Background The adverse respiratory effects of ground-level ozone are well-established. Ozone is the air pollutant most consistently projected to increase under future climate change. Purpose To project future pediatric asthma emergency department visits associated with ground-level ozone changes, comparing 1990s to 2020s. Methods This study assessed future numbers of asthma emergency department visits for children aged 0–17 years using (1) baseline New York City metropolitan area emergency department rates, (2) a dose–response relationship between ozone levels and pediatric asthma emergency department visits, and (3) projected daily 8-hour maximum ozone concentrations for the 2020s as simulated by a global-to-regional climate change and atmospheric chemistry model. Sensitivity analyses included population projections and ozone precursor changes. This analysis occurred in 2010. Results In this model, climate change could cause an increase in regional summer ozone-related asthma emergency department visits for children aged 0–17 years of 7.3% across the New York City metropolitan region by the 2020s. This effect diminished with inclusion of ozone precursor changes. When population growth is included, the projections of morbidity related to ozone are even larger. Conclusions The results of this analysis demonstrate that the use of regional climate and atmospheric chemistry models make possible the projection of local climate change health effects for specific age groups and specific disease outcomes – such as emergency department visits for asthma. Efforts should be made to improve on this type of modeling to inform local and wider-scale climate change mitigation and adaptation policy.
Building on a unique exposure assessment project in New York, New York, we examined the relationship of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm and nitrogen dioxide with birth weight, restricting the population to term births to nonsmokers, along with other restrictions, to isolate the potential impact of air pollution on growth. We included 252,967 births in 2008-2010 identified in vital records, and we assigned exposure at the residential location by using validated models that accounted for spatial and temporal factors. Estimates of association were adjusted for individual and contextual sociodemographic characteristics and season, using linear mixed models to quantify the predicted change in birth weight in grams related to increasing pollution levels. Adjusted estimates for particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm indicated that for each 10-µg/m(3) increase in exposure, birth weights declined by 18.4, 10.5, 29.7, and 48.4 g for exposures in the first, second, and third trimesters and for the total pregnancy, respectively. Adjusted estimates for nitrogen dioxide indicated that for each 10-ppb increase in exposure, birth weights declined by 14.2, 15.9, 18.0, and 18.0 g for exposures in the first, second, and third trimesters and for the total pregnancy, respectively. These results strongly support the association of urban air pollution exposure with reduced fetal growth.
Context Climate change adaptation strategies that address locally specific climate hazards are critical for preventing negative health outcomes, and local public health officials are key foci for adaptation planning. Objective To assess New York State Local Health Department officials’ perceptions and preparedness related to climate-sensitive health areas, and compare these with a national sample. Design Online survey instrument, originally used in a national survey of Local Health Department (LHD) officials. Setting New York State Participants Eligible participants included all New York State city and county LHD officials, one respondent per LHD. Main Outcome Measures LHD officials’ perceptions of local 1) climate-related public health effects, 2) preparation status and programming areas of LHDs, and 3) necessary resources to better address climate-related health risks. Results Survey participants, representing a 54% response rate (with 93% of respondents completing more than 90% of the questions), perceived climate change as relevant to public health, and most noted that some of their existing programs already use or are planning to use climate adaptation strategies. Overall, fewer New York State respondents identified concerns or related expertise compared to the previous national survey. Many respondents expressed uncertainty regarding necessary additional resources. Conclusions This type of assessment makes clear the high variability in perceived impacts and capacity at the level of local health department jurisdictions, and underscores the importance of sustained support for local climate change preparedness programming. The implications of these findings are germane to other states with similar decentralized jurisdiction of public health. Findings from such surveys can bolster existing LHD programs, as well as inform long-term and emergency planning for climate change.
