Short-term impact of air pollution, noise and temperature on emergency hospital admissions in Madrid (Spain) due to liver and gallbladder diseases

BACKGROUND

Very few epidemiological studies have explored the environmental and meteorological risk factors that influence liver diseases and gallbladder disorders, and no studies have addressed the specific case of Spain.

METHODS

This is a retrospective ecological study conducted during 2013-2018. We analysed emergency admissions in the central area of the Region of Madrid for the following causes: Liver and gallbladder diseases (L&GB) (ICD-10: K70-K81); disorders of gallbladder (DGB) (ICD 10: K80-K81); liver disease (LD) (ICD 10: K70-K77); alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (ICD-10: K70); viral hepatitis (VH) (ICD10:B15-B19); and hepatic failure, not elsewhere classified (HFNS) (ICD-10: K72). Independent variables used: meteorological (maximum daily temperature (Tmax in ⁰C), minimum daily temperature (Tmin in ⁰C), and relative humidity (RH in %)); chemical air pollution (8-hO3, NO2, PM10, PM2.5 in μg/m3); and noise pollution (equivalent level of daily noise (Ld in dB(A)). Transformed variables: extreme heat in degrees (Theat); wet cold (WC); and high ozone. We fitted Poisson models, negative binomials and zero-inflated Poisson controlled for seasonality, day of the week, holidays, trend, and autoregressive trend. Based on these models, the percentage of cases attributable to statistically significant risk factors was then estimated.

RESULTS

In L&GB emergency admissions daily noise is related to 4.4% (CI95%: 0.8 7.9) of admissions; NO2 to 2.9% (CI95%: 0.1 5.7) and wet cold to 0.2% (CI95%: 0.8 7.9). Heat wave temperature was only related to ALD. In addition, the wet cold association with L&GB is also related to HFNS attributing 1.0% (CI95%: 0.3 1.8) of admissions for this cause.

CONCLUSIONS

Daily noise and NO2 are associated with more than 7% of urgent L&GB admissions. Both pollutants, are mainly emitted by road traffic. A reduction of traffic in cities would result in a reduction of emergency admissions due to this cause.

Short-term impact of extreme temperatures, relative humidity and air pollution on emergency hospital admissions due to kidney disease and kidney-related conditions in the Greater Madrid area (Spain)

While some studies report a possible association between heat waves and kidney disease and kidney-related conditions, there still is no consistent scientific consensus on the matter or on the role played by other variables, such as air pollution and relative humidity. Ecological retrospective time series study 01-01-2013 to 31-12-2018). Dependent variables: daily emergency hospitalisations due to kidney disease (KD), acute kidney injury (AKI), lithiasis (L), dysnatraemia (DY) and hypovolaemia (HPV). Independent variables: maximum and minimum daily temperature (Tmax, Tmin, °C), and daily relative humidity (RH, %). Other variables were also calculated, such as the daily temperature for risk of kidney disease (Theat, °C) and low daily hazardous relative humidity (HRH%). As variables of air pollution, we used the daily mean concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and O3 in μg/m3. Based on these, we then calculated their daily excesses over World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline levels (hPM10, hPM2.5, hNO2 and hO3 respectively). Poisson family generalised linear models (GLMs) (link = log) were used to calculate relative risks (RRs), and attributable risks and attributable admissions. In the models, we controlled for the covariates included: seasonalities, trend, autoregressive component, day of the week, month and year. A statistically significant association was found between Theat and all the dependent variables analysed. The greatest AKI disease burden was attributable to Theat (2.2 % (1.7, 2.6) of attributable hospital admissions), followed by hNO2 (1.7 % (0.9, 3.4)) and HRH (0.8 (0.6, 1.1)). In the case of hypovolaemia and dysnatraemia, the greatest disease burden again corresponded to Theat, with 6.9 % (6.2, 7.6) and 5.7 (4.8, 6.6) of attributable hospital admissions respectively. Episodes of extreme heat exacerbate daily emergency hospital admissions due to kidney disease and kidney-related conditions; and attributable risks are likewise seen for low relative humidity and high ozone levels.

Exploratory analysis of local extreme-temperature attributable mortality in an urban city of Madrid

AIM

to assess the Heat (HW) and Cold Waves (CW) risks on health in the urban municipality of Getafe.

METHODOLOGY

time series analysis between 01/01/1999-31/10/2013.

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

daily mortality due to natural causes - (ICD-10): A99-R99-.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

the maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) daily temperature. The mortality-temperature relationship was analysed to determine the thresholds of HW (Thresholdheat) and CW (Thresholdcold). Using Poisson GLM (link = log), the Relative Risk (RR), Attributable Risk (AR) and Attributable Mortality (AM) were determined for each degree of the Tmax exceeding the Thresholdheat (Theat) and for each degree of Tmin under the Thresholdcold (Tcold). Finally, socioeconomic variables were analysed descriptively.

RESULTS

Thresholdheat was 36 °C while Thresholdcold was 0 °C. The RRs associated with Theat, i.e. 1.08 (1.03 1.14), are akin to those obtained for Tcold, i.e. 1.05 (1.03 1.08). There were 202 HW and 430 CW episodes. The AM to HW totalled 61 (25, 96) deaths, while that attributable to CW reached 146 (82,211) deaths. The vulnerability in Getafe seems to be lower than in surrounding similar urban and rural cities.

CONCLUSIONS

The singular urban development of the municipality may have granted it an advantage over surrounding municipalities regarding temperature extremes.

Evolution of physico-chemical parameters, microorganism diversity and volatile organic compound of apple pomace exposed to ambient conditions

In apple processing, waste material known as apple pomace amounts to 45% of production volumes. When this residue is stored in open-air for its stabilization and potential uses, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are produced, resulting in environmental and odor pollution, and must be managed to avoid their impact. This work aims to study the emission of VOCs utilizing TD-GC/MS and its relationship with changes in physico-chemical (moisture, pH, proteins, among others) and biological (bacteria and fungi using Illumina MiSeq) parameters under three environmental conditions: open-air (outdoors), under-roof (indoors) and oxygen-free. The 8-month study results showed a gradual increase in odorous VOCs and microbial diversity, a product of chemical and biological transformation processes in the samples. A 30% increase in odorant compounds responsible for the unpleasant smell was observed, especially esters, aldehydes and hydrocarbons in samples stored in oxygen-free and Open-air conditions. Increases in VOCs over time were associated with changes in physico-chemical and biological parameters, as well as fluctuations in environmental variables (temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation). The results of this research allow establishing a relationship between storage conditions and the production of VOCs. In addition, recommendations for waste storage time are provided for the most common uses of apple pomace based on the physico-chemical parameters observed, in order to avoid the generation of odorous compounds. Of all storage methods analyzed, under-roof is the most adequate in practice. This study's findings are pertinent for managing agribusiness waste and its potential environmental pollution.

Short-term effects of tropospheric ozone and other environmental factors on emergency admissions due to pregnancy complications: A time-series analysis in the Madrid Region

Air pollution has been linked to adverse neonatal outcomes, mainly in the case of prolonged exposures. This study focuses on the short-term effects on maternal health. We conducted a retrospective ecological time-series study in the Madrid Region covering the period 2013-2018. The independent variables were mean daily concentrations of tropospheric ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), as well as noise levels. The dependent variables were daily emergency hospital admissions due to complications in pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium. Poisson generalised linear regression models were fitted to quantify the relative and attributable risks, controlling for trend, seasonality, the autoregressive nature of the series, and a number of meteorological factors. There were 318 069 emergency hospital admissions due to obstetric complications across the 2191 days of study. Of this total: 13 164 (95%CI: 9930-16 398) admissions were attributable to exposure to O3, the only pollutant to show a statistically significant (p < 0.05) association with admissions due to hypertensive disorders; and 10 575 (95%CI: 3573-17 566) admissions were attributable to daytime noise levels, while admissions due to hyperemesis gravidarum and vomiting were related to exposure to night noise. Other pollutants which also displayed statistically significant associations were: NO2 concentrations, with admissions due to vomiting and preterm labour; PM10 concentrations, with premature rupture of membranes: and PM2.5 concentrations, with total complications. Exposure to a range of air pollutants, and ozone in particular, is associated with a higher number of emergency hospital admissions due to gestational complications. Hence, surveillance of environmental effects on maternal health should be intensified, and plans and strategies to minimise these should be drawn up.

