Risk Of Heat Stress Research Articles

Deforestation and climate change are projected to increase heat stress risk in the Brazilian Amazon

Land use change and deforestation can influence local temperature and climate. Here we use a coupled ocean-atmosphere model to assess the impact of savannization of the Amazon Basin on the wet-bulb globe temperature heat stress index under two climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). We find that heat stress exposure due to deforestation was comparable to the effect of climate change under RCP8.5. Our findings suggest that heat stress index could exceed the human adaptation limit by 2100 under the combined effects of Amazon savannization and climate change. Moreover, we find that risk of heat stress exposure was highest in Northern Brazil and among the most socially vulnerable. We suggest that by 2100, savannization of the Amazon will lead to more than 11 million people will be exposed heat stress that poses an extreme risk to human health under a high emission scenario.

Dobrostan zwierząt domowych w miejskich planach adaptacji do zmian klimatu. Przykład Polski

The aim of the article was to explore pet welfare in Municipal Adaptation Plans (MAPs), based on a literature review and case studies of 40 MAPs accepted in Poland as part of the “Let’s Feel the Climate” project, supported by the Polish Ministry of Environment in 2017–2019. The study summarizes the concept of climate change and the importance of adaptation measures with particular emphasis on urban heat islands and heat stress, acknowledged by climate change literature, and outlines pet welfare in the context of thermal comfort and threats caused by heat stress. Because the authors subsequently presented an empirical study of the 40 accepted MAPs, they also discussed the role and legal nature of MAPs. The main hypothesis of this survey of Polish MAPs was that pet welfare in the context of their thermal comfort is an example of the adaptive measures clearly stipulated in Polish MAPs, which was examined after presenting the MAPs’ findings. The starting point was the assumption that the welfare of pets should also be assessed from the perspective of their thermal comfort – a new element of broadly understood animal welfare. This is due to the fact that pets are exposed to the risk of heat stress resulting from urban heat islands and, just like people, have to endure the inconvenience of extreme weather phenomena, which is impossible without the support of amenities such as drinkers or water shelters and the development of green and blue infrastructure.

Evaluation of Heat Stress on Bakery Worker in Makurdi Benue State, north east Nigeria.

Nigeria being a tropical nation with high temperature and some Nigerian bakeries use mud oven which expose workers to direct contact with heat increasing their risk of heat stress. This research work tends to evaluate heat stress on bakery workers in Makurdi, Benue State. Forty questionnaires were validly filled and handed in from the workers at the various bakeries. Data such as age, duration of exposure as well as heat stress estimation and satisfaction level were filled in and data were analysis using statistics and results shows that heat stress reduces efficiency and productivity in workers poses health risk in workers such as heat cramps, heat rashes and in severe cases even heat stroke which may threaten the life of these workers. The results from measurements in this work has shown that bakery workers in Makurdi metropolis are highly exposed to heat stress and are likely to experience one disorder or the other with possible death consequences. It was also found that heat stress is often an overlooked problem as most workers lacked proper knowledge of control measures and employers have made little or no effort to prevent heat stress disorders.

Recurrent Fevers in a Boy Toddler with Dysmorphic Features and Hypodontia.

Recurrent Fevers in a Boy Toddler with Dysmorphic Features and Hypodontia.

Solar Installations & Their Occupational Risks

With the solar industry’s rapid growth, it is crucial to continuously review and assess the occupational risks associated with photovoltaic (PV) installations. PV installers are exposed to severe occupational risks, including but not limited to electrocution, heat stress, fall accidents, and manual handling risks. However, it is unclear what research is being done to mitigate these risks and where more research is required. Therefore, this paper performs a systematic literature review using the Scopus database to comprehensively review and identify: (1) the current knowledge available regarding the occupational risks associated with PV installations, (2) the health and safety effects these risks have on PV installers, (3) the research being done to mitigate them, and (4) the knowledge gaps for future research. This research can guide areas for future research concerning occupational safety and health in the PV installation sector.