Four hundred and eighty-six textile workers in three cotton mills and one wool/synthetic mill were studied for symptoms and functional effects of workroom exposure to dust. Byssinosis was found in 5'7% of 386 cotton workers, with an apparent threshold level of 05 mg cotton dust/m3 of air. Mean post-shift functional declines were greater in workers exposed to > 0-2 mg/m3. Workers with byssinosis were unequally distributed, however, with respect to job category and mill; and these variables, rather than current dust exposure levels, accounted for the observed distribution of byssinosis prevalence rates. Variation in biological potency of different samples of cotton dust could be responsible for 'mill effect', the residual variation in response rates by mill after controlling for variation due to dust exposure. A number of other potential influencing variables that are likely to be distributed unequally by mill should also be considered. Mill effect should be assessed in large-scale studies of byssinosis, most of which have analysed biological response rates by combining mill and other variables to examine first-order effects of dust dosage. In such analyses, much of the observed variability may be due to factors other than dust dosage.The relationship between cotton dust exposure and respiratory illness is complicated, but many basic features were recognised more than one hundred years ago. For example, Leach (1863) stated that illness was more prevalent among workers in the early stages of processing cotton, in dustier work places, and in mills using lower grades of cotton. The disabling character of the chronic illness was noted, as was the healthful effect of providing adequate dust control. Despite this fund of sound observations, byssinosis remains an important cause of morbidity and disability. Progress in understanding the disease has been hindered by several problems (US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1974). There is no reliable assay for bioactivity of cotton dust. There is lack of agreement on a standard way to measure airborne dust levels. Detection of acute responses to cotton dust has depended heavily on questionnaire data. There is still uncertainty regarding the precise relationship of acute lung function abnormalities or symptom. to the chronic, disabling respiratory disease. There is no clinical marker to distinguish the chronic Received for publication 11 September 1978 Accepted for publication 30 November 1978 disease from chronic airways obstruction ordinarily found in the general population.The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of low current dust exposures, with inclusion of differing past exposures as an independent variable. The method of comparing effects of past exposures was to study mills with different histories of dust control. In examining byssinosis prevalence rates we observed that mill could be a significant influencing variable. Under certain circumstances, failure to control for this variable could lead to faulty analysis of relationsh...
Diem, L., and Weill, H. (1977). Thorax, 32,[281][282][283][284][285][286]. Respiratory health and dust levels in cottonseed mills. Four cottonseed mills in the southern United States contained high levels of total and respirable dust. A survey of 172 workers showed low prevalences of byssinosis (2-3%) and chronic bronchitis (4%). Mean baseline (out of dust) lung function values were normal. Mean functional declines over the working shift were present on Monday and absent on Friday, indicating an acute bronchoconstrictor response. Despite limitations in translating measured dust levels into estimates of individual exposures, the overall dose-response relationship seems to differ from that found in the cotton textile industry.Byssinosis may result from inhaling any of several vegetable fibres under a variety of occupational exposures. The cotton textile industry has been the locus of most of the systematic studies of the disease. Non-textile exposures to cotton dust have received little attention, probably because these operations are predominantly rural, dispersed, and seasonal, and have a high turnover of unskilled labour.As a result of the morbidity and disability from byssinosis in textile workers, governments have undertaken to regulate the permissible exposure to cotton dust. The major task is to define a safe and feasible limit of exposure. It is reasonable also to consider whether to apply the same standard to all sources of airborne cotton dust. The answer to this question should depend upon whether byssinosis is found in non-textile workers, and whether the dust-dose biologic-response relationship is similar to that in the textile industry.Cottonseed is an important product of cotton cultivation. Seed mills separate the raw cottonseed into 'linters' (attached short cotton fibres), hulls, and meats, the last being the source of oil and cake or meal. The early steps in processing involve removal of coarse trash by mechanical shakers, stripping the linters from hulls by revolving saws, and collecting the baling linters. These operations raise substantial amounts of dust. The cottonseed is not treated in any way before it reaches the mill. Study population and methodsIn the summer of 1975, we studied workers in four cottonseed mills in the southern United States. We attempted to recruit all workers in dusty jobs and a number of other cottonseed mill workers (thought to be only minimally exposed to dust) to serve as a comparison group. In three mills, we recruited as many workers as were willing to participate. In the fourth and largest mill, all workers in dusty jobs were recruited, and as many with minimal exposures as study time permitted. One hundred and seventy-two workers completed the interview; 153 completed function studies for inclusion in the Monday analysis (reasons for exclusion included having less than 40 hours off work before testing, or unexpected absence from work). Of these 153 workers, 145 were available for study on Friday of the same week.Frequency distributions of the ages and length o...
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