Impact of urban heat islands on morbidity and mortality in heat waves: Observational time series analysis of Spain's five cities

Urban heat islands (UHIs) have become an especially relevant phenomenon as a consequence of global warming and the growing proportion of people living in cities. The health impacts that are sometimes attributed to the rise in temperature generated in an UHI are not always adequately justified. The objective is to analyse what effect UHIs have on maximum (Tmax) and minimum daily temperatures (Tmin) recorded in urban and non-urban observatories, and quantify the impact on morbidity and mortality during heat waves in Spain's five cities. Data were collected on natural-cause daily mortality and unscheduled emergency hospital admissions (ICD-10: A00-R99) registered in these 5 cities across the period 2014-2018. We analysed daily Tmax and Tmin values at urban and non-urban observatories in these cities, and quantified the impact of Tmax and Tmin values during heat waves in each of these cities, using GLM models that included Tmax only, Tmin only, and both. We controlled for air pollution and other meteorological variables, as well as for seasonalities, trend and the autoregressive nature of the series. The UHI effect was observed in Tmin but not in Tmax, and proved to be greater in coastal cities than in inland and more densely populated cities. The UHI value in relation to the mean Tmin in the summer months ranged from 1.2 °C in Murcia to 4.1 °C in Valencia (difference between urban/non-urban observatories). The modelling process showed that, while a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) was observed in inland cities with Tmax for mortality and hospital admissions in heat waves, in coastal cities the association was obtained with Tmin, and the only impact in this case was the UHI effect on morbidity and mortality. No generalisations can be made about the impact of UHI on morbidity and mortality among the exposed population in cities. Studies on a local scale are called for, since it is local factors that determine whether the UHI effect will have a greater or lesser impact on health during heat-wave events.

Short-term impact of noise, other air pollutants and meteorological factors on emergency hospital mental health admissions in the Madrid region

BACKGROUND

A number of environmental factors, such as air pollution, noise in urbanised settings and meteorological-type variables, may give rise to important effects on human health. In recent years, many studies have confirmed the relation between various mental disorders and these factors, with a possible impact on the increase in emergency hospital admissions due to these causes. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of a range of environmental factors on daily emergency hospital admissions due to mental disorders in the Madrid Autonomous Region (MAR), across the period 2013-2018.

METHODOLOGY

Longitudinal ecological time series study analysed by Generalised Linear Models with Poisson regression, with the dependent variable being daily Emergency Hospital Mental Health Admissions (EHMHA) in the MAR, and the independent variable being mean daily concentrations of chemical pollutants, noise levels and meteorological variables.

RESULTS

EHMHA were related statistically significantly in the short term with diurnal noise levels. Relative risks (RRs) for total admissions due to mental disorders and self-inflicted injuries, in the case of diurnal noise was RR: 1.008 95%CI (1.003 1.013). Admissions attributable to diurnal noise account for 5.5% of total admissions across the study period. There was no association between hospital admissions and chemical air pollution.

CONCLUSION

Noise is a variable that shows a statistically significant short-term association with EHMHA across all age groups in the MAR region. The results of this study may serve as a basis for drawing up public health guidelines and plans, which regard these variables as risk factors for mental disorders, especially in the case of noise, since this fundamentally depends on anthropogenic activities in highly urbanised areas with high levels of traffic density.

How heat waves, ozone and sunlight hours affect endocrine and metabolic diseases emergency admissions? A case study in the region of Madrid (Spain)

BACKGROUND

Studies which analyse the joint effect of acoustic or chemical air pollution variables and different meteorological variables on neuroendocrine disease are practically nonexistent. This study therefore sought to analyse the impact of air pollutants and environmental meteorological variables on daily unscheduled admissions due to endocrine and metabolic diseases in the Madrid Region from January 01, 2013 to December 31, 2018.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal, retrospective, ecological study of daily time series analysed by Poisson regression, with emergency neuroendocrine-disease admissions in the Madrid Region as the dependent variable. The independent variables were: mean daily concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂ and O₃; acoustic pollution; maximum and minimum daily temperatures; hours of sunlight; relative humidity; wind speed; and air pressure above sea level. Estimators of the statistically significant variables were used to calculate the relative risks (RRs).

RESULTS

A statistically significant association was found between the increase in temperatures in heat waves, RR: 1.123 95% CI (1.001-1.018), and the number of emergency admissions, making it the main risk factor. An association between a decrease in sunlight and an increase in hospital admissions, RR: 1.005 95% CI (1.002 1.008), was likewise observed. Similarly, ozone, in the form of mean daily concentrations in excess of 44 μg/m³, had an impact on admissions due to neuroendocrine disease, RR: 1.010 95% CI (1.007-1.035). The breakdown by sex showed that in the case of women, NO₂ was also a risk factor, RR: 1.021 95% CI (1.007-1.035).

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in this study serve to identify risk factors for this disease, such as extreme temperatures in heat waves, O₃ or NO₂. The robust association found between the decrease in sunlight and increase in hospital admissions due to neuroendocrine disease serves to spotlight an environmental factor which has received scant attention in public health until now.

[Tools available in Spanish for clinical assessment of delirium. Systematic review]

INTRODUCTION

Delirium assessment is difficult because it involves the alteration of different mental functions in patients of any age who have serious medical-surgical conditions or dementia. Therefore, concrete assessment tools for specific needs are required. This systematic review synthetizes the information about the tools available in Spanish for delirium clinical assessment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a systematic review that follows the PRISMA Diagnostic Test Accuracy guideline. Using a search algorithm, two researchers assessed five scientific indexing systems and searched for additional papers and grey literature. Other two researchers recorded in a standardized way the data of the papers included. The quality of translations, cultural adaptations, and validations were assessed.

RESULTS

We identified 21 reports on translation, cultural adaptation, or validation of 14 tools for 1) detailed evaluation, diagnosis, and quantification of severity by experts, 2) assessment of concrete aspects of delirium, 3) screening in adults, 4) pediatric screening, and 5) diagnosis and weighting of severity by treating staff. 78.6% of translations and all adaptations are of good quality. 52.9% of validations have a low risk of bias, 41.2% have a moderate risk, and only 5.9% have a high risk.

CONCLUSIONS

As the first step to correctly treat patients is an accurate diagnosis, and the selection of the appropriate instruments is essential for the validity of any study, the available tools should be chosen according to the specific clinical and research needs.

Short-term effects of air pollution and noise on emergency hospital admissions in Madrid and economic assessment

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to study the effect of air pollution and noise has on the population in Madrid Community (MAR) in the period 2013-2018, and its economic impact.

METHODS

Time series study analysing emergency hospital admissions in the MAR due to all causes (ICD-10: A00-R99), respiratory causes (ICD-10: J00-J99) and circulatory causes (ICD-10: I00-I99) across the period 2013-2018. The main independent variables were mean daily PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, 8-h ozone concentrations, and noise. We controlled for meteorological variables, Public Holidays, seasonality, and the trend and autoregressive nature of the series, and fitted generalised linear models with a Poisson regression link to ascertain the relative risks and attributable risks. In addition, we made an economic assessment of these hospitalisations.

RESULTS

The following associations were found: NO₂ with admissions due to natural (RR: 1.007, 95% CI: 1.004-1.011) and respiratory causes (RR: 1.012, 95% CI: 1.005-1.019); 8-h ozone with admissions due to natural (RR: 1.049, 95% CI: 1.014-1.046) and circulatory causes (RR: 1.088, 95% CI: 1.039-1.140); and diurnal noise (L_Aeq7-23h) with admissions due to natural (RR: 1.001, 95% CI: 1.001-1.002), respiratory (RR: 1.002, 95% CI: 1.001-1.003) and circulatory causes (RR: 1.003, 95% CI: 1.002-1.005). Every year, a total of 8246 (95% CI: 4580-11,905) natural-cause admissions are attributable to NO₂, with an estimated cost of close on €120 million and 5685 (95% CI: 2533-8835) attributed to L_Aeq7-23h with an estimated cost of close on €82 million.

CONCLUSIONS

Nitrogen dioxide, ozone and noise are the main pollutants to which a large number of hospitalisations in the MAR are attributed, and are thus responsible for a marked deterioration in population health and high related economic impact.

Does the meteorological origin of heat waves influence their impact on health? A 6-year morbidity and mortality study in Madrid (Spain)

BACKGROUND

In Spain, two synoptic-scale conditions influence heat wave formation. The first involves advection of warm and dry air masses carrying dust of Saharan origin (North African Dust (NAF) = 1). The second entails anticyclonic stagnation with high insolation and stability (NAF) = 0). Some studies show that the meteorological origin of these heat waves may affect their impact on morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the impact of heat waves on health outcomes in Madrid (Spain) during 2013-2018 varied by synoptic-scale condition.