Стратегии управления сахарным диабетом у спортсменов

Glycemic control is the biggest challenge for athletes with diabetes mellitus (DM) on insulin therapy. Done well, it can keep glycogen metabolism normal and allow performance improvement through adjustment of the insulin doses to the specifics of nutrition and exercising. In DM Type 1 and Type 2 patients, intense physical activity and resistance exercising, as well as interval training, enable optimal physiological adaptation during the training period and prove to be beneficial when the athlete does one-time exercise sets. But for athletes with DM on insulin therapy, keeping blood glucose at the optimal level is not the only important issue. It is also necessary to factor in the potential body temperature regulation disturbances that increase the risk of heat stress during training/competition, learn the effects the drugs used by athletes may have on the glycemic status, control electrolyte balance and dehydration, know how to execute the application for permission to use insulin for therapeutic purposes submitted to the anti-doping organization. The purpose of this review was to draw attention of sports medicine physicians and coaches to the above problems and to the need for wider use of the new DM control technology; help athletes with DM on insulin therapy continuously perform well and ensure their athletic longevity.

Increases in extreme heat stress in domesticated livestock species during the twenty-first century.

Anthropogenic climate change is expected to have major impacts on domesticated livestock, including increased heat stress in animals in both intensive and extensive livestock systems. We estimate the changes in the number of extreme heat stress days per year for animals raised outdoors that can be expected in the major domesticated animal species (cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and pigs) across the globe during this century. We used the temperature humidity index as a proxy for heat stress, calculated using temperature and relative humidity data collated from an ensemble of CMIP6 climate model output for mid and end century. We estimate changes in the proportions of different livestock species that may be at increased risk of extreme heat stress under two contrasting greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Results are discussed in relation to changes in the suitability of different climate conditions for domesticated livestock during the current century. We find that by end century, extreme heat stress risk is projected to increase for all livestock species in many parts of the tropics and some of the temperate zones, and to become climatically more widespread, compared to 2000. Although adaptation options exist for both intensive and extensive livestock production systems, the increasing pervasiveness of extreme heat stress risk in the future will seriously challenge the viability of outdoor livestock keeping, particularly in the lower latitudes in lower and middle‐income countries where the costs of adaptation may be challenging to address.

Specificity of Meteorological and Biometeorological Conditions in Central Europe in Centre of Urban Areas in June 2019 (Bydgoszcz, Poland)

The work describes diurnal meteorological and biometeorological conditions in June 2019 in the urban areas of Central Europe. UTCI, STI, Oh_H, WL, and OV indices were calculated based on 24-h data from Bydgoszcz (Poland) for hot days. The degree of risk connected with heat stress of different intensities, risk of hyperthermia, body water loss, and decreased oxygen volume was determined. The studies showed that June 2019 was an example of an extreme situation with a heatwave that generated high stress for the inhabitants of urban areas. The conditions were burdensome mostly due to “very strong” and “strong” heat stress and periodic risk of dehydration, situations that could quickly lead to overheating of the body and a decreased oxygen volume leading to stress.

Physiological Characterization of Young 'Hass' Avocado Plant Leaves Following Exposure to High Temperatures and Low Light Intensity.

The worldwide demand for avocados has resulted in the planting of millions of young plants each year. However, global warming, resulting in high temperatures, sensed as heat stress, may severely damage these new plantings. The objective of this study was to assess the risks of heat stress on young avocado plants. We aimed to characterize different physiological parameters of young ‘Hass’ plant leaves following exposure to high temperatures under low light (LL) intensity and to pinpoint the temperature threshold for significant heat stress damage in these plants. To this end, young potted plants were subjected to different temperature gradients in a controlled-climate chamber. Minor and severe leaf damage was apparent in plants subjected to the 51 °C and 53 °C treatments, respectively. Minor and vast reductions in optimal quantum yield efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) values were observed in plants subjected to 51 °C and 53 °C, respectively. Heat stress treatments significantly reduced CO2 assimilation in plants subjected to 49 °C and higher temperatures. Stomatal conductance to water vapour and substomatal internal CO2 concentration were less sensitive to the heat treatments. These results imply that the heat damage threshold for young avocado plants under LL conditions is between 49 °C and 51 °C, whereas at 53 °C, severe and irreversible leaf damage occurs.

