Planetary Health thematic web collection
Associate Editor Paul Tratnyek and Guest Editor Joe Needoba introduce the Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Planetary Health collection.
Perspective
Physiological modes of action across species and toxicants: the key to predictive ecotoxicology
We outline a research strategy that will deliver more effective theory and models for environmental risk assessment of chemicals.
Perspective
Environmental transmission of diarrheal pathogens in low and middle income countries
Globally more than half a million children die every year from diarrheal diseases. This Perspective suggests that reductions in diarrheal disease transmission in LMICs can be achieved by accounting for site-specific factors when designing environmental interventions. This is discussed in the context of the characteristics of the most important diarrheal diseases as well as environmental reservoirs.
Air quality concerns of unconventional oil and natural gas production
Air quality impacts from unconventional oil and gas development range from local to global scales impacting human health and climate.
Perspective
Human exposure to aluminium
This paper should enable a change in our thinking about the myriad ways that humans are exposed to aluminium and importantly it provides a much more complete definition of the body burden of aluminium.
Air quality and climate – synergies and trade-offs
Although traditionally viewed as two separate arenas for science and regulation, focus has shifted to consider the feedbacks, possible co-benefits or disadvantages from the interrelated spheres of air pollution and climate change.
Airborne persistent toxic substances (PTSs) in China: occurrence and its implication associated with air pollution
In recent years, China suffered from extensive air pollution due to the rapidly expanding economic and industrial developments. Most studies on airborne PTSs have been conducted in east and south China, and severe contamination was generally observed in the BTH, YRD and PRD regions.
Microplastics in coastal and marine environments of the western tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean
Microplastics interact with marine biota of the tropical western Atlantic Ocean causing chemical and physical harm from the individual to the population levels.
Critical Review
The interaction of human microbial pathogens, particulate material and nutrients in estuarine environments and their impacts on recreational and shellfish waters
Review of the interaction of human microbial pathogens, nutrients and flocs from rivers to coasts.
A review on cylindrospermopsin: the global occurrence, detection, toxicity and degradation of a potent cyanotoxin
Cylindrospermopsin is an important cyanobacterial toxin found in water bodies worldwide.
Paper
Predicting global scale exposure of humans to PCB 153 from historical emissions
Modeled global concentrations of PCB-153 in human milk agree with measurements within a factor 4 for 49 of 78 observations.
Source-to-exposure assessment with the Pangea multi-scale framework – case study in Australia
Global multi-scale modeling platform for spatial analysis of population intake and multimedia source apportionment of 4000+ Australian emission sources.
An investigation of the PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations and their human health impacts in the metro subway system of Suzhou, China
This study measured the particle concentrations with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and relative humidity (RH) at five subway metro stations in Suzhou's subway system (Lines 1 and 2).
Paper
The dilemma in prioritizing chemicals for environmental analysis: known versus unknown hazards
A major challenge for society is to manage the risks posed by the many chemicals continuously emitted to the environment.
Modelling the increased frequency of extreme sea levels in the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta due to sea level rise and other effects of climate change
A hydrodynamic model of the Bay of Bengal has been used to explore increasing frequency of extreme sea levels in the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta over the 21st century.
Paper
Agricultural livelihoods in coastal Bangladesh under climate and environmental change – a model framework
We describe a novel integrated modelling system aiming to approximate the impact of environmental change on farmers' livelihoods in Bangladesh.
Assessing the impacts of climate change and socio-economic changes on flow and phosphorus flux in the Ganga river system
Anthropogenic climate change has impacted and will continue to impact the natural environment and people around the world.
Dynamic modeling of the Ganga river system: impacts of future climate and socio-economic change on flows and nitrogen fluxes in India and Bangladesh
This study investigates the potential impacts of future climate and socio-economic change on the flow and nitrogen fluxes of the Ganga river system.
Personal nitrogen footprint tool for the United Kingdom
A nitrogen footprint calculator tool for the UK is described together with a historical and international comparison of N footprints. Scenarios show how reductions in individual footprints can be made.
About this collection
Planetary health is a relatively recent concept that aims to establish connections between the state of Earth’s natural systems and human health and well-being, thereby providing a broad perspective for environmental research and its importance to public health. The concept applies to, and ties together, many of the papers published in ESPI, although few ESPI papers have explicitly used the concept.
Therefore, Associate Editor Paul Tratnyek and Guest Editor Joe Needoba (both from the Oregon Health and Science University) have compiled this collection of ESPI papers with strong relevance to planetary health. In making their selections, the editors identified papers that address one or more “planetary boundaries”, which are the global-scale environmental threats that pose the greatest risk of disrupting Earth’s natural life support systems.
Initially, the collection featured 20 papers already published in ESPI. Additional papers will be added as they appear in the journal. Eventually, we hope that this collection will provide a useful lens for framing environmental and chemical processes from a planetary health perspective and stimulate new research directions for the ESPI community.