METHODOLOGY

Outcome data consist of daily mortality and daily hospital emergency admissions (morbidity) for natural, circulatory, and respiratory causes. Predictors include daily maximum and minimum temperatures and daily mean concentrations of NO₂, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, and O₃. Analyses adjust for insolation, relative humidity, and wind speed. Generalized linear models were performed with Poisson link between the variables controlling for trend, seasonality, and auto-regression in the series. Relative Risks (RR) and Attributable Risks (AR) were determined. The RRs for mortality attributable to high temperatures were similar regardless of NAF status. For hospital admissions, however, the RRs for hot days with NAF = 0 are higher than for days with NAF = 1. We also found that atmospheric pollutants worsen morbidity and mortality, especially PM₁₀ concentrations when NAF = 1 and O₃ concentrations when NAF = 0.

RESULTS

The effect of heat waves on morbidity and mortality depends on the synoptic situation. The impact is greater under anticyclonic stagnation conditions than under Saharan dust advection. Further, the health impact of pollutants such as PM₁₀ and O₃ varies according to the synoptic situation.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these findings, we strongly recommend prevention plans to include data on the meteorological situation originating the heat wave, on a synoptic-scale, as well as comprehensive preventive measures against the compounding effect of high temperatures and pollution.

Population vulnerability to extreme cold days in rural and urban municipalities in ten provinces in Spain

BACKGROUND

The objective was to analyze whether there are differences in vulnerability to Extreme Cold Days (ECD) between rural and urban populations in Spain.

METHODOLOGY

Time series analysis carried out from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2013. Municipalities with over 10,000 inhabitants were included from 10 Spanish provinces, classified into 42 groups by isoclimate and urban/rural character as defined by Eurostat criteria. The statistical strategy was carried out in two phases. First: It was analyzed the relationship between minimum daily temperature (Tmin) (source: AEMET) and the rate of daily winter mortality due to natural causes -CIE-10: A00 - R99- (source: National Statistics Institute). Then, It was determinated the threshold of Tmin that defines the ECD and its percentile in the series of winter Tmin (Pthreshold), which is a measure of vulnerability to ECD so that the higher the percentile, the higher the vulnerability. Second: possible explanatory variables of vulnerability were explored using Mixed Generalized Models, using 13 independent variables related to meteorology, environment, socioeconomics, demographics and housing quality.

RESULTS

The average Pthreshold was 18 %. The final model indicated that for each percentage point increase in unemployment, the vulnerability to ECD increased by 0.4 (0.2, 0.6) points. Also, with each point increase in rurality index, this vulnerability decreased by -6.1 (-2.1, -10.0) points. Although less determinant, other factors that could contribute to explaining vulnerability at the province level included minimum winter daily temperatures and the percentage of housing with poor insulation.

CONCLUSIONS

The vulnerability to ECD was greater in urban zones than in rural zones. Socioeconomic status is a key to understanding how this vulnerability is distributed. These results suggest the need to implement public health prevention plans to address ECD at the state level. These plans should be based on threshold temperatures determined at the smallest scale possible.

Gender differences in adaptation to heat in Spain (1983-2018)

In Spain the average temperature has increased by 1.7 °C since pre-industrial times. There has been an increase in heat waves both in terms of frequency and intensity, with a clear impact in terms of population health. The effect of heat waves on daily mortality presents important territorial differences. Gender also affects these impacts, as a determinant that conditions social inequalities in health. There is evidence that women may be more susceptible to extreme heat than men, although there are relatively few studies that analyze differences in the vulnerability and adaptation to heat by sex. This could be related to physiological causes. On the other hand, one of the indicators used to measure vulnerability to heat in a population and its adaptation is the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) and its temporal evolution. The aim of this study was to analyze the values of MMT in men and women and its temporal evolution during the 1983-2018 period in Spain's provinces. An ecological, longitudinal retrospective study was carried out of time series data, based on maximum daily temperature and daily mortality data corresponding to the study period. Using cubic and quadratic fits between daily mortality rates and the temperature, the minimum values of these functions were determined, which allowed for determining MMT values. Furthermore, we used an improved methodology that provided for the estimation of missing MMT values when polynomial fits were inexistent. This analysis was carried out for each year. Later, based on the annual values of MMT, a linear fit was carried out to determine the rate of evolution of MMT for men and for women at the province level. Average MMT for all of Spain's provinces was 29.4 °C in the case of men and 28.7 °C in the case of women. The MMT for men was greater than that of women in 86 percent of the total provinces analyzed, which indicates greater vulnerability among women. In terms of the rate of variation in MMT during the period analyzed, that of men was 0.39 °C/decade, compared to 0.53 °C/decade for women, indicating greater adaptation to heat among women, compared to men. The differences found between men and women were statistically significant. At the province level, the results show great heterogeneity. Studies carried out at the local level are needed to provide knowledge about those factors that can explain these differences at the province level, and to allow for incorporating a gender perspective in the implementation of measures for adaptation to high temperatures.

Temporal evolution of threshold temperatures for extremely cold days in Spain

In contrast to research on heat waves, there are no studies in recent years that analyze the temporal evolution of threshold temperatures (Tthreshold) for extremely cold days (ECD). It is unknown whether threshold temperatures have increased more quickly than the minimum daily temperature (Tmin) in recent years. The objective of this study was to analyze the temporal evolution of the minimum daily temperature (Tmin) in a group of Spanish provinces and compare it with the evolution of threshold temperatures. An ecological, retrospective time series study was carried out using daily observations between January 1, 1983 and December 31, 2018 (36 years) in 10 provinces that are representative of the different climate territories in Spain. For each representative observatory in each province, the values of Tmin were obtained for the winter months (November-March). The value of Tthreshold was determined for each province and each year, using dispersion diagrams for the pre-whitened series, with daily mortality due to natural causes displayed on the Y axis (CIEX: A00-R99) and Tmin grouped by 10 degree intervals on the X axis. To determine the temporal evolution of Tmin and Tthreshold for each province, linear models were fitted, with time as the independent variable. During the winter months, Tmin increased at an average rate of 0.2 °C/decade (IC95: 0.1-0.3), while Tthreshold remained practically constant during the period, at 0.1 °C/decade (IC95% -0.1 0.3). These values are much lower than those obtained in the case of heat, both in terms of the evolution of maximum daily temperature and that of Tthreshold. In conclusion, the fact that this trend has been maintained across time in a scenario of climate change, with a slow increase in minimum daily temperatures and constant values of Threshold, suggests a decrease in the number of ECD.

Effects of local factors on adaptation to heat in Spain (1983-2018)

The European Union is currently immersed in policy development to address the effects of climate change around the world. Key plans and processes for facilitating adaptation to high temperatures and for reducing the adverse effects on health are among the most urgent measures. Therefore, it is necessary to understand those factors that influence adaptation. The aim of this study was to provide knowledge related to the social, climate and economic factors that are related to the evolution of minimum mortality temperatures (MMT) in Spain in the rural and urban contexts, during the 1983-2018 time period. For this purpose, local factors were studied regarding their relationship to levels of adaptation to heat. MMT is an indicator that allows for establishing a relationship to between mortality and temperature, and is a valid indicator to assess the capacity of adaptation to heat of a certain population. MMT is obtained through the maximum daily temperature and daily mortality of the study period. The evolution of MMT values for Spain was established in a previous paper. An ecological, longitudinal and retrospective study was carried out. Generalized linear models (GLM) were performed to identify the variables that appeared to be related to adaptation. The adaptation was calculated as the difference in variation in MMT based on the average increase in maximum daily temperatures. In terms of adaptation to heat, urban populations have adapted more than non-urban populations. Seventy-nine percent (n = 11) of urban provinces have adapted to heat, compared to twenty-one percent (n = 3) of rural provinces that have not adapted. In terms of urban zones, income level and habituation to heat (values over the 95th percentile) were variables shown to be related to adaptation. In contrast, among non-urban provinces, a greater number of housing rehabilitation licenses and a greater number of health professionals were variables associated with higher increases in MMT, and therefore, with adaptation. These results highlight the need to carry out studies that allow for identifying the local factors that are most relevant and influential in population adaptation. More studies carried out at a small scale are needed.

Air pollution and meteorological variables' effects on COVID-19 first and second waves in Spain

The aim of this research is to study the influence of atmospheric pollutants and meteorological variables on the incidence rate of COVID-19 and the rate of hospital admissions due to COVID-19 during the first and second waves in nine Spanish provinces. Numerous studies analyze the effect of environmental and pollution variables separately, but few that include them in the same analysis together, and even fewer that compare their effects between the first and second waves of the virus. This study was conducted in nine of 52 Spanish provinces, using generalized linear models with Poisson link between levels of PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃ (independent variables) and maximum temperature and absolute humidity and the rates of incidence and hospital admissions of COVID-19 (dependent variables), establishing a series of significant lags. Using the estimators obtained from the significant multivariate models, the relative risks associated with these variables were calculated for increases of 10 µg/m³ for pollutants, 1 °C for temperature and 1 g/m³ for humidity. The results suggest that NO₂ has a greater association than the other air pollution variables and the meteorological variables. There was a greater association with O₃ in the first wave and with NO₂ in the second. Pollutants showed a homogeneous distribution across the country. We conclude that, compared to other air pollutants and meteorological variables, NO₂ is a protagonist that may modulate the incidence and severity of COVID-19, though preventive public health measures such as masking and hand washing are still very important.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-022-04190-z.