Effect of Wearing Different Types of Face Mask to Heat Strain During Physical Activities

There is a concern to use masks during physical activities when exercising and working. Wearing masks during physical activity will pose a risk to physiological changes in the body and human heat strain by the principle of a mask can block the respiratory tract. This study aims to determine how much the human physiological changes quantitatively and qualitatively when using different types of medical masks, cloths and N95. There were 10 respondents as a sample of this study. The results obtained show that the different types of masks to the physiological response of the human body, cloth masks can affect the physiological changes the highest compared to medical masks and N95. The subjective response in the form of thermal comfort, mask sensation, and thermal sensation shows that of the 3 types of masks, the N95 mask is the mask that is the most uncomfortable when worn. The recommendations of the 3 types of masks are medical masks because they affect the slightest increase in the risk of heat stress while the cloth masks have the highest increase in tympanic temperature and Physiological Strain Index.

Assessing occupational risk of heat stress at construction: A worker-centric wearable sensor-based approach

Construction workers are at a high risk of exposure to excessive heat generated by several factors such as intensive physical activities, personal protective clothing, and frequent heat events at construction sites. Previous studies attempted to evaluate the occupational risk of heat stress by concentrating on environmental variables or the self-assessment measures of perceived heat. Despite their potentials, most of these approaches were intrusive, inaccurate, and intermittent. More importantly, they mainly overlooked the disparities in workers' physical and physiological characteristics. To address these limitations, this study proposes a heat-stress risk-assessment process to evaluate workers' bodily responses to heat – heat strain – based on the continuous measurement of their physiological signals. To this end, workers' physiological signals were captured using a wristband-type biosensor. Subsequently, their physiological signals were decontaminated from noises, resampled into an array of informative features, and finally interpreted into distinct states of individuals' heat strain by employing several supervised learning algorithms. To examine the performance of the proposed process, physiological signals were collected from 18 subjects while performing specific construction tasks under three predetermined environmental conditions with a different probability of exposure to heat stress. The analysis results revealed the proposed process could predict the risk of heat strain with more than 92% accuracy, illuminating the potentials of wearable biosensors to continuously assess workers' heat strain. The long-term implications of this study can be capitalized as guidelines to improve systematic evaluation of heat strain and promote workers' occupational safety and well-being through early detection of heat strain at construction sites.

Increasing Human‐Perceived Heat Stress Risks Exacerbated by Urbanization in China: A Comparative Study Based on Multiple Metrics

AbstractMore than half of the total population in China are living in cities. Especially, the people in highly developed and spatially integrated city clusters, i.e., urban agglomerations (UAs), are facing increasing human‐perceived heat stress that describes the combined effects of hot temperature, high humidity, and lowered surface wind speed. By analyzing multiple indicators over 20 major UAs across China, we demonstrate that summer heat stress has been significantly intensifying in nearly all UAs during 1971–2014. This intensification is more profound in northern than southern regions and is especially stronger in more urbanized and densely populated areas (e.g., Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei and the Yangtze River Delta). Based on a dynamic classification of weather stations using time‐varying land use/land cover maps, we find that urban core areas exhibit distinctly stronger increasing heat stress trends than their surrounding rural areas. On average, urbanization contributes to approximately one‐quarter of the total increase in mean heat stress over urban core areas of UAs and nearly half of the total increase in extreme heat stress events. The urbanization effect is also dependent on the geographical region within China. Urbanization tends to have stronger intensifying effects on heat stress in UAs with higher population density in low‐altitude areas, while it has a relatively weaker intensifying and even weakening effect in some arid and high‐altitude regions. Moreover, as various heat stress metrics may yield different estimations of long‐term trend and urbanization contribution, the particular choice of heat stress indicator is of critical importance for investigations on this subject matter.

Assessing the monthly heat stress risk to society using thermal comfort indices in the hot semi-arid climate of India

Extreme weather conditions, especially heatwave, are a threat to society, affecting livability, wellbeing, and social interactions. The present study aims to assess the monthly heat stress in the outdoor environment from 2010 to 2019 in Sonepat's municipality, representing a hot semi-arid climate. The authors applied three heat stress indices, namely, Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), Physiological equivalent temperature (PET), and Universal thermal climate index (UTCI), to estimate the grade of heat stress. While calculations, the highest average WBGT was found in July (33.4 ± 0.77 °C), demonstrating July in the “Extreme heat stress” category. The highest mean PET was found in June (42.47 ± 2.34 °C), indicating June in the “Extreme heat stress” category. The highest mean UTCI was found in June (38.58 ± 1.82 °C), demonstrating “Very strong heat stress.” The dry bulb temperature was found to be the most dominant parameter among meteorological parameters promoting extreme heat stress. It was concluded that extreme heat stress was observed in the Pre-monsoon hot weather season and summer monsoon season (especially in June), making the population vulnerable to mortality and morbidity. The findings could provide valuable information to people from various disciplines like Climate scientists, landscape designers, architects, and all relevant stakeholders to develop a heatwave action plan against adverse heat stress.

