Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index
Air pollution poses a serious threat to children’s respiratory health around the world. Satellite remote-sensing technology and air quality models can provide pollution data on a global scale, necessary for risk communication efforts in regions without ground-based monitoring networks. Several large...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021006486 |
| _version_ | 1798034349397901312 |
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| author | Laura A. Gladson Kevin R. Cromar Marya Ghazipura K. Emma Knowland Christoph A. Keller Bryan Duncan |
| author_facet | Laura A. Gladson Kevin R. Cromar Marya Ghazipura K. Emma Knowland Christoph A. Keller Bryan Duncan |
| author_sort | Laura A. Gladson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Air pollution poses a serious threat to children’s respiratory health around the world. Satellite remote-sensing technology and air quality models can provide pollution data on a global scale, necessary for risk communication efforts in regions without ground-based monitoring networks. Several large centers, including NASA, produce global pollution forecasts that may be used alongside air quality indices to communicate local, daily risk information to the public. Here we present a health-based, globally applicable air quality index developed specifically to reflect the respiratory health risks among children exposed to elevated outdoor air pollution. Additive, excess-risk air quality indices were developed using 51 different coefficients derived from time-series health studies evaluating the impacts of ambient fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone on children's respiratory morbidity outcomes. A total of four indices were created which varied based on whether or not the underlying studies controlled for co-pollutants and in the adjustment of excess risks of individual pollutants. Combined with historical estimates of air pollution provided globally at a 25 × 25 km2 spatial resolution from the NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System composition forecast (GEOS-CF) model, each of these indices were examined in a global sample of 664 small and 140 large cities for study year 2017. Adjusted indices presented the most normal distributions of locally-scaled index values, which has been shown to improve associations with health risks, while indices based on coefficients controlling for co-pollutants had little effect on index performance. We provide the steps and resources need to apply our final adjusted index at the local level using freely-available forecasting data from the GEOS-CF model, which can provide risk communication information for cities around the world to better inform individual behavior modification to best protect children's respiratory health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:43:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2d10d5d8a444cdc90ff73377630c4cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:43:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2d10d5d8a444cdc90ff73377630c4cb2022-12-22T04:04:08ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202022-01-01159107023Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality indexLaura A. Gladson0Kevin R. Cromar1Marya Ghazipura2K. Emma Knowland3Christoph A. Keller4Bryan Duncan5Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University, New York, USA; New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USAMarron Institute of Urban Management, New York University, New York, USA; New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Corresponding author at: 370 Jay Street, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University, New York, USA; New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USAUniversities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, USA; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USAUniversities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, USA; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USAAir pollution poses a serious threat to children’s respiratory health around the world. Satellite remote-sensing technology and air quality models can provide pollution data on a global scale, necessary for risk communication efforts in regions without ground-based monitoring networks. Several large centers, including NASA, produce global pollution forecasts that may be used alongside air quality indices to communicate local, daily risk information to the public. Here we present a health-based, globally applicable air quality index developed specifically to reflect the respiratory health risks among children exposed to elevated outdoor air pollution. Additive, excess-risk air quality indices were developed using 51 different coefficients derived from time-series health studies evaluating the impacts of ambient fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone on children's respiratory morbidity outcomes. A total of four indices were created which varied based on whether or not the underlying studies controlled for co-pollutants and in the adjustment of excess risks of individual pollutants. Combined with historical estimates of air pollution provided globally at a 25 × 25 km2 spatial resolution from the NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System composition forecast (GEOS-CF) model, each of these indices were examined in a global sample of 664 small and 140 large cities for study year 2017. Adjusted indices presented the most normal distributions of locally-scaled index values, which has been shown to improve associations with health risks, while indices based on coefficients controlling for co-pollutants had little effect on index performance. We provide the steps and resources need to apply our final adjusted index at the local level using freely-available forecasting data from the GEOS-CF model, which can provide risk communication information for cities around the world to better inform individual behavior modification to best protect children's respiratory health.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021006486Air pollution modelAir quality indexChildren’s healthGlobal healthRespiratory diseaseRisk communication |
| spellingShingle | Laura A. Gladson Kevin R. Cromar Marya Ghazipura K. Emma Knowland Christoph A. Keller Bryan Duncan Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index Environment International Air pollution model Air quality index Children’s health Global health Respiratory disease Risk communication |
| title | Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index |
| title_full | Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index |
| title_fullStr | Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index |
| title_full_unstemmed | Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index |
| title_short | Communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index |
| title_sort | communicating respiratory health risk among children using a global air quality index |
| topic | Air pollution model Air quality index Children’s health Global health Respiratory disease Risk communication |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021006486 |
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