Analysis of vulnerability to heat in rural and urban areas in Spain: What factors explain Heat's geographic behavior?

INTRODUCTION

There is currently little knowledge and few published works on the subject of vulnerability to heat in rural environments at the country level. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether rural areas are more vulnerable to extreme heat than urban areas in Spain. This study aimed to analyze whether a pattern of vulnerability depends on contextual, environmental, demographic, economic and housing variables.

METHODS

An ecological, longitudinal and retrospective study was carried out based on time series data between January 01, 2000 and December 31, 2013 in 42 geographic areas in 10 provinces in Spain. We first analyzed the functional relationship between the mortality rate per million inhabitants and maximum daily temperature (Tmax). We then determined the summer temperature threshold (Pthreshold) (June-September) at which increases in mortality are produced that are attributable to heat. In a second phase, based on Pthreshold, a vulnerability variable was calculated, and its distribution was analyzed using mixed linear models from the Poisson family (link = log). In these models, the dependent variable was vulnerability, and the independent variables were exposure to high temperatures, aridity of the climate, deprivation index, percentage of people over age 65, rurality index, percentage of housing built prior to 1980 and condition of dwellings.

RESULTS

Rurality was a protective factor, and vulnerability in urban areas was six times greater. In contrast, risk factors included aridity (RR = 5.89 (2.26 15.36)), living in cool summer zones (2.69 (1.23, 5.91)), poverty (4.05 (1.91 8.59)) and the percentage of dysfunctional housing (1.13 (1.04 1.24)).

CONCLUSIONS

Rural areas are less vulnerable to extreme heat than the urban areas analyzed. Also, population groups with worse working conditions and higher percentages of dwellings in poor conditions are more vulnerable.

Identification of natural and anthropogenic signals in controlled source seismic experiments

The analysis of the background noise in seismic networks has proved to be a powerful tool not only to acquire new insights on the crustal structure, but also to monitor different natural and anthropogenic processes. We show that data acquired during controlled source experiments can also be a valuable tool to monitor such processes, in particular when using high-density deployments. Data from a wide-angle reflection and refraction seismic profile in the central-northwest part of Iberia is used to identify signals related to aircrafts, road traffic, quarry blasts, wind blow, rainfall or thunders. The most prominent observations are those generated by a helicopter and an airplane flying following trajectories subparallel to the profile, which are tracked along 200 km with a spatial resolution of 350 m, hence providing an exceptional dataset. Other highlights are the observation of the Doppler effect on signals generated by moving cars and the high-density recording of acoustic waves generated by thunders. In addition to the intrinsic interest of identifying such signals, this contribution proves that it is worth inspecting the data acquired during seismic experiments beyond the time interval including the arrival of the seismic waves generated by the controlled source.

Analysis of the impact of heat waves on daily mortality in urban and rural areas in Madrid

Backgraund

The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the effect of high temperatures on daily mortality in the urban and rural populations in Madrid.

Methods

Data were analyzed from municipalities in Madrid with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants during the period from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2013. Four groups were generated: Urban Metropolitan Center, Rural Northern Mountains, Rural Center, and Southern Rural. The dependent variable used was the rate of daily mortality due to natural causes per million inhabitants (CIE-X: A00- R99) between the months of June and September for the period. The primary independent variable was maximum daily temperature. Social and demographic “context variables” were included: population &gt;64 years of age (%), deprivation index and housing indicators. The analysis was carried out in three phases: 1) determination of the threshold definition temperature of a heat wave (Tthresold) for each study group; 2) determination of relative risks (RR) attributable to heat for each group using Poisson linear regression (GLM), and 3) calculation of odds ratios (OR) using binomial family GLM for the frequency of the appearance of heat waves associated with context variables.

Results

The resulting percentiles (for the series of maximum daily temperatures for the summer months) corresponding to Tthreshold were: 74th percentile for Urban Metropolitan Center, 76th percentile for Southern Rural, 83rd for Rural Northern Mountains and 98th percentile for Center Rural (98). Greater vulnerability was found for the first two. In terms of context variables that explained the appearance of heat waves, deprivation index level, population &gt;64 years of age and living in the metropolitan area were found to be risk factors.

Conclusions

Rural and urban areas behaved differently, and socioeconomic inequality and the composition of the population over age 64 were found to best explain the vulnerability of the Rural Center and Southern Rural zones.

Key messages

Heat waves affect urban and rural areas differently. So results and conclusions from urban areas should not be extrapolated to rural population. Socioeconomic status and ageing are important variables which explain the different behavior of heat waves in different areas.

Heat waves effect on daily mortality in districts in Madrid: The effect of sociodemographic factors

Background

Although there is significant scientific evidence on the impact of heat waves, there are few studies that analyze the effects of sociodemographic factors on the impact of heat waves below the municipal level.

Methods

The objective of this study was to analyze the role of income level, percent of the population over age 65, existence of air conditioning units and hectares (Ha) of green zones in districts in Madrid, in the impact of heat on daily mortality between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013. Seventeen districts were analyzed, and Generalized Linear (GLM) Poisson Regression Models were used to calculate relative risks (RR) and attributable risks (RA) for the impact of heat waves on mortality due to natural causes (CIEX:A00-R99). The pattern of risks obtained was analyzed using GLM univariates and multivariates of the binomial family (link logit), introducing the socioeconomic and demographic variables mentioned above.

Results

The results indicate that heat wave had an impact in only three of the districts analyzed. In the univariate models, all of the variables were statistically significant, but Ha of green zones lost significance in the multivariate model. Income level, existence of air conditioning units, and percent of the population over age 65 in the district remained as variables that modulate the impact of heat wave on daily mortality in the municipality of Madrid. Income level was the key variable that explained this behavior.

Conclusions

The results obtained in this study show that there are factors below the municipal level (district level) that should be considered as focus areas for health policy in order to decrease the impact of heat and promote the process of adaptation to heat in the context of climate change.

Key messages

There are factors below the municipal level which should be considered for health policy in order to decrease health heat impacts. Privation hamper isolation of ageing people from extreme outdoor temperatures. Therefore, in some cases poverty could become the key risk factor that explain the vulnerability to heat waves.

Cold spell effect on daily mortality in districts in Madrid considering sociodemographic variables

Background

While there is much research that focuses on the association between cold spell and their impacts on daily mortality at the city level, we analyze the impact related to social context and demographic variables at levels lower than the municipal.

Methods

The objective of this study was to determine the role of the percentage of people over age 65, income level and percentage of homes without heating in the analysis of the impact of cold waves on daily mortality between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013 in different districts of the municipality of Madrid. We calculated Relative Risks (RR) and Attributable Risks (RA) for each of 17 districts to determine correlations between the effect of cold waves and daily mortality due to natural causes (CIEX: A00-R99) using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) of the Poisson family (link log). The pattern of risks obtained by district was analyzed using binomial family models (link logit), considering socioeconomic and demographic variables.

Results

In terms of results, an impact of cold on mortality was detected in 9 of the 17 districts analyzed. The analysis of risk patterns revealed that the probability of detecting an impact in a district increases in a statistically significant way (p-value &lt;0.05) with a higher percentage of homes without heating systems and a higher percentage of population over age 65.

Conclusions

The results obtained identify the factors that should be considered in public health policies that target the district level to reduce the impact of cold waves.

Key messages

Ageing and the absence of heating systems are key variables which explain vulnerability to cold spell. Cold spell related mortality risks can be reduced by applying prevention health public plans.

Evolution of the minimum mortality temperature (1983-2018): Is Spain adapting to heat?

