Aged and Obscured Wildfire Smoke Associated with Downwind Health Risks.

Fine-mode particulate matter (PM) is a highly detrimental air pollutant, regulated without regard for chemical composition and a chief component of wildfire smoke. As wildfire activity increases with climate change, its growing continental influence necessitates multidisciplinary research to examine smoke's evolving chemical composition far downwind and connect chemical composition-based source apportionment to potential health effects. Leveraging advanced real-time speciated PM measurements, including an aerosol chemical speciation monitor in conjunction with source apportionment and health risk assessments, we quantified the stark pollution enhancements during peak Canadian wildfire smoke transport to New York City over June 6-9, 2023.

Association Between Air Pollution and Osteoporosis with High-Risk Populations: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: Air pollution has been raised as a novel risk factor for osteoporosis, which impose a huge burden on both individuals and society. Thus, summarizing and discussing previous results on the association between ambient air pollution and osteoporosis can be informative in synthesizing the current evidence and improving relevant action plans.

Recent Findings: Recent studies reported that long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and related outcomes; however, the studied populations, air pollutants, areas, and results on high-risk populations are heterogeneous.

Effects of ambient temperature on mental and neurological conditions in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Emerging research has suggested a link between ambient temperature and mental and neurological conditions such as depression and dementia. This systematic review aims to summarize the epidemiological evidence on the effects of ambient temperature on mental and neurological conditions in older adults, who may be more vulnerable to temperature-related health effects compared to younger individuals.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Ovid/Embase, Web of Science, and Ovid/PsycINFO on July 17, 2023, and updated on July 31, 2024.

Prenatal exposure to residential greenness, fetal growth, and birth outcomes: a cohort study in New York City.

Findings for greenspace's impacts on birth outcomes are largely dependent on vegetation indexes. Examinations are needed for various greenspace indicators given varying pathways for fetal development. This prospective cohort study assessed the impacts of prenatal greenspace exposure on preterm birth (PTB), term low birthweight (TLBW), birthweight, and estimated fetal weight (EFW) for pregnant women in the New York City area, 2016-2023 (n=2765).

Meteorological factors, population immunity, and COVID-19 incidence: A global multi-city analysis.

Objectives: While COVID-19 continues to challenge the world, meteorological variables are thought to impact COVID-19 transmission. Previous studies showed evidence of negative associations between high temperature and absolute humidity on COVID-19 transmission. Our research aims to fill the knowledge gap on the modifying effect of vaccination rates and strains on the weather-COVID-19 association.

Air pollution mixture complexity and its effect on PM-related mortality: A multicountry time-series study in 264 cities.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) occurs within a mixture of other pollutant gases that interact and impact its composition and toxicity. To characterize the local toxicity of PM, it is useful to have an index that accounts for the whole pollutant mix, including gaseous pollutants. We consider a recently proposed pollutant mixture complexity index (PMCI) to evaluate to which extent it relates to PM toxicity.

Exposure to particulate matter and ozone, locations of regulatory monitors, and sociodemographic disparities in the city of Rio de Janeiro: Based on local air pollution estimates generated from machine learning models.

South America is underrepresented in research on air pollution exposure disparities by sociodemographic factors, although such disparities have been observed in other parts of the world. We investigated whether exposure to and information about air pollution differs by sociodemographic factors in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the second most populous city in Brazil with dense urban areas, for 2012-2017. We developed machine learning-based models to estimate daily levels of O, PM, and PM using high-dimensional datasets from satellite remote sensing, atmospheric and land variables, and land use information.

Impacts of land-use and land-cover changes on temperature-related mortality.

Background: Land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) can substantially affect climate through biogeochemical and biogeophysical effects. Here, we examine the future temperature-mortality impact for two contrasting LULCC scenarios in a background climate of low greenhouse gas concentrations. The first LULCC scenario implies a globally sustainable land use and socioeconomic development (sustainability).

Do relationships between ambient temperature and serious adverse health outcomes vary among users of different antidiabetes drugs? A retrospective cohort study of US Medicaid beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Prior studies demonstrate that some untoward clinical outcomes vary by outdoor temperature. This is true of some endpoints common among persons with diabetes, a population vulnerable to climate change-associated health risks. Yet, prior work has been agnostic to the antidiabetes drugs taken by such persons.

The impact of exposure assessment on associations between air pollution and cardiovascular mortality risks in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Despite a growing literature for complex air quality models, scientific evidence lacks of the influences of varying exposure assessments and air quality data sources on the estimated mortality risks. This case-crossover study estimated cardiovascular mortality risks from fine particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O) exposures, using varying exposure methods, to aid understanding of the impact of exposure methods in the health risk estimation. We used individual-level cardiovascular mortality data in the city of Rio de Janeiro, 2012-2016.

Delineating Urbanicity and Rurality: Impact on Environmental Exposure Assessment.

Environmental exposures and their health impacts can vary substantially between urban and rural areas. However, different methods for classifying these areas could lead to inconsistencies in environmental exposure and health studies, which are often overlooked. We constructed different urban/rural classification systems based on multiple population-based (e.

