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Transdisciplinary Studies in Planetary Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 14018

Special Issue Editors

School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
Interests: environmental epidemiology; air pollution epidemiology; climate change and health; health economics (operational health economics); cost-effectiveness analysis
School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Interests: biostatistics; environmental epidemiology
Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
Interests: environmental epidemiology; climate change; air pollution

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Planetary health is becoming an overarching topic of transdisciplinary studies in assessing planetary dynamics and their direct and indirect effects on human health. The complexity of these planetary dynamics require more novel transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches exploring the plausibility of the hypotheses and generating evidence to be utilized in crafting evidence-based policies safeguarding both individual health and that of society. Planetary health transcends various topics, which include but are not limited to: climate change (temperature) and health (of vulnerable populations; e.g., children and older adults), air pollution epidemiology, vector epidemiology, climate-sensitive diseases, local/regional/national health system resilience, climate and nutrition epidemiology, urban planning and health, and occupational health, among others. We invite everyone across disciplines to contribute to this Special Issue, aiming to enrich both current evidence and explore future possibilities in the context of planetary health. We particularly welcome studies coming from developing countries or regional locations (e.g., South-East Asia) where evidence is scarce.

Dr. Xerxes Tesoro Seposo
Dr. Chris Fook Sheng Ng
Dr. Lina Madaniyazi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Planetary health
  • Climate change and health
  • Air pollution epidemiology
  • Climate-sensitive disease
  • Health system resilience