The objective of this study was to analyze at the level of Spain's 52 provinces province level the temporal evolution of minimum mortality temperatures (MMT) from 1983 to 2018, in order to determine whether the increase in MMT would be sufficient to compensate for the increase in environmental temperatures in Spain for the period. It also aimed to analyze whether the rate of evolution of MMT would be sufficient, were it to remain constant, to compensate for the predicted increase in temperatures in an unfavorable (RCP 8.5) emissions scenario for the time horizon 2051-2100. The independent variable was made up of maximum daily temperature data (Tmax) for the summer months in the reference observatories of each province for the 1983-2018 period. The dependent variable was daily mortality rate due to natural causes (ICD 10: A00-R99). For each year and province, MMT was determined using a quadratic or cubic fit (p < 0.05). Based on the annual MMT values, a linear fit was carried out that allowed for determining the time evolution of MMT. These values were compared with the evolution of Tmax registered in each observatory during the 1983-2018 analyzed period and with the predicted values of Tmax obtained for an RCP8.5 scenario for the period 2051-2100. The rate of global variance in Tmax in the summer months in Spain during the 1983-2018 period was 0.41 °C/decade, while MMT across the whole country increased at a rate of 0.64 °C/decade. Variations in the provinces were heterogeneous. For the 2051-2100 time horizon, there was predicted increase in Tmax values of 0.66 °C/decade, with marked geographical differences. Although at the global level it is possible to speak of adaptation, the heterogeneities among the provinces suggest that the local level measures are needed in order to facilitate adaptation in those areas where it is not occurring.

Evolution of the minimum mortality temperature (1983-2018): Is Spain adapting to heat?

The objective of this study was to analyze at the level of Spain's 52 provinces province level the temporal evolution of minimum mortality temperatures (MMT) from 1983 to 2018, in order to determine whether the increase in MMT would be sufficient to compensate for the increase in environmental temperatures in Spain for the period. It also aimed to analyze whether the rate of evolution of MMT would be sufficient, were it to remain constant, to compensate for the predicted increase in temperatures in an unfavorable (RCP 8.5) emissions scenario for the time horizon 2051-2100. The independent variable was made up of maximum daily temperature data (Tmax) for the summer months in the reference observatories of each province for the 1983-2018 period. The dependent variable was daily mortality rate due to natural causes (ICD 10: A00-R99). For each year and province, MMT was determined using a quadratic or cubic fit (p < 0.05). Based on the annual MMT values, a linear fit was carried out that allowed for determining the time evolution of MMT. These values were compared with the evolution of Tmax registered in each observatory during the 1983-2018 analyzed period and with the predicted values of Tmax obtained for an RCP8.5 scenario for the period 2051-2100. The rate of global variance in Tmax in the summer months in Spain during the 1983-2018 period was 0.41 °C/decade, while MMT across the whole country increased at a rate of 0.64 °C/decade. Variations in the provinces were heterogeneous. For the 2051-2100 time horizon, there was predicted increase in Tmax values of 0.66 °C/decade, with marked geographical differences. Although at the global level it is possible to speak of adaptation, the heterogeneities among the provinces suggest that the local level measures are needed in order to facilitate adaptation in those areas where it is not occurring.

Analysis of the impact of heat waves on daily mortality in urban and rural areas in Madrid

The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the effect of high temperatures on daily mortality in the urban and rural populations in Madrid. Data were analyzed from municipalities in Madrid with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants during the period from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2020. Four groups were generated: Urban Metropolitan Center, Rural Northern Mountains, Rural Center, and Southern Rural. The dependent variable used was the rate of daily mortality due to natural causes per million inhabitants (CIE-X: A00-R99) between the months of June and September for the period. The primary independent variable was maximum daily temperature. Social and demographic "context variables" were included: population >64 years of age (%), deprivation index and housing indicators. The analysis was carried out in three phases: 1) determination of the threshold definition temperature of a heat wave (Tumbral) for each study group; 2) determination of relative risks (RR) attributable to heat for each group using Poisson linear regression (GLM), and 3) calculation of odds ratios (OR) using binomial family GLM for the frequency of the appearance of heat waves associated with context variables. The resulting percentiles (for the series of maximum daily temperatures for the summer months) corresponding to Tthreshold were: 74th percentile for Urban Metropolitan Center, 76th percentile for Southern Rural, 83rd for Rural Northern Mountains and 98th percentile for Center Rural (98). Greater vulnerability was found for the first two. In terms of context variables that explained the appearance of heat waves, deprivation index level, population >64 years of age and living in the metropolitan area were found to be risk factors. Rural and urban areas behaved differently, and socioeconomic inequality and the composition of the population over age 64 were found to best explain the vulnerability of the Rural Center and Southern Rural zones.

DISEÑO Y VALIDACIÓN DE UN INSTRUMENTO OBSERVACIONAL PARA ACCIONES FINALISTAS EN PÁDEL

El pádel es uno de los deportes con mayor crecimiento en España, lo que se ve reflejado en un número cada vez mayor de investigaciones. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue diseñar un instrumento de observación que permita analizar las acciones finalistas en el pádel (IPAAFP) y, además, comprobar su validez y fiabilidad. Un grupo de jueces expertos (n=10), evaluaron en una escala 1-10 la Adecuación y Redacción de 17 items que componen el instrumento. La validez de contenido fue evaluada con la V de Aiken (V=0,83) y la congruencia interna con el ? de Cronbach (0,838). Ningún ítem tuvo que ser eliminado, pero sobre la base de las valoraciones cualitativas de los expertos se realizaron modificaciones en la redacción de los items. Tras el proceso de validación del instrumento, se puede concluir que el IPAAFP es válido y fiable para el análisis de las acciones finalistas en el pádel.

Drought effects on specific-cause mortality in Lisbon from 1983 to 2016: Risks assessment by gender and age groups

Portugal (Southwestern Europe) experiences a high incidence of dry hazards such as drought, a phenomenon that entails a notable burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For the first time in the Lisbon district, a time-series study was conducted to evaluate the impact of drought measured by the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) on the daily natural, circulatory, and respiratory mortality from 1983 to 2016. An assessment by gender and adult age population groups (45-64, 65-74, ≥75 years old) was included. To estimate the relative risks and attributable risks, generalised linear models with a Poisson link were used. Additionally, the influence of heatwaves and atmospheric pollution for the period from 2007 to 2016 (available period for pollution data) was considered. The main findings indicate statistically significant associations between drought conditions and all analysed causes of mortality. Moreover, SPEI shows an improved capability to reflect the different risks. People in the 45-64 year-old group did not indicate any significant influence in any of the cases, whereas the oldest groups had the highest risk. The drought effects on mortality among the population varied across the different study periods, and in general, the men population was affected more than the women population (except for the SPEI and circulatory mortality during the long study period). The short-term influence of droughts on mortality could be explained primarily by the effect of heatwaves and pollution; however, when both gender and age were considered in the Poisson models, the effect of drought also remained statistically significant when all climatic phenomena were included for specific groups of the total population and men. This type of study facilitates a better understanding of the population at risk and allows the development of more effective measures to mitigate the drought effects on the population.

The effect of cold waves on daily mortality in districts in Madrid considering sociodemographic variables

While there is much research that focuses on the association between cold waves and their impacts on daily mortality at the city level, few analyze the impact related to social context and demographic variables at levels lower than the municipal. The objective of this study was to determine the role of the percentage of people over age 65, income level and percentage of homes without heating in the analysis of the impact of cold waves on daily mortality between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013 in different districts of the municipality of Madrid. We calculated Relative Risks (RR) and Attributable Risks (RA) for each of 17 districts to determine correlations between the effect of cold waves and daily mortality due to natural causes (CIEX: A00-R99) using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) of the Poisson family (link log). The pattern of risks obtained by district was analyzed using binomial family models (link logit), considering socioeconomic and demographic variables. In terms of results, an impact of cold on mortality was detected in 9 of the 17 districts analyzed. The analysis of risk patterns revealed that the probability of detecting an impact in a district increases in a statistically significant way (p-value <0.05) with a higher percentage of homes without heating systems and a higher percentage of population over age 65. The results obtained identify the factors that should be considered in public health policies that target the district level to reduce the impact of cold waves.

The evolution of minimum mortality temperatures as an indicator of heat adaptation: The cases of Madrid and Seville (Spain)

The increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves is one of the most unquestionable effects of climate change. Therefore, the progressive increase in maximum temperatures will have a clear incidence on the increase in mortality, especially in countries that are vulnerable due to geographical location or their socioeconomic characteristics. Different research studies show that the mortality attributable to heat is decreasing globally, and research is centred on future scenarios. One way of detecting the existence of a lesser impact of heat is through the increase in the so-called temperature of minimum mortality (TMM). The objective of this study is to determine the temporal evolution of TMM in two Spanish provinces (Seville and Madrid) during the 1983-2018 period and to evaluate whether the rate of adaptation to heat is appropriate. We used the gross rate of daily mortality due to natural causes (CIEX: A00-R99) and the maximum daily temperature (°C) to determine the quinquennial TMM using dispersion diagrams and realizing fit using quadratic and cubic curvilinear estimation. The same analysis was carried out at the annual level, by fitting an equation to the line of TMM for each province, whose slope, if significant (p < 0.05) represents the annual rate of variation in TMM. The results observed in this quinquennial analysis showed that the TMM is higher in Seville than in Madrid and that it is higher among men than women in the two provinces. Furthermore, there was an increase in TMM in all of the quinquennium and a clear decrease in the final period. At the annual level, the linear fit was significant for Madrid for the whole population and corresponds to an increase in the TMM of 0.58 °C per decade. For Seville the linear fits were significant and the slopes of the fitted lines was 1.1 °C/decade. Both Madrid and Seville are adapting to the increase in temperatures observed over the past 36 years, and women are the group that is more susceptible to heat, compared to men. The implementation of improvements and evaluation of prevention plans to address the impact of heat waves should continue in order to ensure adequate adaptation in the future.

