Category: Documents

By HealthDay News https://bit.ly/3IhOhpN Teens who lived in areas with relatively higher ozone levels had significant increases in symptoms of depression over time, even though the ozone levels in their neighborhoods weren't higher than state or national limits, the study found. Photo by Jesús Rodríguez/Unsplash Even "safe" levels of ozone air pollution may increase adolescents' risk of depression, a new study shows. Researchers analyzed four years of mental health data from 213 adolescents, ages 9-13, in the San Francisco Bay area and compared it with air quality data for their home addresses. Advertisement Those who lived in areas with relatively higher ozone levels had significant increases in symptoms of depression over time, even though the ozone levels in their neighborhoods weren't higher than state or national limits. The link between ozone pollution and depression symptoms such as chronic sadness or hopelessness, concentration problems, sleep disturbances and thoughts about suicide wasn't affected by the adolescents' sex, age, race, household income, parents' education or wealth of their neighborhoods,...

CARE-C further strengthened its commitment and contributions to shaping regional climate action by participating in UNFCCC’s 1st Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week that was held in Dubai March 28 – 31, 2022. Hosted by the government of the United Arab Emirates, the event was organized in collaboration with UN Climate Change, UN Development Programme, UN Environment Programme and the World Bank Group. The Center of Excellence’s delegation actively participated in the Conference’s sessions and meetings in Dubai, and presented a side event on the 30th of March, which was attended by participants in-person and online. The side-event titled “Coordinating Climate Action in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East: Initiatives in Research & Innovation and Policy”, presented new initiatives within these remits, which aim to accelerate climate actions in the EMME, for the benefit of the MENA and expected impacts globally. Initiatives discussed covered the subjects of High-resolution regional climate projections and weather extremes; Innovative technologies for Greenhouse Gas emissions...

A major dust event hit Cyprus on April 3rd and persists. A couple of weeks back a dust event was noticed throughout the Mediterranean basin, from Spain to Greece. It reached Cyprus weakened, passing unnoticed. However, since Sunday a second event is taking place and we are not as lucky this time. The plume, which originates from the Saharan desert, has covered all of the eastern Mediterranean basin and is persisting over Cyprus for the third day in a row. Such events are common during springtime when the temperature gradient between the hot Sahara region and the relatively cold Mediterranean Sea is large enough to allow southern air masses to move northerly.   Fig.1 Left: Numerical simulation of the dust event (source UK Met Office). Right: Satellite view of the event (source EU METSAT) Sun photometric data recorded at the Nicosia station of the Cyprus Atmospheric Observatory (CAO) show that visibility is reduced to 16 km instead of the 38 km we typically...

CAO Technical and Scientific team is always on call and this time they have installed a Neutral cluster and Air Ion Spectrometer (Airel NAIS 522) at CAO Troodos. The NAIS was installed on March 22, 2022, seizing the opportunity of a postponed Qatar campaign. Heavy snow loads up on the mountain made it quite tricky for the installation team but after getting the instrument at the station, everything went on smoothly. The first measurements of 0.8 – 42 nm air ions and 2 – 42 nm particles started on the same day and the next day we observed our first new particle formation event. We are looking forward to more events and observations of particle formation in free tropospheric conditions (above cloud level). We will gain more information on how small particles are formed from gas phase trace gases regionally by comparing the results with the CAO-Agia Marina Xyliatou (AMX) NAIS measurements. Installation team at CAO-Troodos station with the NAIS (by Nikole...

CLIMPACT is the Hellenic National Network of “Science at the service of the State and Society for tackling Climate Change”. As described also in the overview in its official website, CLIMPACT has been established by the Hellenic General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, by decree of the Deputy Minister of Development and Research in 2019. The initiative is coordinated by the esteemed National Observatory of Athens as a pan-Hellenic network of emblematic and renowned academic, universitarian, and research institutions; the initial core of which comprised: the Academy of Athens, the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, the National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, the Research Center ‘ATHENA’, the National Technical University of Athens, the University of Crete, the Technical University of Crete, and the National Center for Social Research. Since 2019, the CLIMPACT Network has expanded to include also other Affiliated Members, so as to further complement and integrate scientific and...

Source: https://bit.ly/3COUcBj Air quality has been steadily climbing the UK legislative agenda, with many eyes on the Environment Bill currently going through parliament. The Bill sets a mandate for two air quality targets: a concentration target for PM2.5 and a long-term population exposure reduction target, which recognises there is no safe level or standard for PM2.5.  With increasing scrutiny on air quality projects in the corporate and local government sectors has come a proliferation in new air quality monitoring (AQM) technologies. Yet, very few AQM equipment manufacturers are seeking independent certification or validation, leaving Local Authorities with few choices that will satisfy their procurement procedures.   Think outside the (monitoring) box  It’s easy to buy an air quality monitor, but choosing the right solution for your air quality project is about more than ticking off a list of individual features. It’s also about having confidence in technology and the expertise required to achieve your outcomes and mitigate the inevitable risks.   Risks commonly occur in the form...

By: Chloe Coules , Source: https://bit.ly/3qbVTUp Long term exposure to air pollution is linked to a heightened risk of autoimmune disease, finds new research. The study found environmental air pollution from vehicle exhausts and industrial output can trigger adaptive immunity – whereby the body reacts to a specific disease-causing entity – but sometimes this adaptive response misfired, prompting systemic inflammation, tissue damage, and ultimately autoimmune disease. The research, published online in RMD Open, found the risk is especially high for developing certain autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue and inflammatory bowel diseases. The incidence and prevalence of autoimmune diseases have steadily increased over the past decade, but the reasons for this are not yet clear. The researchers mined the national Italian fracture risk database, tracking diagnoses of autoimmune diseases and linking participants to the nearest air quality monitoring system run by the Italian Institute of Environment Protection and Research. They found exposure to PM2.5 was not associated with a heightened risk of an autoimmune disease...

By: Anna Bawden Source: https://bit.ly/3tf3tQ7 Illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s more likely after long-term exposure to particulates, study finds Exposure to air pollution has previously been linked to strokes, brain cancer, miscarriages and mental health problems. Photograph: Jinny Goodman/AlamyAnna BawdenTue 15 Mar 2022 23.30 GMTLast modified on Tue 15 Mar 2022 23.32 GMT Long-term exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of autoimmune disease, research has found. Exposure to particulates has already been linked to strokes, brain cancer, miscarriage and mental health problems. A global review, published in 2019, concluded that almost every cell in the body could be affected by dirty air. Now researchers at the University of Verona have found that long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution was associated with an approximately 40% higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis, a 20% higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, and a 15% higher risk of connective tissue diseases, such as lupus. Read more The study, published in the...

by European Public Health Alliance | Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be a major global health concern, with the latest statistics showing nearly 200 000 deaths were associated with AMR in Europe in 2019 alone. It is imperative that efforts to tackle this issue are realised at every level of society, and are considered within a ONE HEALTH approach – human, animal and environmental, given that AMR is transmittable between them.  Actual action, pragmatic interventions, and implemented practices have the clear potential to reduce or slow down the development of resistant bacteria. Local circumstances, promising national policies, and individual initiatives could lead to significant improvements in the field. Therefore, finding those existing practices, bringing them to light, and giving them large visibility at the European level was identified by the AMR Stakeholder Network (AMR SN) as an action through which the principles laid out in its Roadmap for action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could become more tangible. This would then fuel further...