Estimating the magnitude and risk associated with heat exposure among Ghanaian mining workers.

Many occupational settings located outdoors in direct sun, such as open cut mining, pose a health, safety, and productivity risk to workers because of their increased exposure to heat. This issue is exacerbated by climate change effects, the physical nature of the work, the requirement to work extended shifts and the need to wear protective clothing which restricts evaporative cooling. Though Ghana has a rapidly expanding mining sector with a large workforce, there appears to be no study that has assessed the magnitude and risk of heat exposure on mining workers and its potential impact on this workforce. Questionnaires and temperature data loggers were used to assess the risk and extent of heat exposure in the working and living environments of Ghanaian miners. The variation in heat exposure risk factors across workers' gender, education level, workload, work hours, physical work exertion and proximity to heat sources is significant (p<0.05). Mining workers are vulnerable to the hazards of heat exposure which can endanger their health and safety, productive capacity, social well-being, adaptive capacity and resilience. An evaluation of indoor and outdoor Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) in the working and living environment showed that mining workers can be exposed to relatively high thermal load, thus raising their heat stress risk. Adequate adaptation policies and heat exposure management for workers are imperative to reduce heat stress risk, and improve productive capacity and the social health of mining workers.

Anthropogenic Warming and Population Growth May Double US Heat Stress by the Late 21st Century

AbstractGlobally, heat stress (HS) is nearly certain to increase rapidly over the coming decades, characterized by increased frequency, severity, and spatiotemporal extent of extreme temperature and humidity. While these characteristics have been investigated independently, a holistic analysis integrating them is potentially more informative. Using observations, climate projections from the CMIP5 model ensemble, and historical and future population estimates, we apply the IPCC risk framework to examine present and projected future potential impact (PI) of summer heat stress for the contiguous United States (CONUS) as a function of non‐stationary HS characteristics and population exposure. We find that the PI of short‐to‐medium duration (1–7 days) HS events is likely to increase more than three‐fold across densely populated regions of the U.S. including the Northeast, Southeast Piedmont, Midwest, and parts of the Desert Southwest by late this century (2060–2099) under the highest emissions scenario. The contribution from climate change alone more than doubles the impact in the coastal Pacific Northwest, central California, and the Great Lakes region, implying a substantial increase in HS risk without aggressive mitigation efforts.

Rethinking urban heat stress: Assessing risk and adaptation options across socioeconomic groups in Bonn, Germany

With climate change and socioeconomic trends expected to exacerbate the risk of urban heat stress, implementing adaptation measures is paramount to limit adverse impacts of heat on urban inhabitants. Identification of the best options needs to be based on sound, localised assessments of risk, understood as the interaction of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. Yet a review of the literature reveals that minimal research to date considers the perceived impacts of heat among urban residents. Based on a household survey in Bonn, Germany, this paper adopts an integrated approach to assess how different socioeconomic groups are affected by heat stress and explores the connections between perceived impacts of heat and indicators of exposure and vulnerability across groups. Results indicate that all socioeconomic groups are at risk of urban heat stress, though to differing extents and for different reasons. Exposure was found to be lowest in groups typically considered to be of higher risk, such as older respondents, who at the same time have the highest susceptibility. Students and other younger respondents, on the other hand, face comparably high exposure and have the lowest coping and adaptive capacities. At the same time, each group has its own capacities with the potential to mitigate risk. The study shows that urban inhabitants beyond “classic risk groups” usually addressed in literature and policy are affected by heat stress in ways that may not be accounted for in current urban policy.