The impact of heat waves on daily mortality in districts in Madrid: The effect of sociodemographic factors

Although there is significant scientific evidence on the impact of heat waves, there are few studies that analyze the effects of sociodemographic factors on the impact of heat waves below the municipal level. The objective of this study was to analyze the role of income level, percent of the population over age 65, existence of air conditioning units and hectares (Ha) of green zones in districts in Madrid, in the impact of heat on daily mortality between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013. Seventeen districts were analyzed, and Generalized Linear (GLM) Poisson Regression Models were used to calculate relative risks (RR) and attributable risks (RA) for the impact of heat waves on mortality due to natural causes (CIEX:A00-R99). The pattern of risks obtained was analyzed using GLM univariates and multivariates of the binomial family (link logit), introducing the socioeconomic and demographic variables mentioned above. The results indicate that heat wave had an impact in only three of the districts analyzed. In the univariate models, all of the variables were statistically significant, but Ha of green zones lost significance in the multivariate model. Income level, existence of air conditioning units, and percent of the population over age 65 in the district remained as variables that modulate the impact of heat wave on daily mortality in the municipality of Madrid. Income level was the key variable that explained this behavior. The results obtained in this study show that there are factors at levels below the municipal level (district level) that should be considered as focus areas for health policy in order to decrease the impact of heat and promote the process of adaptation to heat in the context of climate change.

Sorption and release process of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from different composition microplastics in aqueous medium: Solubility parameter approach

Microplastics represent a growing environmental concern in the aquatic environment due to its size resemblance to microplankton in addition to its ability to act as concentrators of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Among them, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) stand out as POPs with dangerous levels in the aquatic environment. In this paper we have developed a methodology for studying the sorption and extraction process of twelve congeners of PBDE from four microplastics: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polystyrene (PS). We have proved that there is a dependence between the polymer composition and the solvent used for the extraction of the analytes. The extraction is function of the ability of the solvent to partially or totally dissolve the plastic that will allow the analyte to have a greater capacity to be released from the polymer structure. The solution of the polymer is achieved by making the free energy (ΔG, or Gibbs potential) of the system negative making the process occurs spontaneously, this will depend on the solubility parameter (∂), specific of both, solvent and polymer. Therefore, this study helps to determine which methodology to be applied for the extraction of pollutants before the start of the analysis. This approach has been applied to microplastic samples collected in different locations in the four oceans and collected from the Barcelona World Race (BWR) 2014-2015 sailing race.

Saharan dust intrusions in the Iberian Peninsula: Predominant synoptic conditions

The Iberian Peninsula (IP) is recurrently affected by dust transport from the Sahara Desert and from the semi-arid Sahel regions. African dust is one of the most important sources of particulate matter in the southern Mediterranean. Therefore, it is vital to understand the underlying processes that lead to episodes of air pollution associated to the occurrence of dust intrusions. This work proposes to make an extended characterization of the preferential circulation weather patterns associated to the onset of dust events affecting the IP between 2006 and 2016. Saharan dust intrusions were analysed and an automatic objective classification procedure was used to classify circulation weather patterns associated to dust events. The spatial distribution of intrusion episodes is not homogeneous throughout the IP, occurring less frequently at northern and northwestern locations than at central and southern sites. Moreover, days with Saharan dust intrusions were more frequent in summer months, and more probable to occur under regimes with a southerly component. Finally, two extreme events with high concentration of particulate matter were analysed relatively to their life-cycle and particle trajectories. The distinct extreme episodes can be associated to different synoptic situations. However, and despite different large-scale configurations, a south or south-easterly component over the region is responsible for the establishment of a dust transport from the Saharan region towards Iberia, and thus leading to the intrusion onset. These results were supported by the calculation of back-trajectories which allowed to source apportioning the particles' origin, through a clear trajectory of air parcels originating from northern Africa in both events. The proposed framework can be useful to the prediction of dust and air pollution events based on the forecast of circulation weather patterns, as the results show that these events across the IP are mainly induced by specific patterns.

Short-term effects of drought on daily mortality in Spain from 2000 to 2009

Spain is a country of southern Europe that is prone to drought, and it is likely that this type of hydrological extreme will become substantially more frequent and intense in the 21st century, which could lead to greater health risks if adequate adaptive measures are not taken. For the first time, we calculated the relative risks (RRs) of daily natural (ICD10: A00-R99), circulatory (ICD10: I00-I99), and respiratory (ICD: J00-J99) mortality associated with drought events in each province of Spain from 2000 to 2009. For this purpose, we compared the performance of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation- Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) obtained at 1 month of accumulation (denoted as SPI-1/SPEI-1) to estimate the short-term risks of droughts on daily mortality using generalised linear models. Attributable risks were calculated from the RR data. The main findings of this study revealed statistically significant associations between the different causes of daily mortality and drought events for the different provinces of Spain, and clear spatial heterogeneity was observed across the country. Western Spain (northwest to southwest) was the region most affected, in contrast to northern and eastern Spain, and daily respiratory mortality was the group most strongly linked to the incidence of drought conditions. Moreover, for a considerable number of provinces, the effect of SPI-1 and SPEI-1 largely reflected the impact of atmospheric pollution and/or heatwaves; however, for other regions, the effect of drought conditions on daily mortality remained when these different climatic events were controlled in Poisson models. When the performances of the SPEI and SPI were compared to identify and estimate the risks of drought on daily mortality, the results were very similar, although there were slight differences in the specific causes of daily mortality.

Short-term effects of traffic noise on suicides and emergency hospital admissions due to anxiety and depression in Madrid (Spain)

Studies show a relationship between some mental illnesses and suicides and different environmental variables such as air pollution, characterized by stress at the neuropsychological level. Despite the fact that traffic noise is also a powerful neurological stressor, studies that relate traffic noise to these mental disorders are practically non-existent. The objective is to analyze the short-term impact that chemical air pollution, traffic noise and thermal extremes have on emergency hospital admissions due to anxiety, dementia and suicides in the city of Madrid. This ecological, longitudinal study uses generalized linear models with Poisson link to analyze the short-term impact of the average daily concentrations of chemical pollutants (NO₂, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, O₃), noise pollution indicators (Leq_day, Leq_night and Leq_24h) and temperatures during heat waves (T_heat) and cold waves (T_cold) on daily admissions to emergency services in the city of Madrid from 2010 to 2013 due to anxiety (ICD-10: F32), depression (ICD-10: F40-F42) and suicide (ICD-10: X60-X84). The results show no association between any of the chemical pollutants considered and the dependent variables studied. On the contrary, the values of Leq_day are associated with the three variables analyzed in lag 0 for the cases of anxiety and depression and in lag 1 for suicides, with RR: 1.20 (IC95% 1.14 1.26), RR: 1.11 (IC95% 1.06 1.16) and RR: 1.17 (IC95% 1.05 1.30), respectively, for increases of 1 dB(A) in the values of Leq_day. An association was also found between T_cold and admissions for anxiety in lag 9 with RR: 1.62 (IC95% 1.18 2.22) for increases of 1 °C in the values of T_cold. Traffic noise can be considered an important risk factor related to the illnesses and anxiety and depression and for suicides in the city of Madrid, although new studies are needed to support the findings shown here.

Short-term effects of Saharan dust intrusions and biomass combustion on birth outcomes in Spain

The objective of this study is to analyze the short-term effects of atmospheric pollutant concentrations (PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃) and heat and cold waves on the number of pre-term births and cases of low birth weight related to Saharan dust advection and biomass combustion. The dependent variables used in this analysis were the total number of births, births with low weight (>2.500 g) and pre-term births (<37 weeks), that occurred at the province level. Data provided by the NSI included: days with Saharan dust intrusion or biomass advection classified in terms of information provided by MITECO for each of the nine regions in Spain. A representative city was selected for reach region in which the registered average daily concentrations of PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃ (μg/m³) were used. These were also provided by MITECO. The daily maximum and daily minimum temperature (°C) used was those registered by the meteorological observatory station located in each province capital, provided by AEMET. Using Poisson log linear regression models, the associated relative risks (RR) were measured as well as the population attributable risk (PAR) corresponding to the variables that resulted statistically significant at p < 0.05 for days with and without intrusion of natural particulate matter. The results obtained show that the days with Saharan dust intrusion or advections due to biomass combustion- beyond the impact of PM₁₀, primary pollutants such as NO₂ (in Saharan intrusions), heat waves and O₃ - are associated with the number of births, low birth weight and pre-term birth. The RR and percent PAR of the pollutants and the heat waves are greater than those obtained for PM₁₀. The results of this study indicate that days with natural particulate matter due to biomass combustion or advection of Saharan dust put pregnant women at risk.

