We intend to identify relationships between cancer cases and pollutant emissions by proposing a novel co-location mining algorithm. In this context, we specifically attempt to understand whether there is a relationship between the location of a child diagnosed with cancer with any chemical combinations emitted from various facilities in that particular location. Colocation pattern mining intends to detect sets of spatial features frequently located in close proximity to each other. Most of the previous works in this domain are based on transaction-free apriori-like algorithms which are dependent on user-defined thresholds, and are designed for boolean data points. Due to the absence of a clear notion of transactions, it is nontrivial to use association rule mining techniques to tackle the co-location mining problem. Our proposed approach is focused on a grid based transactionization of the geographic space, and is designed to mine datasets with extended spatial objects. It is also capable of incorporating uncertainty of the existence of features to model real world scenarios more accurately. We eliminate the necessity of using a global threshold by introducing a statistical test to validate the significance of candidate co-location patterns and rules. Experiments on both synthetic and real datasets reveal that our algorithm can detect a considerable amount of statistically significant co-location patterns. In ⋆ The work is done when the author is at University of Alberta.
Pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) collect and provide information on chemicals released to the environment or otherwise managed as waste. They support the public's right-to-know and provide useful information in gauging performance of facilities, sectors, and governments. The extent to which these data have been used in research, particularly in relation to human health, has not been documented. In this scoping review our objective was to learn from scholarly literature the extent and nature of the use of PRTR data in human health research. We performed literature searches (1994-2011) using various search engines and (or) key words. Articles selected for review were chosen following predefined criteria, to extract and analyze data. One hundred and eighty four papers were identified. Forty investigated possible relations with health outcomes: 33 of them identified positive associations. The rest explored other uses of PRTR data. Papers identified challenges, some imputable to the PRTR. We conclude that PRTR data are useful for research, including health-related studies, and have significant potential for prioritizing research needs that can influence policy, management, and ultimately human health. In spite of their inherent limitations, PRTRs represent a perfectible, unique useful source, whose application to human health research appears to be underutilized. Developing strategies to overcome these limitations could improve data quality and increase its utility in future environmental health research and policy applications.Résumé : Les registres sur le relâchement et le transfert des polluants (RRTPs) rassemblent et fournissent des informations sur les substances chimiques relâchées dans l'environnement ou traités autrement comme déchets. Ils supportent le droit public à l'information et fournissent de l'information utile pour établir la performance des installations, des secteurs et des gouvernements. On n'a jamais documenté la fréquence avec laquelle ces données ont été utilisées en recherche, surtout en relation avec la santé humaine. Dans cette revue exploratoire, l'objectif des auteurs vise à apprendre à partir de la littérature scientifique, l'étendue et la nature de l'utilisation des données du RRTP dans les recherches sur la santé humaine. Il ont effectué une revue de la littérature (1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011) en utilisant divers moteurs de recherche et mots clés. Ils ont choisi les articles à sélectionner selon des critères prédéfinis, afin d'extraire et analyser les données. Ils ont identifié 184 publications. Quarante d'entre elles portent sur les relations possibles avec des questions de santé, dont 33 comportent des associations positives. Les autres explorent d'autres usages des données RRTP. Les auteurs concluent que les données RRTP sont utiles en recherche, incluant des études reliées à la santé et montrent un potentiel significatif pour établir des priorités de besoins en recherche pouvant influencer...
In cold temperatures, vehicles idle more, have high cold-start emissions including greenhouse gases, and have less effective exhaust filtration systems, which can cause up to ten-fold more harmful vehicular emissions. Only a few vehicle technologies have been tested for emissions below −7 °C (20 °F). Four-hundred-million people living in cities with sub-zero temperatures may be impacted. We conducted a scoping review to identify the existing knowledge about air-pollution-related health outcomes in a cold climate, and pinpoint any research gaps. Of 1019 papers identified, 76 were selected for review. The papers described short-term health impacts associated with air pollutants. However, most papers removed the possible direct effect of temperature on pollution and health by adjusting for temperature. Only eight papers formally explored the modifying effect of temperatures. Five studies identified how extreme cold and warm temperatures aggravated mortality/morbidity associated with ozone, particles, and carbon-monoxide. The other three found no health associations with tested pollutants and temperature. Additionally, in most papers, emissions could not be attributed solely to traffic. In conclusion, evidence on the relationship between cold temperatures, traffic-related pollution, and related health outcomes is lacking. Therefore, targeted research is required to guide vehicle regulations, assess extreme weather-related risks in the context of climate change, and inform public health interventions.
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