Temperature, Crime, and Violence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Heat is known to affect many health outcomes, but more evidence is needed on the impact of rising temperatures on crime and/or violence.

Objectives: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis regarding the influence of hot temperatures on crime and/or violence.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluated the relationship between increase in temperature and crime and/or violence for studies across the world and generated overall estimates.

Long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM and mortality in the contiguous United States.

Despite the substantial evidence on the health effects of short-term exposure to ambient fine particles (PM), including increasing studies focusing on those from wildland fire smoke, the impacts of long-term wildland fire smoke PM exposure remain unclear. We investigated the association between long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM and nonaccidental mortality and mortality from a wide range of specific causes in all 3,108 counties in the contiguous United States, 2007 to 2020. Controlling for nonsmoke PM, air temperature, and unmeasured spatial and temporal confounders, we found a nonlinear association between 12-mo moving average concentration of smoke PM and monthly nonaccidental mortality rate.

Short-term effects of wildfire-specific fine particulate matter and its carbonaceous components on perinatal outcomes: A multicentre cohort study in New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Epidemiological evidence on the association between wildfire-specific fine particulate matter (PM) and its carbonaceous components with perinatal outcomes is limited. We aimed to examine the short-term effects of wildfire-specific PM and its carbonaceous components on perinatal outcomes.

Methods: A multicentre cohort of 9743 singleton births during the wildfire seasons from 1 September 2009 to 31 December 2015 across six cities in New South Wales, Australia were linked with daily wildfire-specific PM and carbonaceous components (organic carbon and black carbon).

Temporal variations in the short-term effects of ambient air pollution on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality: a pooled analysis of 380 urban areas over a 22-year period.

Background: Ambient air pollution, including particulate matter (such as PM and PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO), has been linked to increases in mortality. Whether populations' vulnerability to these pollutants has changed over time is unclear, and studies on this topic do not include multicountry analysis. We evaluated whether changes in exposure to air pollutants were associated with changes in mortality effect estimates over time.

Disparities in exposure to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and risk of adverse birth outcomes in Pennsylvania, USA.

Background: Previous studies have linked exposure to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) with various health outcomes. However, relatively few studies evaluated the impacts of CAFOs on adverse birth outcomes, despite significant public health concerns regarding maternal and child health.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study investigated the risk of adverse birth outcomes associated with CAFOs exposure and evaluated disparities in exposure to CAFOs and associated health outcomes.

Associations Between Gestational Residential Radon Exposure and Term Low Birthweight in Connecticut, USA.

Background: Studies suggest biologic mechanisms for gestational exposure to radiation and impaired fetal development. We explored associations between gestational radon exposure and term low birthweight, for which evidence is limited.

Methods: We examined data for 68,159 singleton full-term births in Connecticut, United States, 2016-2018.

All-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and wildfire-related ozone: a multicountry two-stage time series analysis.

Background: Wildfire activity is an important source of tropospheric ozone (O) pollution. However, no study to date has systematically examined the associations of wildfire-related O exposure with mortality globally.

Methods: We did a multicountry two-stage time series analysis.

A systematic review of animal feeding operations including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) for exposure, health outcomes, and environmental justice.

Background: Despite growing literature on animal feeding operations (AFOs) including concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), research on disproportionate exposure and associated health burden is relatively limited and shows inconclusive findings.

Objective: We systematically reviewed previous literature on AFOs/CAFOs, focusing on exposure assessment, associated health outcomes, and variables related to environmental justice (EJ) and potentially vulnerable populations.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of databases (MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science) and performed citation screening.

Unraveling near real-time spatial dynamics of population using geographical ensemble learning.

Dynamic gridded population data are crucial in fields such as disaster reduction, public health, urban planning, and global change studies. Despite the use of multi-source geospatial data and advanced machine learning models, current frameworks for population spatialization often struggle with spatial non-stationarity, temporal generalizability, and fine temporal resolution. To address these issues, we introduce a framework for dynamic gridded population mapping using open-source geospatial data and machine learning.

Residential mobility in pregnancy and potential exposure misclassification of air pollution, temperature, and greenness.

Introduction: Epidemiological studies commonly use residential addresses at birth to estimate exposures throughout pregnancy, ignoring residential mobility. Lack of consideration for residential mobility during pregnancy might lead to exposure misclassification that should be addressed in environmental epidemiology.

Methods: We investigated potential exposure misclassification from estimating exposure during pregnancy by residence at delivery utilizing a prospective cohort of pregnant women in New York, United States (n = 1899; 2016-2019).

Air quality modeling in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil: A review.

Numerous studies have used air quality models to estimate pollutant concentrations in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) by using different inputs and assumptions. Our objectives are to summarize these studies, compare their performance, configurations, and inputs, and recommend areas of further research. We examined 29 air quality modeling studies that focused on ozone (O) and fine particulate matter (PM) performed over the MASP, published from 2001 to 2023.