Chiral asymmetry detected in a 2D array of permalloy square nanomagnets using circularly polarized x-ray resonant magnetic scattering

The sensitivity of circularly polarized x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (CXRMS) to chiral asymmetry has been demonstrated. The study was performed on a 2D array of Permalloy (Py) square nanomagnets of 700 nm lateral size arranged in a chess pattern, in a square lattice of 1000 nm lattice parameter. Previous x-ray magnetic circular dichroism photoemission electron microscopy (XMCD-PEEM) images on this sample showed the formation of vortices at remanence and a preference in their chiral state. The magnetic hysteresis loops of the array along the diagonal axis of the squares indicate a non-negligible and anisotropic interaction between vortices. The intensity of the magnetic scattering using circularly polarized light along one of the diagonal axes of the square magnets becomes asymmetric in intensity in the direction transversal to the incident plane at fields where the vortex states are formed. The asymmetry sign is inverted when the direction of the applied magnetic field is inverted. The result is the expected in the presence of an unbalanced chiral distribution. The effect is observed by CXRMS due to the interference between the charge scattering and the magnetic scattering.

TRITIUM - A Quasi Real-Time Low Activity Tritium Monitor for Water

Tritium is released abundantly to the environment by nuclear power plants (NPP), as a product of neutron capture by hydrogen and deuterium. In normal running conditions, released cooling waters may contain levels of tritium close to or even larger than the maximum authorised limit for human consumption (drinking and irrigation). The European Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom requires a maximum level of tritium in water for human consumption lower than 100 Bq=L. Current monitoring of tritium activity in water by liquid scintillating method takes about two days and can only be carried out in a dedicated laboratory. This system is not appropriate for real time monitoring. At present, there exists no available detector device with enough sensitivity to monitor waters for human consumption with high enough sensitivity. The goal of the TRITIUM project is to build a tritium monitor capable to measure tritium activities with detection limit close to 100Bq=L, using instrumentation technique developed in recent years for Nuclear and Particle Physics, such as scintillating fibres and silicon photomultipliers (SiPM). In this paper the current status of the TRITIUM project is presented and he results of first prototypes are discussed. A detector system based on scintillating fibers read out either photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) or silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays is under development and will be installed in the vicinity of Almaraz nuclear power plant (Cáceres, Spain) by the fourth term of 2019.

Will there be cold-related mortality in Spain over the 2021-2050 and 2051-2100 time horizons despite the increase in temperatures as a consequence of climate change?

INTRODUCTION

Global warming is resulting in an increase in temperatures which is set to become more marked by the end of the century and depends on the accelerating pace of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Yet even in this scenario, so-called "cold waves" will continue to be generated and have an impact on health.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to analyse the impact of cold waves on daily mortality at a provincial level in Spain over the 2021-2050 and 2051-2100 time horizons under RCP4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios, on the basis of two hypotheses: (1) that the cold-wave definition temperature (T _threshold) would not vary over time; and, (2) that there would be a variation in T _threshold.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The results of a retrospective study undertaken for Spain as a whole across the period 2000-2009 enabled us to ascertain the cold-wave definition temperature at a provincial level and its impact on health, measured by reference to population attributable risk (PAR). The minimum daily temperatures projected for each provincial capital considering the above time horizons and emission scenarios were provided by the State Meteorological Agency. On the basis of the T _threshold definition values and minimum daily temperatures projected for each province, we calculated the expected impact of low temperatures on mortality under the above two hypotheses. Keeping the PAR values constant, it was assumed that the mortality rate would vary in accordance with the available data.

RESULTS

If T _threshold remained constant over the above time horizons under both emission scenarios, there would be no cold-related mortality. If T _threshold were assumed to vary over time, however, then cold-related mortality would not disappear: it would instead remain practically constant over time and give rise to an estimated overall figure of around 250 deaths per year, equivalent to close on a quarter of Spain's current annual cold-related mortality and entailing a cost of approximately €1000 million per year.

CONCLUSION

Given that cold waves are not going to disappear and that their impact on mortality is far from negligible and is likely to remain so, public health prevention measures must be implemented to minimise these effects as far as possible.

Mortality attributable to high temperatures over the 2021-2050 and 2051-2100 time horizons in Spain: Adaptation and economic estimate

BACKGROUND

In recent years, a number of studies have been conducted with the aim of analysing the impact that high temperatures will have on mortality over different time horizons under different climate scenarios. Very few of these studies take into account the fact that the threshold temperature used to define a heat wave will vary over time, and there are practically none which calculate this threshold temperature for each geographical area on the assumption that there will be variations at a country level.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the impact that high temperatures will have on mortality across the periods 2021-2050 and 2051-2100 under a high-emission climate scenario (RCP8.5), in a case: (a) where adaptation processes are not taken into account; and (b) where complete adaptation processes are taken into account.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Based on heat-wave definition temperature (T_threshold) values previously calculated for the reference period, 2000-2009, for each Spanish provincial capital, and their impact on daily mortality as measured by population attributable risk (PAR), the impact of high temperatures on mortality will be calculated for the above-mentioned future periods. Two hypotheses will be considered, namely: (a) that T_threshold does not vary over time (scenario without adaptation to heat); and, (b) that T_threshold does vary over time, with the percentile to which said T_threshold corresponds being assumed to remain constant (complete adaptation to heat). The temperature data were sourced from projections generated by Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) climate models adapted to each region's local characteristics by the State Meteorological Agency (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología/AEMET). Population-growth projections were obtained from the National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística/INE). In addition, an economic estimate of the resulting impact will be drawn up.

RESULTS

The mean value of maximum daily temperatures will rise, in relation to those of the reference period (2000-2009), by 1.6⁰C across the period 2021-2050 and by 3.3⁰C across the period 2051-2100. In a case where there is no heat-adaptation process, overall annual mortality attributable to high temperatures in Spain would amount to 1414 deaths/year (95% CI: 1089-1771) in the period 2021-2050, rising to 12,896 deaths/year (95% CI: 9852-15,976) in the period 2051-2100. In a case where there is a heat-adaptation process, annual mortality would be 651 deaths/year (95% CI: 500-807) in the period 2021-2050, and 931 deaths per year (95% CI: 770-1081) in the period 2051-2100. These results display a high degree of heterogeneity. The savings between a situation that does envisage and one that does not envisage an adaptive process is €49,100 million/year over the 2051-2100 time horizon.

CONCLUSION

A non-linear increase in maximum daily temperatures was observed, which varies widely from some regions to others, with an increase in mean values for Spain as a whole that is not linear over time. The high degree of heterogeneity found in heat-related mortality by region and the great differences observed on considering an adaptive versus a non-adaptive process render it necessary for adaptation plans to be implemented at a regional level.

Time trends in the impact attributable to cold days in Spain: Incidence of local factors

BACKGROUND

While numerous studies have shown that the impact of cold waves is decreasing as result of various processes of adaptation, far fewer have analysed the time trend shown by such impact, and still fewer have done so for the different provinces of a single country, moreover using a specific cold waves definition for each. This study thus aimed to analyse the time trend of the impact of cold days on daily mortality in Spain across the period 1983-2003.

METHODS

For study purposes, we used daily mortality data for all natural causes except accidents in ten Spanish provinces. The time series was divided into three subperiods. For each period and province, the value of T_threshold was obtained via the percentile corresponding to the cold day's definition for that province obtained in previous studies. Relative Risks (RRs) and Population Attributable Fraction (PARs) were calculated using Generalised Linear Models (GLMs) with the Poisson regression link. Seasonalities, trends and autoregressive components were controlled. Global RRs and ARs were calculated with the aid of a meta-analysis with random effects for each of the periods.

RESULTS

The results show that the RRs for Spain as a whole were 1.12 (95% CI: 1.08 1.16) for the first period, 1.15 (95% CI: 1.09 1.22) for the second and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.10 1.26) for the third. The impact of cold days has risen slightly over time, though the differences were not statistically significant. These findings show a clearly different behaviour pattern to that previously found for heat.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in this study do not show a downward trend for colds days. The complexity of the biological mechanisms involved in cold-related mortality and the lack of robust results mean that more research must be done in this particular field of public health.