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 9346 KiB  
Article
Current Status and Temporal Trend of Potentially Toxic Elements Pollution in Agricultural Soil in the Yangtze River Delta Region: A Meta-Analysis
by Shufeng She, Bifeng Hu, Xianglin Zhang, Shuai Shao, Yefeng Jiang, Lianqing Zhou and Zhou Shi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 1033; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18031033 - 25 Jan 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2889
Abstract
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution in the agricultural soil of China, especially in developed regions such as the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in eastern China, has received increasing attention. However, there are few studies on the long-term assessment of soil pollution by PTEs [...] Read more.
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution in the agricultural soil of China, especially in developed regions such as the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in eastern China, has received increasing attention. However, there are few studies on the long-term assessment of soil pollution by PTEs over large regions. Therefore, in this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the current state and temporal trend of PTEs pollution in the agricultural land of the Yangtze River Delta. Based on a review of 118 studies published between 1993 and 2020, the average concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni were found to be 0.25 mg kg−1, 0.14 mg kg−1, 8.14 mg kg−1, 32.32 mg kg−1, 68.84 mg kg−1, 32.58 mg kg−1, 92.35 mg kg−1, and 29.30 mg kg−1, respectively. Among these elements, only Cd and Hg showed significant accumulation compared with their background values. The eastern Yangtze River Delta showed a relatively high ecological risk due to intensive industrial activities. The contents of Cd, Pb, and Zn in soil showed an increasing trend from 1993 to 2000 and then showed a decreasing trend. The results obtained from this study will provide guidance for the prevention and control of soil pollution in the Yangtze River Delta. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transdisciplinary Studies in Planetary Health)
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10 pages, 7763 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ambient Temperature on Daily Nebulized Asthma Hospital Visits in a Tropical City of Dhaka, Bangladesh
by Ayesha Ferdosi Kabir, Chris Fook Sheng Ng, Shinya Yasumoto, Taiichi Hayashi and Chiho Watanabe
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 890; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18030890 - 20 Jan 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2613
Abstract
The acute effect of temperature on asthma morbidity in Bangladesh is not well understood. As climate varies extensively in different parts of the world, the relation between temperature and asthma might also differ. We investigated the association between temperature and asthma-related hospital visits [...] Read more.
The acute effect of temperature on asthma morbidity in Bangladesh is not well understood. As climate varies extensively in different parts of the world, the relation between temperature and asthma might also differ. We investigated the association between temperature and asthma-related hospital visits in the tropical city of Dhaka. We analyzed information from a total of 5989 asthma patients who received ambulatory care in the form of nebulized medication at the National Asthma Center in Mohakhali, Dhaka from February to November 2013. A time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted to estimate the effect of daily temperature, with consideration of delayed effects and possible confounders such as relative humidity and political strikes. An inverse association was observed between temperature and the number of hospital visits. The effect was delayed for approximately a week. A degree centigrade decrease in mean temperature (averaged across lags 0-6) was associated with an increase of approximately 4.5% (95% CI 1.5, 7.5) in all asthma visits. The association was evident in adult males but marginal in elderly males. A positive association (lag 0) was observed among adult females, whereas no association was observed among children. Strikes significantly modified the effect among the elderly. Findings suggest temperature declines affect asthma outcomes in a warm climate, and this effect can be delayed and vary by sex and age group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transdisciplinary Studies in Planetary Health)
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14 pages, 1801 KiB  
Article
Impact of the Electric Vehicle Policies on Environment and Health in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region
by Chenen Ma, Lina Madaniyazi and Yang Xie
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 623; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18020623 - 13 Jan 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4207
Abstract
China is implementing intensive policies on electric vehicles to control air pollution in urban regions, especially the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, one of the most polluted areas in China. The development of electric vehicles will lead to an increase in electricity demand. Because electricity [...] Read more.
China is implementing intensive policies on electric vehicles to control air pollution in urban regions, especially the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, one of the most polluted areas in China. The development of electric vehicles will lead to an increase in electricity demand. Because electricity is mostly generated by thermal power in China, primary energy consumption will also increase. This study sets two scenarios: with the electric vehicle policies scenario (REN) and without the electric vehicle policies scenario (FOS) to compare electric vehicle policy’s impact. We quantified the health benefits of the electric vehicle policies in the BTH region by using an integrated assessment framework. Compared with scenario FOS, the local PM2.5 emission will reduce by 11.38%, 15.12%, 22.27%, and the concentration will reduce by 18.84%, 20.04%, and 19.57% in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei separately by 2030 in REN. The electric vehicle policies can avoid 23.5 million morbidities and 4.6 thousand mortalities and save CNY 20.65 billion using the value of statistical life and 1.5 million work loss days in 2030 in REN. Our results show that electric vehicle policy can bring a remarkably positive benefit to public health and the economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transdisciplinary Studies in Planetary Health)
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21 pages, 7182 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Effects of Atmospheric Pollution on Daily Mortality and Their Modification by Increased Temperatures Associated with a Climatic Change Scenario in Northern Mexico
by Rosa María Cerón Bretón, Julia Griselda Cerón Bretón, Jonathan W. D. Kahl, María de la Luz Espinosa Fuentes, Evangelina Ramírez Lara, Marcela Rangel Marrón, Reyna del Carmen Lara Severino and Martha Patricia Uc Chi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(24), 9219; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17249219 - 10 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1919
Abstract
Short-term effects of air pollution on the health of residents in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Mexico were assessed from 2012–2015 using a time-series approach. Guadalupe had the highest mean concentrations for SO2, CO and O3; whereas Santa Catarina [...] Read more.
Short-term effects of air pollution on the health of residents in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Mexico were assessed from 2012–2015 using a time-series approach. Guadalupe had the highest mean concentrations for SO2, CO and O3; whereas Santa Catarina showed the highest NO2 concentrations. Escobedo and Garcia registered the highest levels for PM10. Only PM10 and O3 exceeded the maximum permissible values established in the Mexican official standards. Most of pollutants and municipalities showed a great number of associations between an increase of 10% in their current concentrations and mortality, especially for people >60 years. Different scenarios resulting from climatic change were built (increases of 5–25% in daily mean temperature), but only the increase of 25% (5 °C) showed a significant association with air pollutant concentrations and mortality. All pollutants and municipalities showed significant increases in relative risk indexes (RRI) resulting from an increase of 5 °C when people >60 years was considered. Results were comparable to those reported by other authors around the world. The RRI were low but significant, and thus are of public concern. This study demonstrated that the elderly is strongly threatened not only by atmospheric pollution but also by climatic change scenarios in warm and semiarid places. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transdisciplinary Studies in Planetary Health)
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11 pages, 896 KiB  
Article
Impact of an Educational Program on Behavioral Changes toward Environmental Health among Laotian Students
by Jiyoung Shin, Harris Hyun-soo Kim, Eun Mee Kim, Yookyung Choi and Eunhee Ha
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(14), 5055; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17145055 - 14 Jul 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1727
Abstract
This study evaluates the effect of an integrated health care educational program on several behavioral changes related to environmental health among Laotian students. Students in the experimental group received education concerning environmental health-related issues, including air pollution and chemical exposure. Analyses of covariance [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the effect of an integrated health care educational program on several behavioral changes related to environmental health among Laotian students. Students in the experimental group received education concerning environmental health-related issues, including air pollution and chemical exposure. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and paired t-tests were conducted for the statistical analysis of the pre- and post-survey scores. The post-test scores of the experimental group regarding their risk perception and information-seeking behaviors towards air pollution and chemical exposure were higher than those of the control group after controlling for the pre-test scores. Moreover, in the experimental group, the girls’ risk perception scores significantly increased after receiving the education, which was not observed in the control group. The risk perception score among non-drinking students also significantly increased after the program. These results indicate that the education program effectively enhanced the students’ risk perception, especially that of girls and nondelinquent students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transdisciplinary Studies in Planetary Health)
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