Heat vulnerability and adaptive capacities: findings of a household survey in Ludwigsburg, BW, Germany

In 2019, record-setting temperatures in Europe adversely affected human health and wellbeing (WMO 2020) and cities—thus, people in urban areas suffered particularly under heat stress. However, not only heat stress but also the differential vulnerability of people exposed is key when defining adaptation priorities. Up to now, local data on vulnerability and particularly adaptive capacities is rather rare. Various aspects of human vulnerability to heat and capacities to adapt to heat stress in urban areas still have to be explored and assessed, for example in terms of the adaptation at home, during work or while commuting to work. The paper presents new findings of a household survey on how and where different groups experience heat stress and how they assess their susceptibility and capacities to cope and adapt. The findings are based on a survey conducted in the medium-sized city of Ludwigsburg, Germany. Findings show significant linkages and correlations between socio-economic factors and heat vulnerability and capacities to respond. The analysis gives special emphasis to relationships between willingness to implement adaptive measures to reduce heat stress risks and risk perception and adaptive capacities. Particularly, the analysis of future adaptation options and the ability and willingness of different households to implement these provides new insights on the differential capacities to adapt and the need for tailor-made transformation programs.

A Pilot Observational Study Comparing Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Parameter Measurements Between Three Commercial Kitchen Configurations

Line cooks in commercial restaurants work intense, high-stress shifts during near sources of heat, rendering them vulnerable to heat stress and occupational injury. However, there is a dearth of literature on heat stress among this population. This study investigated three common commercial kitchen configurations—zone, island, and assembly—to determine which design experiences the highest temperatures and if temperatures were in excess of recommended levels. A total of 11 restaurants were sampled for temperature using a Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer (WBGT). Descriptive statistics indicated that, on average, zone configurations are hotter than other kitchens and could pose a risk of heat stress; however, a Kruskal-Wallis test of significance revealed that this distinction was not statistically significant. Two measurements for zone kitchens were borderline significant, suggesting that future studies with greater statistical power would find significant differences between the kitchen types and further illuminate the risk of heat stress.

Altering urban greenspace patterns and heat stress risk in Hanoi city during Master Plan 2030 implementation

Hanoi City has been greatly reshaped owing to its “Master Plan by 2030 and a vision to 2050 by Decision 1259/QD-TTg of Vietnam” (called Hanoi Master Plan thereafter). This Hanoi Master Plan results in multi-challenges for the Hanoi City in terms of conserving urban greenspace (UGS). This study pursues to (1) investigate the changing environmental spatial patterns of UGS, (2) identity the areas at high risk due to heat stress based on abnormal land surface temperature (LST) distribution and demographic vulnerability, and (3) suggest mitigation strategies to the authorities by using the proposed UGS management platform. Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) data was used to examine the evolution of UGS in relation to LST derived from Landsat 8 OLI thermal band that was subsequently utilized to create heat stress risk patterns. The study region is the inner Hanoi City. The UGS was investigated during the timeframe from Oct. 2016 to Oct. 2018. Accuracy assessment was performed by using Google Earth and field survey data. Results showed that UGS in inner Hanoi City is much declined by 1.3% for woodland and by 4.4% for shrub land, while grass-cover is increased by 2.4% in recent 2 years. Overall accuracies are of 96% and 88% with Kappa coefficients of 0.92 and 0.78 for land cover classification in 2018 and 2016, respectively. Urban heat stress index patterns showed a higher risk in the central inner-city areas of dense residential regions characterized by dense built-up. The identification of environmental heat stress risk patterns provides useful information for calling more attention of urban planners, authorities and health organizations.

Multi-decadal convection-permitting climate projections for China’s Greater Bay Area and surroundings

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is the world’s largest bay area in terms of land area and population, which has been increasingly suffering from weather and climate extremes under global warming. It is thus desired to produce reliable high-resolution climate information at a regional scale in order to enhance resilience to climate change over the GBA. For the first time, this study develops the multi-decadal nested-grid climate projections at a convection-permitting scale for the GBA, and assesses the abilities of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with 36-, 12- and 4 km resolutions in representing precipitation, temperature and their extremes. Our findings indicate the added value of the convection-permitting WRF model for simulating the spring and summertime precipitation as well as extreme heavy rainfall events with daily amounts larger than 30 mm over the GBA. Increasing the spatial resolution of the WRF model does not necessarily lead to a significant improvement on temperature simulations. In addition, our findings reveal that the GBA is expected to have an increasing number of heavy and extreme heavy rainfall events by the end of the twenty-first century. Moreover, the GBA is projected to have a large temperature change across different seasons, and an enhanced warming will appear in autumn. The GBA is also expected to have more summer days with longer durations, thereby leading to an increasing risk of heatwaves and heat stress.