Differences in the impact of heat waves according to urban and peri-urban factors in Madrid

Aside from climatic factors, the impact of heat waves on mortality depends on the demographic and socio-economic structure of the population as well as variables relating to local housing. Hence, this study's main aim was to ascertain whether there might be a differential impact of heat waves on daily mortality by area of residence. The study is a time-series analysis (2000-2009) of daily mortality and minimum and maximum daily temperatures (°C) in five geographical areas of the Madrid region. The impact of such waves on heat-related mortality due to natural causes (ICD-10: A00- R99), circulatory causes (ICD-10: I00-I99) and respiratory causes (ICD-10: J00-J99) was obtained by calculating the relative risk (RR) and attributable risk (AR), using GLM models with the Poisson link and controlling for trend, seasonalities and the autoregressive nature of the series. Furthermore, we also evaluated other external variables, such as the percentage of the population aged over 65 years and the percentage of old housing. No heat-related mortality threshold temperature with statistical significance was detected in the northern and eastern areas. While the threshold temperatures in the central and southern areas were very similar and close to the 90th percentile, the threshold in the western area corresponded to the 97th percentile. Attributable mortality proved to be highest in the central area with 85 heat wave-related deaths per annum. External factors found to influence the impact of heat on mortality in Madrid were the size of the population aged over 65 years and the age of residential housing. Demographic structure and the percentage of old housing play a key role in modulating the impact of heat waves. This study concludes that the areas in which heat acts earliest are those having a higher degree of population ageing.

ESTADO DE ÁNIMO Y CALIDAD DE VIDA EN MUJERES ADULTAS PRACTICANTES DE PÁDEL

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la percepción del nivel de calidad de vida y determinar el perfil de estado de ánimo de las mujeres deportistas que practican pádel y compararlo con los resultados obtenidos por las mujeres sedentarias. Las participantes del estudio fueron 60 mujeres extremeñas (Edad  media = 40,43 ± 5,73 años), divididas en dos grupos, distinguiendo entre mujeres deportistas que practican pádel y mujeres sedentarias. Se utilizó el Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física para dividir a las participantes en dos grupos (deportistas y sedentarias) y posteriormente se aplicó cuestionario del Perfil de Estado de Ánimo y el test EuroQol-5D para conocer la percepción de calidad de vida. Los resultados de este trabajo mostraron valores significativamente más elevados en el todas las dimensiones del estado de ánimo en las mujeres deportistas. Sin embargo, no parece que la práctica de pádel influya significativamente en las dimensiones de calidad de vida excepción de la medida en la escala visual analógica, que es superior en las mujeres practicantes de pádel

Time trend in the impact of heat waves on daily mortality in Spain for a period of over thirty years (1983-2013)

Many of the studies that analyze the future impact of climate change on mortality assume that the temperature that constitutes a heat wave will not change over time. This is unlikely, however, given the process of adapting to heat changes, prevention plans, and improvements in social and health infrastructure. The objective of this study is to analyze whether, during the 1983-2013 period, there has been a temporal change in the maximum daily temperatures that constitute a heat wave (T_threshold) in Spain, and to investigate whether there has been variation in the attributable risk (AR) associated with mortality due to high temperatures in this period. This study uses daily mortality data for natural causes except accidents CIEX: A00-R99 in municipalities of over 10,000 inhabitants in 10 Spanish provinces and maximum temperature data from observatories located in province capitals. The time series is divided into three periods: 1983-1992, 1993-2003 and 2004-2013. For each period and each province, the value of T_threshold was calculated using scatter-plot diagram of the daily mortality pre-whitened series. For each period and each province capitals, it has been calculated the number of heat waves and quantifying the impact on mortality through generalized linear model (GLM) methodology with the Poisson regression link. These models permits obtained the relative risks (RR) and attributable risks (AR). Via a meta-analysis, using the Global RR and AR were calculated the heat impact for the total of the 10 provinces. The results show that in the first two periods RR remained constant RR: 1.14 (CI95%: 1.09 1.19) and RR: 1.14 (CI95%: 1.10 1.18), while the third period shows a sharp decrease with respect to the prior two periods RR: 1.01 (CI95%: 1.00 1.01); the difference is statistically significant. In Spain there has been a sharp decrease in mortality attributable to heat over the past 10 years. The observed variation in RR puts into question the results of numerous studies that analyze the future impact of heat on mortality in different temporal scenarios and show it to be constant over time.

Impact on mortality of biomass combustion from wildfires in Spain: A regional analysis

Studies that analyse the impact on mortality of particulate matter (PM) produced by biomass combustion from wildfires mostly focus on a single city or on cities in different countries, with very few concentrating on one country as a whole. Accordingly, the aim of this paper was to analyse the impact that PM has on daily mortality in Spain on days with biomass combustion from wildfires. To analyse natural PM advections the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing, Food & Environment divides Spain into 9 geographical regions. One province representative of each region for was selected analysis purposes, with provincial daily natural-cause mortality across the period 2004-2009 as the dependent variable, and daily mean PM concentrations in the provincial capital as the independent variable. We controlled for the effect of other chemical pollutants (NO₂ and O₃), maximum daily temperature on heat-wave days, day of the week, trends, seasonalities and the autoregressive nature of the series, using generalised linear models with the Poisson regression link to calculate relative risks (RRs) and the increase in RR (IRR) of PM-related mortality. The analysis was performed for days with and without biomass advections (DBA and DNBA respectively), with a breakdown by year, summer, and the remainder of the year (i.e., excluding summer). The results indicated that daily mean PM concentrations were higher on DBA than on DNBA, with statistically significant differences in most provinces. Furthermore, PM₁₀ was associated with higher daily mortality on DBA in regions where wildfires were most frequent, but not in the remaining provinces. This translated as an IRR per 10μg/m³ of PM of 7.93 (2.36-13.81) in the North-west, 3.76 (1.36-6.22) in the Centre and 4.46 (2.99-5.94) in the South-west, values which in all cases were statistically higher than those obtained on DNBA. The increase in PM caused by biomass advections from wildfires is linked to a significant IRR of mortality in Spain. Hence, the fact that wildfires are likely to become increasingly frequent in the context of climate change makes this type of analysis particularly necessary.

Demonstration of Single-Barium-Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Using Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging

A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of ^{136}Xe is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba^{++}) resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (∼2  nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9σ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.

Spatial variability in threshold temperatures of heat wave mortality: impact assessment on prevention plans

Spain's current heat wave prevention plans are activated according to administrative areas. This study analyses the determination of threshold temperatures for triggering prevention-plan activation by reference to isoclimatic areas, and describes the public health benefits. We subdivided the study area - the Madrid Autonomous Region (MAR) - into three, distinct, isoclimatic areas: 'North', 'Central' and 'South', and grouped daily natural-cause mortality (ICD-10: A00-R99) in towns of over 10,000 inhabitants (2000-2009 period) accordingly. Using these three areas rather than the MAR as a whole would have resulted in a possible decrease in mortality of 73 persons (38-108) in the North area, and in aborting unnecessary activation of the plan 153 times in the Central area and 417 times in the South area. Our results indicate that extrapolating this methodology would bring benefits associated with a reduction in attributable mortality and improved effectiveness of public health interventions.

Association between environmental factors and emergency hospital admissions due to Alzheimer's disease in Madrid

INTRODUCTION

There are scarce studies of time series that analysed the short-term association between emergency hospital admissions due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and environmental factors. The objective is to analyse the effect of heat waves, noise and air pollutants on urgent hospital admissions due to AD in Madrid.

METHODS

Longitudinal ecological time series study was performed. The dependent variable was the emergency AD hospital admissions occurred in Madrid during the period 2001-2009. Independent variables were: Daily mean concentrations (μg/m3) of air pollutants (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀; O3 and NO2); maximum daily temperature (°C) and daily and night noise levels (dB(A)). Relative Risk (RR) for an increment in interquartile range, and Attributable Risk (AR) values were calculated through GLM with Poisson link.

RESULTS

Our findings indicated that only PM_2.5 concentrations at lag 2 with a RR: 1.38 (95% CI: 1.15-1.65); AR 27.5% (95% CI: 13.0-39.4); and heat wave days at lag 3 with a RR: 1.30 (95% CI: 1.12-1.52); AR 23.1% (95% CI: 10.7-34.2) were associated with AD hospital admissions.

CONCLUSION

A reduction in AD patients' exposure levels to PM_2.5 and special care of such patients during heat wave periods could result in a decrease in both emergency AD admissions and the related health care costs.