Climate change impacts on thermal stress in four climatically diverse European cities.

The thermal conditions that prevail in cities pose a number of challenges to urban residents and policy makers related to quality of life, health and welfare as well as to sustainable urban development. However, the changes in thermal stress due to climate change are probably not uniform among cities with different background climates. In this work, a comparative analysis of observed and projected thermal stress (cold stress, heat stress, no thermal stress) across four European cities (Helsinki, Rotterdam, Vienna, and Athens), which are representative of different geographical and climatic regions of the continent, for a recent period (1975 - 2004) and two future periods (2029 - 2058, 2069 - 2098) has been conducted.

Intensification of thermal risk in Mediterranean climates: evidence from the comparison of rational and simple indices.

Cities have been assigned as one of the most vulnerable areas with respect to heat-related risk due to global warming and rapid urban growth. The present study explores the long-term trends in thermal risk at a large urban area of the eastern Mediterranean (Athens) over a long period (1960-2017), based on hourly observations. In addition to the frequency and severity of heat stress conditions, the study further explores changes in the seasonality of heat stress.

Assessing the associations of daily respiratory symptoms and lung function in schoolchildren using an Air Quality Index for ozone: Results from the RESPOZE panel study in Athens, Greece.

Background: Air Quality indicators or indices (AQIs) are mainly used for communicating the air pollution levels and risk to the general population. However, very few epidemiological studies have used AQIs for characterizing exposure.

Objective: In the framework of the RESPOZE panel study we evaluated the association of daily ozone AQI levels with the daily occurrence of respiratory symptoms and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) and compared the effects with those estimated using measurements from fixed outdoor monitoring sites, in the city of Athens, Greece.

On the determination of the thermal comfort conditions of a metropolitan city underground railway.

Although the indoor thermal comfort concept has received increasing research attention, the vast majority of published work has been focused on the building environment, such as offices, residential and non-residential buildings. The present study aims to investigate the thermal comfort conditions in the unique and complex underground railway environment. Field measurements of air temperature, air humidity, air velocity, globe temperature and the number of passengers were conducted in the modern underground railway of Athens, Greece.

Dynamic modeling of human thermal comfort after the transition from an indoor to an outdoor hot environment.

Thermal comfort under non-steady-state conditions primarily deals with rapid environmental transients and significant alterations of the meteorological conditions, activity, or clothing pattern within the time scale of some minutes. In such cases, thermal history plays an important role in respect to time, and thus, a dynamic approach is appropriate. The present study aims to investigate the dynamic thermal adaptation process of a human individual, after his transition from a typical indoor climate to an outdoor hot environment.

Biometeorological and air quality assessment in an industrialized area of eastern Mediterranean: the Thriassion Plain, Greece.

Evidence that heat wave events are associated with poor air quality conditions and health hazards has become stronger in recent years. In this study, the impact of two heat wave episodes on human thermal discomfort and air quality is examined during summer 2007, in an industrial plain of eastern Mediterranean: the Thriassion Plain, Greece. For this purpose, two biometeorological indices-Discomfort Index (DI) and Heat Load (HL)-as well as an air quality index-Air Quality Stress Index (AQSI)-were calculated using data from seven measuring sites.

Heat waves observed in 2007 in Athens, Greece: synoptic conditions, bioclimatological assessment, air quality levels and health effects.

Heat waves are considered to be increasing in frequency and intensity whereas they comprise a significant weather-related cause of deaths in several countries. Two heat waves occurred in Greece in summer 2007. These severe heat waves are assessed by analyzing the prevailing synoptic conditions, evaluating human thermal discomfort, through the Heat Load Index (HL), as well as investigating its interrelation of air pollutant concentrations, and the daily air quality stress index (AQSI), in the greater region of Athens (Attica), Greece.

Measuring the effects of heat wave episodes on the human body's thermal balance.

During the peak of an extensive heat wave episode on 23-25 July 2007, simultaneous thermophysiological measurements were made in two non-acclimated healthy adults of different sex in a suburban area of Greater Athens, Greece. Based on experimental measurements of mean skin temperature and metabolic heat production, heat fluxes to and from the human body were calculated, and the biometeorological index heat load (HL) produced was determined according to the heat balance equation. Comparing experimental values with those derived from theoretical estimates revealed a great heat stress for both individuals, especially the male, while theoretical values underestimated heat stress.