports commissioned by the Scottish government include a comprehensive review dedicated specifically to public health as well as reports on climate change, economic impacts, transport, geology, and decommissioning. All these reports are relevant to public health, and taken together offer a comprehensive review of existing evidence. The approach is unique globally when compared with UOGE assessments conducted in the USA, Australia, Canada, and England. The review process builds a useful evidence base although it is not without flaws. The process approach, if not the content, offers a framework that may have merits globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Watterson
- Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
| | - William Dinan
- Communications, Media & Culture, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
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48
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Hiatt
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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49
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Koman PD, Hogan KA, Sampson N, Mandell R, Coombe CM, Tetteh MM, Hill-Ashford YR, Wilkins D, Zlatnik MG, Loch-Caruso R, Schulz AJ, Woodruff TJ. Examining Joint Effects of Air Pollution Exposure and Social Determinants of Health in Defining "At-Risk" Populations Under the Clean Air Act: Susceptibility of Pregnant Women to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy. WORLD MEDICAL & HEALTH POLICY 2018; 10:7-54. [PMID: 30197817 PMCID: PMC6126379 DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Pregnant women are uniquely susceptible to adverse effects of air pollution exposure due to vulnerabilities and health consequences during pregnancy (e.g., hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [HDP]) compared to the general population. Because the Clean Air Act (CAA) creates a duty to protect at-risk groups, the regulatory assessment of at-risk populations has both policy and scientific foundations. Previously, pregnant women have not been specially protected in establishing the margin of safety for the ozone and particulate matter (PM) standards. Due to physiological changes, pregnant women can be at greater risk of adverse effects of air pollution and should be considered an at-risk population. Women with preexisting conditions, women experiencing poverty, and groups that suffer systematic discrimination may be particularly susceptible to cardiac effects of air pollutants during pregnancy. We rigorously reviewed 11 studies of over 1.3 million pregnant women in the United States to characterize the relationship between ozone or PM exposure and HDP. Findings were generally mixed, with a few studies reporting a joint association between ozone or PM and social determinants or pre-existing chronic health conditions related to HDP. Adequate evidence associates exposure to PM with an adverse effect of HDP among pregnant women not evident among non-gravid populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D Koman
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Department in Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kelly A Hogan
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Department in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and presently a research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Natalie Sampson
- University of Michigan-Dearborn, Department of Health & Human Services in Dearborn, Michigan
| | - Rebecca Mandell
- Arbor Research Collaborative for Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Chris M Coombe
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior & Health Education in Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Myra M Tetteh
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior & Health Education in Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - Marya G Zlatnik
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences in San Francisco, California
| | - Rita Loch-Caruso
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Department and director of the Michigan Center on Lifestage Environmental Exposures and Disease and director of the Environmental Toxicology and Epidemiology Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Amy J Schulz
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, associate director for the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, and co-lead for the Community Engagement Core for the Michigan Center on Lifestage Environmental Exposures and Disease at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- University of California, San Francisco in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and the director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment in San Francisco, California
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50
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Landrigan PJ, Fuller R, Acosta NJR, Adeyi O, Arnold R, Basu NN, Baldé AB, Bertollini R, Bose-O'Reilly S, Boufford JI, Breysse PN, Chiles T, Mahidol C, Coll-Seck AM, Cropper ML, Fobil J, Fuster V, Greenstone M, Haines A, Hanrahan D, Hunter D, Khare M, Krupnick A, Lanphear B, Lohani B, Martin K, Mathiasen KV, McTeer MA, Murray CJL, Ndahimananjara JD, Perera F, Potočnik J, Preker AS, Ramesh J, Rockström J, Salinas C, Samson LD, Sandilya K, Sly PD, Smith KR, Steiner A, Stewart RB, Suk WA, van Schayck OCP, Yadama GN, Yumkella K, Zhong M. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. Lancet 2018; 391:462-512. [PMID: 29056410 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)32345-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1675] [Impact Index Per Article: 279.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Landrigan
- Arnhold Institute for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | | | - Olusoji Adeyi
- Department of Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert Arnold
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Niladri Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Roberto Bertollini
- Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks of the European Commission, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Office of the Minister of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Stephan Bose-O'Reilly
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | | | - Patrick N Breysse
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Chiles
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Maureen L Cropper
- Department of Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Julius Fobil
- Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Valentin Fuster
- Mount Sinai Heart, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Andy Haines
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research and Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - David Hunter
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mukesh Khare
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India
| | | | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Bindu Lohani
- Centennial Group, Washington, DC, USA; The Resources Center, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Karen V Mathiasen
- Office of the US Executive Director, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Frederica Perera
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Janez Potočnik
- UN International Resource Panel, Paris, France; SYSTEMIQ, London, UK
| | - Alexander S Preker
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Health Investment & Financing Corporation, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Johan Rockström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Leona D Samson
- Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Biology, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Peter D Sly
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirk R Smith
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Achim Steiner
- Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard B Stewart
- Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - William A Suk
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Onno C P van Schayck
- Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Gautam N Yadama
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Kandeh Yumkella
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ma Zhong
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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